The Oppenheimer team was on cloud nine, as they celebrated the big night with 7 Oscars, including Best Actor and Best Picture. The highlight, however, happened before the award was handed out to the film’s director, Christopher Nolan. Al Pacino, the Hollywood icon who was chosen to present, sparked confusion with an unintentional mishap. Ignoring the Academy’s tradition of reading the nominations before announcing the winner, Pacino, without wasting any time, declared Nolan’s film as the winner for the grand prize. Many speculated that it might be a mistake by the legendary actor. Yet, in a recent statement, Pacino clarified that it was a deliberate choice made by the producers to not read the nominations list and directly announce the winner.
In a statement obtained by ABC News, the veteran star stated, “There seems to be some controversy about my not mentioning every film by name last night before announcing the best picture award. I just want to be clear it was not my intention to omit them, rather a choice by the producers not to have them said again since they were highlighted individually throughout the ceremony. I was honoured to be a part of the evening and chose to follow the way they wished for this award to be presented.”
“I realise being nominated is a huge milestone in one’s life and to not be fully recognised is offensive and hurtful. I say this as someone who profoundly relates with film-makers, actors and producers so I deeply empathise with those who have been slighted by this oversight and it’s why I felt it necessary to make this statement,” Al Pacino added.
Molly McNearney, the Oscars producer, disclosed to Variety that the decision to deviate from the traditional way of presenters naming all 10 Best Picture nominees before announcing the winner was a deliberate and creative choice. She explained that the creative team was concerned about the show’s length and they had already featured clips from all 10 Best Picture nominees during the ceremony.
According to McNearney, the team believed that the audience’s primary interest was in knowing the winner. To streamline the process and maintain viewer engagement, they asked Pacino not to read the nominations list. McNearney acknowledged that this decision might have placed Pacino in a challenging position and offered an apology for any inconvenience caused to the audience.
Al Pacino received an impressive nine acting nominations at the Oscars and he even won the prestigious Academy for Best Actor in 1992 for his remarkable performance in Scent of a Woman.
Comments
0 comment