Steve McQueen says becoming the first black director to win a Best Picture Oscar was "of no consequence" to him.
The ’12 Years a Slave’ director made the admission in an interview with BBC’s ‘Desert Island Discs’ host Kirsty Young, in which he claimed his accolade shouldn’t be considered a major landmark for the black community.
He explained: "It’s not important to me at all.
"There’s nothing I don’t think black people can’t do so that’s of no consequence to me. I mean so what?"
The 2013 film – which stars Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender and Bennedict Cumberbatch – tells the story of an African-American man who is kidnapped and sold into slavery.
McQueen, who lives and works in Amsterdam, also said he does not obsess about trying to please critics in Hollywood.
The 44-year-old explained: "I don’t need money. If you don’t need money, you are free. You do want you want.
"The only thing they can offer you is money and if you don’t need it, there is no enticement."
The London-born director is currently working on a drama based on the lives of black people in the city, which is set to air on the BBC.
Steve McQueen downplays significance of Oscar win
