Andrea who? Investigate British actress Riseborough’s Oscar nomination that stunned Hollywood pundits and seemed to herald her rise to the A-list
- Andrea Riseborough is at the center of the Academy Awards shortlist investigation
- The film would have been shocked by the independent film nomination To Leslie
She’s the British actress whose surprise Best Actress Oscar nomination 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 in selecting the Academy Awards shortlist.
The movie world was stunned 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 praised Riseborough’s performance in the low-budget drama, which premiered in October. And Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, Charlize Theron and Courteney Cox hosted private screenings of the film and expressed their support for Riseborough.
Andrea Riseborough is at the center of an extraordinary investigation into whether any rules were broken in selecting the shortlist for the Academy Awards.
The movie world was stunned 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, who has long been admired for her performances in films like Birdman and Battle Of The Sexes but is largely unknown in America.
For To Leslie, Riseborough had not been nominated for a Golden Globe or Critics Choice award, the traditional ‘route’ to the Oscars.
Her nomination drew the ire of some who believe acclaimed black actresses Viola Davis (The Woman King) and Danielle Deadwyler (Till) would have been on the Best Actress list until the A-list campaign for Riseborough began.
On Friday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said it would immediately launch a review to see if any of its rules, including one that prohibits “direct solicitation” of members’ votes, were violated. If they were, then Ms Riseborough could be stripped of her nomination.
A producer who is an Academy voter said: “Andrea is one of the best actresses working today and loved by her peers, but her Oscar nomination surprised everyone.” It wasn’t just a shock, it was a miracle. You could hear gasps as her name was read across the room. This is a movie that no one had seen or heard of until recently.
‘Both Viola and Danielle put in impressive performances and one or both of them were expected to be nominated. There has been a lot of backlash this week that once again a white woman could have pushed out equally valuable black actresses, who never received anything like the support Andrea did.
The nomination drew the ire of some who believe acclaimed black actresses Viola Davis (The Woman King) would have made the Best Actress list.
Others argued that Danielle Deadwyler (pictured) would have been on the Best Actress shortlist until the A-list campaign for Riseborough began.
The To Leslie campaign garnered even more attention when several stars, including Mia Farrow, used the same phrase in social media posts, calling it “a little movie with a giant heart.” Online entertainment site Puck reported that the investigation would center on an email sent to A-list stars and Academy voters, purportedly from a source close to the film, which read: “If you are willing to post all days from now until January 17th, that would be amazing!’
The source said: ‘Is that in violation of Academy rules? Is near.
‘You are not allowed to apply directly to voting members.’
Earlier in the week, Riseborough said of her nomination: “I’m in awe.” Her spokeswoman has declined to comment.
Other Best Actress nominees are Cate Blanchett (Tar), Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once), Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans) and Ana de Armas (Blonde).