Taylor Swift, Ke Huy Quan, Austin Butler join Hollywood's film academy

[June 29, 2023]  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop singer and songwriter Taylor Swift, "Elvis" star Austin Butler and best supporting actor winner Ke Huy Quan were among more than 300 people selected to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that awards the Oscars.  

Taylor Swift attends the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 5, 2023. REUTERS/David Swanson/File Photo

Swift, 33, was invited to join the academy's music branch after writing songs for the soundtracks of the 2022 movie "Where the Crawdads Sing" and the 2019 film adaptation of the musical "Cats."

Quan, 51, won the supporting actor trophy this year for his role in best picture winner "Everything Everywhere All at Once." His Oscar-nominated co-star Stephanie Hsu, 32, also was selected to join the academy, along with the movie's directors, 35-year-old Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, 36 - known as "the Daniels."

Butler, 31, was nominated for an Oscar this year for his portrayal of Elvis Presley.

The academy, which has more than 10,000 members in total, has taken steps to diversify its membership since the #OscarsSoWhite outcry in 2015.

The group said 40% of the new members identified as women, 34% belonged to underrepresented ethnic or racial communities, and 52% were from 50 countries and territories outside the United States.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

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