Other who? Familiarize yourself with British actress Riseborough’s Oscar nomination, which left Hollywood insiders stunned and seemed to herald her rise to the A-list
- Andrea Riseborough is the focus of the Academy Awards selection investigation
- Film would be shocked to be nominated for the independent film To Leslie
She’s the British actress whose surprise Oscar nomination for Best Actress stunned Hollywood this week and seemed to herald her rise to the A-list.
But just days later, Andrea Riseborough is at the center of an extraordinary investigation into whether any rules were broken when selecting the Academy Awards shortlist.
The film world was amazed when her portrayal of an alcoholic in the independent film To Leslie received the nomination. The little-seen film had grossed just £22,000.
Stars including Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Mia Farrow, Susan Sarandon, Minnie Driver and Edward Norton had praised Riseborough’s performance in the low-budget drama, which was released in October. And Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, Charlize Theron and Courteney Cox held private screenings of the film and pledged their support for Riseborough.
Andrea Riseborough is at the center of an extraordinary investigation into whether any rules were broken in the selection process for the Academy Awards shortlist
The film world was amazed when Andrea Riseborough’s portrayal of an alcoholic in the independent film To Leslie received the nomination
Many share the same powerful Hollywood agency as Riseborough, long admired for her appearances in films like Birdman and Battle Of The Sexes but largely unknown in America.
For To Leslie, Riseborough he was not nominated for a Golden Globe or Critics Choice Award, the traditional ‘road’ to the Oscars.
Her nomination drew fury from some, who believe acclaimed black actresses Viola Davis (The Woman King) and Danielle Deadwyler (Till) would have made the Best Actress list by the time Riseborough’s A-list campaign launched.
On Friday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said it would immediately launch an investigation to see if any of its rules — including one prohibiting “directly soliciting” votes from members — have been violated. If that were the case, Ms Riseborough could be stripped of her nomination.
One producer, who is an Academy voter, said: “Andrea is one of the best actresses working today and is loved by her peers, but her Oscar nomination shocked everyone. It wasn’t just a shock, it was a miracle. Gasps could be heard as her name was read around the room. This is a film that nobody had seen or heard of until recently.
“Both Viola and Danielle gave stunning performances and it was expected that one or both would be nominated. There was a lot of backlash this week that a white woman may have once again supplanted equal black actresses who never got anything like the support Andrea got.
The nomination drew the ire of some who believe celebrated black actress Viola Davis (The Woman King) would have made the Best Actress list
Others have argued that Danielle Deadwyler (pictured) would have made the Best Actress list by the time the Riseborough A-list campaign launched
The campaign for To Leslie drew further attention when several stars, including Mia Farrow, used the same phrase in social media posts, calling it “a small film with a huge heart”. Online entertainment site Puck reported that the investigation would focus on an email sent to A-list stars and Academy voters, allegedly from a source close to the film, which said, “If If you are willing to post any day until January 17th, that would be awesome!’
The source said: “Is this against Academy rules? It’s near.
“You are not permitted to directly recruit voting members.”
Earlier in the week, Riseborough said of her nomination: “I’m amazed.” Her spokesman declined to comment.
The other nominees for Best Actress are Cate Blanchett (Tar), Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once), Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans) and Ana de Armas (Blonde).