Updated: Meryl Streep’s Diversity Response Taken Out of Context

On Thursday, A-lister Meryl Streep made controversial remarks about diversity while at the Berlin Film Festival press conference.

Streep is president of the prestigious film festival's jury. When asked about the jury containing no people of color, she responded, "I've played a lot of different people from a lot of different cultures. There is a core of humanity that travels right through every culture. And, after all, we're all from Africa, originally. 'We're all Berliners.' We're all Africans, really.” She was referencing John F. Kennedy's “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech from 1963.

Streep also said she has taken action to stop any type of prejudice from influencing the festival jury by not allowing fellow jurors to read a booklet that outlines the films and filmmakers playing at the festival. She explained, "It's such an unusual thing in the world now to come to something fresh, and to see without prejudging an idea of what you're about to see. To meet something fresh is almost impossible with all the chatter in our heads.”

She made clear she feels we need to include women in the conversation about diversity, saying, "This jury is evidence that at least women are included. In fact, we (women) dominate this jury. That's an unusual situation in bodies of people that make decisions.”

Streep emphasized the importance of women becoming game changers, saying, "The globe should be represented half and half. I do think inclusion is the name of the game.”