- By Noor Nanji
- Cultural Correspondent
image source, Good pictures
Al Pacino didn't bother to read all the Best Picture nominees
Al Pacino explained why he didn't read all 10 Best Picture Oscar nominees, saying the show's producers made the decision.
The veteran actor presented the final trophy of the night at a star-studded event on Sunday in Los Angeles.
But confusion arose when Oppenheimer was suddenly announced as the winner without first listing the candidates as usual.
„It was not my intention to avoid them,” Pacino said in a statement.
Instead, the 83-year-old said, „It's not the producers' choice [the nominees] Repeatedly as they were highlighted separately throughout the ceremony”.
More about the Oscars
In his statement released Monday afternoon, the Oscar-winning actor said he „chose to follow” the way producers wanted to present the award.
„I realize that being nominated is a huge milestone in one's life, and to not be fully recognized is hurtful and hurtful,” Pacino said.
„I say this as someone who is deeply involved with filmmakers, actors and producers, so I have deep sympathy for those who have been neglected by this oversight, which is why I felt it necessary to make this statement.”
Pacino's announcement night ended on a somber note, with none of the usual fanfare surrounding the night's biggest prize.
Opening the cover, he muttered, „My eyes see 'Oppenheimer,'” leaving the audience momentarily confused as to whether the film was actually a hit.
He won the Oppenheimer Awards with Cillian Murphy for Best Actor
BBC culture correspondent Emma Saunders, who was at the event in Los Angeles, said her announcement had „people sitting on their chairs” as she tried to digest the information.
While it wasn't quite the level of confusion at the end of the 2017 awards, when Moonlight and La La Land were mixed up for Best Picture, it „gave reporters a panic attack” backstage, he said. Ceremony”.
McNearney, who is married to Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel, added: „By the end of the show you'll have seen a collection of 10 best photo clips.
„People want to hear who's winning, and they're ready for the show to end. At least that's what we were hoping for. So, we didn't give him a clip package. We didn't give him suggestions to read.”
Speaking to Pacino, he apologized if the decision „put him in a difficult spot.”
„It was a little confusing. But listen, that's the excitement of live television. You never know what you're going to get right!”
The 10 Best Picture nominees are American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Oppenheimer, Past Lives, Poor Things and The Zone of Interest.
Oppenheimer won the festival, best picture, best actor Cillian Murphy, best director Christopher Nolan and best supporting actor Robert Downey Jr.
About 19.5 million people tuned in to watch the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday night, according to broadcaster ABC.
This is the highest figure in four years and doubles that of the pandemic period. However, ratings are still disappointing for a festival that regularly drew more than 40 million visitors a decade ago.
This year's Oscar nominations include smash hits like Barbie and Oppenheimer, which the public has actually seen, compared to the more esoteric and art-house films that have dominated nominations at recent festivals. The Academy moved the show up an hour earlier this year, which may have helped boost ratings.
Pacino, an acting legend, won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1993 for Scent of a Woman.