The Oscar Awards ceremony this year saw many twists, but perhaps the most unexpected one was when the legendary Al Pacino announced the most important award of the year — Best Picture — and did not bother to read out all the nominees. The audience, including the recipients of the award, was taken aback by the sudden announcement.
Social media soon went abuzz with mixed reactions, with many slamming Al Pacino for taking away the anticipation around the win. Whereas some others lauded him for cutting to the chase without wasting time. The controversial announcement, as he gave away the award to ‘Oppenheimer‘, sparked talks. He has now cleared the air and explained why he skipped the nomination.
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Al Pacino Says The Twist To His Oscar Announcement Was Not His Decision
Al Pacino has addressed the controversy surrounding his presentation of the Best Picture award at the 96th Academy Awards. After Jimmy Kimmel jokingly remarked on Pacino’s unconventional delivery, the actor issued a statement to Entertainment Weekly explaining that the decision not to mention all the nominated films was made by the producers, not him.
“There seems to be some controversy about my not mentioning every film by name last night before announcing the Best Picture award,” Pacino said in the statement. “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 honored to be a part of the evening and chose to follow the way they wished for this award to be presented,” it further read.
The decision to immediately announce the Best Picture winner without listing all the nominees again was reportedly made for “creative” reasons, as clip packages for each nominee had already been featured during the ceremony.
“I realize being nominated is a huge milestone in one’s life and to not be fully recognized is offensive and hurtful,” Pacino’s statement added. “I say this as someone who profoundly relates with filmmakers, actors, and producers, so I deeply empathize with those who have been slighted by this oversight, and it’s why I felt it necessary to make this statement.”
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Audience, Internet React To Al Pacino’s Odd Delivery Style
Pacino’s solo appearance on stage was initially expected to be with Michelle Pfeiffer. But Pfeiffer was unable to attend due to a conflict, leaving Pacino to present alone. “This is the time for the last award of the evening, and it’s my honor to present it. Ten wonderful films were nominated, but only one will take the award for Best Picture,” Pacino told the audience.
“And, uh, I have to go to the envelope for that, and I will. Here it comes. And my eyes see Oppenheimer. Yes. Yes.” While some audience members seemed confused by Pacino’s delivery, Kimmel made a humorous remark about the situation.
“I guess he’s never watched an awards show before,” Kimmel joked Monday morning in an interview with Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. “It seems like everyone in America knows the rhythm of how it’s supposed to go, down to ‘And the Oscar goes to…’ but, uh, not Al.”
The internet also went abuzz with criticism soon after Pacino announced the award. However, many other lauded him for the rather unique touch to the announcement.
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