by The actress may lose her Oscar nomination. “Shame” he shouts
Andrea Risenborough and her “To Leslie” went unnoticed in theaters and galas, but she ended up nominated for best actress.
Andra Riseborough suddenly and unexpectedly appeared on the list of Oscar nominees, which, at this time and after several previous galas, usually already has a handful of predetermined candidates. The British actress, without making much fuss, ended up on the list of nominees for the best actress award, alongside names such as Cate Blanchett, Michelle Williams, Ana de Armas and Michelle Yeoh.
The surprise was such that it caught the attention of the organization. How does the star of a film that flew under the radar, without winning major nominations and awards, reach this stage and receive an unprecedented nomination?
The surprising decision – it’s worth remembering that other actors and actresses of the Academy are the ones who vote for nominees and winners – led to the organization being flooded with messages of protest. Also for this reason, the entity that regulates the Academy Awards announced that it will analyze the issue and the nomination at the meeting this Tuesday, January 31.
According to them, the aim is to ensure that the competition is “conducted in a fair and ethical manner”, ensuring that “no rules have been broken” or even if “the current rules need to be updated for the new era. of social networks”.
Behind the controversy will be several publications that come from the official testimonies of Risenborough’s film, “To Leslie”, and other actors and actresses. The account that promoted the film where Risenborough shines will have shared a quote from critic Richard Roeper, who praised the Englishwoman and compared her to Cate Blanchett, another of the names said to be part of the line of candidates. “As much as I admire Blanchett’s work in ‘Tár’, my favorite performance by a woman this year was served up by the chameleon Andrea Risenborough.”
According to Academy rules, public and official campaigns for potential nominated films, as well as any associated persons, must refrain from “speaking negatively or disparagingly about competing films.”. There is also talk of possible suspensions for anyone who dares point the finger at competitors.
The truth is, other actors have also come forward to praise Risenborough’s performance. Among these people is precisely Cate Blanchett, nominated actress in the same category, who took advantage of her acceptance speech at the Critics’ Choice Awards to leave a word of appreciation for the British actress.
Lobbying is prohibited by the Academy. Studios and production companies can, of course, promote your film in a positive way—without naming or criticizing competitors—but they cannot promote it directly to Academy members. And this is where the premise also gets ridiculous.
It’s just that of all the films in the competition, “To Leslie” is by far the most moderate. The project, which went largely unnoticed, raised just over €27,000 in the coffers. And this despite the fact that, in the wake of the nomination, it returned to the cinemas to collect more than 250 thousand euros, now with all the power of the Oscars to draw viewers to the cinemas.
The Academy’s announcement of an analysis of the situation raised fears that the nomination may eventually be withdrawn. “I find it hilarious that the ‘surprise nomination’ (meaning no millions were spent to place the actress) of a legitimately brilliant performance is met with an investigation,” shot Christina Ricci, one of the actresses who came to demonstrate against decision. “Do only films and actors who can fund campaigns deserve recognition? It seems elitist and, frankly, regressive to me. if [a nomeação] retire, it will be a shame.”
Given the track record, Risenborough won’t have much to worry about. In recent years, nominations have only been withdrawn on three occasions, all in less popular categories.
Meanwhile, another controversy flared up in the meanderings of Hollywood. Faced with (another) category full of white actresses, there were several voices who complained of “unfairness” when they saw that the lot did not include the name of Viola Davis, for her role in “The Woman King” or Danielle Deadwyler. , for her role in ‘Till’. “Shameless misogyny aimed at black women,” shot the director of this latest film, Chinonye Chukwu.
While the decision has not been revealed, Risenborough continues on its quirky path and with all its sights set on the gala scheduled for March 13. In fact, the 41-year-old actress is far from unknown, despite the low profile of “To Leslie,” in which she plays a single mother who wins the lottery and squanders all the money — a story inspired by true events.
Richard Roeper’s epithet “chameleon” becomes more appropriate as you read the biography of Risenborough, one of those faces who seems to have been everywhere. In addition to the cast of the recent “Amsterdam” by David O. Russell, he also appeared in “Black Mirror” – star of “Crocodile” – or in “Nocturnal Animals”, by Tom Ford.
At the end of 2022, the British newspaper “The Guardian” described her as one of the “most prolific actresses” in the business, with more than two to three films a year. And even the status of the unknown does not seem to shock her, who curiously has already been cast in a film with four Oscar statuettes, “Birdman”. In 2014, Risenborough would make the decision to move away from Hollywood.
“I just stopped,” he reveals, showing off the technical intricacies required to make the film look like it was just one feature. “I had to take the whole studio system away from me. I didn’t feel full, for various reasons (…) I had lost the passion for what I was doing. You think you’re going to talk about Chekhov and you find yourself talking about things you don’t care about in the slightest, all to try to sell a product,” he says. “You feel like you’re just a small cog in a huge machine.”
