Deadline OSCARS: The Supporting Actress Race

Diane Haithman, Ray Richmond and Anthony D’Alessandro are contributing to Deadline’s Oscar coverage.

Related: Nikki Finke’s Oscar Live-Snark

Ben Affleck was asked at what point he realized that Argo was gaining enough momentum to win the Best Picture Oscar. “When they gave us the trophies, I was confident that we would win,” joked Affleck, flanked by producers George Clooney and Grant Heslov. He added that throughout awards season he has not been into “Oscarology” and trying to predict the future. Affleck also joked that now that Argo has won Best Picture, “no more humility.” He followed this, of course, with humility. He acknowledged disappointment when he was not nominated for Best Director but said he was honored to “sit on the bench” with the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Kathryn Bigelow and Paul Thomas Anderson. “You are not entitled to anything,” he said to applause. “I’m honored to be here, honored to be among these extraordinary movies and honored to have won an Academy Award.” Affleck added that he was “sort of hallucinating” already when the audience was surprised by Michelle Obama announcing the award, so he wouldn’t have been surprised by anything: “Oh look, a purple elephant!” But he added that, once he realized what was happening, it was “very cool.” “And I’m a big fan of the bangs,” Heslov joked. Affleck also responded to a question about recent criticism that elements of Argo diverge from reality. “You walk a fine line,” he said, in honoring the basic truth and trying also to honor the three-act structure of a feature film. He praised screenwriter Chris Terrio for achieving that balance.

Related: Oscars 2013 Winners List

As the first actor to win three Oscars in the lead actor category, Daniel Day-Lewis wasn’t nearly as deadpan and jokey backstage as he was onstage while receiving his honor for Lincoln. The biggest challenge in the role, he admitted, was the fear that if he screwed up playing an iconic American President he “might never be able to show my face in this country again…It certainly had a paralyzing quality.” One reporter wanted to know if it was annoying having to “wear that beard,” apparently unaware that the beard was Day-Lewis’ own and not a fake. “Do you wear your hair?” he asked. “It was a little bit scratchy now and then, but that was all.” He has no plans at present to play any other legendary historical figures, and in fact, he stressed that he was pretty exhausted after playing the role and enduring awards season. “I want to have a lie-down for a couple of years. It’s really hard to imagine doing anything after this.” Read More »

Related:
OSCARS: 85th Academy Award Nominations
OSCARS: Nominations By Studio & Distributor
OSCARS: Nominations By Picture

Refresh for latest…

Picture
Argo
“We would like to thank the Academy for acknowledging Argo in this extraordinary way. This is a great tribute to everyone who worked on the film — from our incredible cast to our tremendous crew. We are honored to have made a film that tells the story of these unsung heroes and it’s so terrific that it’s getting this kind of recognition.”– producers Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney

Beasts Of The Southern Wild
“Never in a million years would I have imagined this! It was a long, long time ago that we began, and weren’t even thinking about stuff like this, not only to be nominated, but to have four nominations, we’re just freaking out over here. This film has been one moment of joy after another. We made this film so far outside of the normal system of making films, we weren’t backed by a major studio, but made it with Cinereach, a nonprofit that is changing the world with movies they’re putting out. We said, We want to make a movie with 6 year old who’s never acted before…that’s the miracle of the movie. We are also so proud that Quvenzhané Wallis is taking us into the history books [as the youngest nominee for Best Actress].” — producer Michael Gottwald

Django Unchained
“The controversy surrounding our film has created a dialogue about something that hasn’t been talked about in a long time. It’s an interesting dialogue and if you go online, you’ll read that one person loves Django Unchained and another one has a problem with it. Instead of everyone going out and getting grilled up and getting crazy, they’re talking about it. That’s what is most important…This was an incredibly challenging movie for everyone. We worked very hard shooting and editing to get it out for our release date and we’re happy that everybody was able to see the movie in time.” — producer Pilar Savone
*
Django Unchained, Silver Linings Playbook
“I am blown away! I can’t say thank you enough to the Academy for their support of our films. We have a tremendous group of actors and filmmakers who we had the pleasure of working with this year and I am so happy that their achievements are being recognized.” — Harvey Weinstein

Les Miserables
“What a wonderful year for movies when nine films with this kind of diversity get acknowledged for the industry’s highest honor. I am so proud that Les Miserables joins them and that the Academy noted the magnificent work from Hugh, Annie, our legendary song writers and the superlative crafts experts whose work made our film what it was.” — director Tom Hooper
*
“This was one of the hardest films we’ve done. It’s a genre that’s challenging by its very nature — people aren’t used to going to see a musical in a movie theater. Also, no one has ever done a live musical from beginning to end with no prerecorded music. We also had to make sure that in adapting Les Miserables, we didn’t alienate fans, and having the original team of Claude-Michel Schonberg, Herbie Kretzmer and Cameron Mackintosh, we were able to keep all the original DNA intact. Then, shooting a film with an appetite of 100 million for 60 million was an interesting challenge. I do feel sad for Ben Affleck, Kathryn Bigelow and Tom Hooper, they did a stunning job all three of them and it’s a shame they weren’t nominated. You have to respect the vote, but it is a shame.” — Working Title’s Eric Fellner
*
“I am proud and thrilled to be nominated for Les Mis and grateful to the team of people who made this film possible who are amongst the most talented in the world. To get to work with visionary director, Tom Hooper, Working Title and the original team who created this beloved musical, has been an incredible honor. For it to be my first movie as producer in my own right, is the stuff of dreams. I am still pinching myself.” — producer Debra Hayward

Life Of Pi
“This has been a 10-year life-changing experience for me. Over 2600 crew members representing 23 different countries have contributed to the making of this movie. Hopefully these nominations help to honor all their very hard work. It truly takes a village. I am forever grateful.” — producer Gil Netter
*
“I am honored to be included with Ang Lee and Gil Netter as this year’s nominee for Best Picture. Thank you to the Academy for recognizing all the talented people, in front and behind the camera, that contributed to Life Of Pi‘s multiple nominations. A special thank you to Tom Rothman and Elizabeth Gabler and everyone at Fox for having the incredible courage, vision and tenacity in making Ang Lee’s Life of Pi. It’s an exciting day… when the journey of faith of a small Indian boy lost at sea… is celebrated. Thank you Ang for making a film ‘we can all believe in.’ ” — producer David Womark
*
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to have such a diverse range of films recognized by the Academy. And it’s been equally gratifying to see how audiences throughout the world have embraced these pictures. We congratulate all involved for their magnificent work and well-deserved accolades.” — 20th Century Fox Film president Jim Gianopulos, whose company also co-produced Lincoln

Lincoln
“This nomination is really special because I have been working with Steven Spielberg in excess of 30 years. Not only do I get to go through this experience with him, but every single person that’s been nominated for this film in each category are people I’ve worked with for years. For all of us to get recognized is really gratifying. What’s wonderful about Lincoln is that it’s a reflection of the political process and it’s not an attempt to show which political party is better, rather recognize the scene of the political process. Nowadays, ‘Politician’ has become a bad word, and politicians should be lauded because our political process works. You can see that the process is working. (In Lincoln) you recognize what the founding principles are behind this political process and how it defines us and how we get things done or shouldn’t get things done. That’s why politicians on either side, Democrats and Republicans, are going to see themselves in this — by talking to one another, stepping across the party lines and identifying what’s good for the country; that’s why they’re engaged in what this movie is about.” — producer Kathleen Kennedy

Silver Linings Playbook
“What’s special about this nomination is that it’s been (achieved) in a nail-biting year. It’s been an amazing year and that’s what makes this race more exciting. So many of the different guild votes go in one direction or the other. We believed with American Beauty and Milk we would get a number of nominations, but this year it was less clear. (In regards to losing the DGA nom), there are different voting constituencies. DGA is comprised of all these different members in jobs around the world, while the Academy is a much smaller voting group in the directors’ branch. They rarely match and we kept giving ourselves these statistics.” — producer Bruce Cohen

Zero Dark Thirty
“Thank you to the Academy for these incredible honors. And thank you to the writers who have honored me today with their generosity and to the Academy for the Best Picture nomination. None of us would be so honored today without the genius and remarkable talent of Kathryn Bigelow, and to her we are forever grateful.” — producer Mark Boal, also nominated for Original Screenplay

Lead Actor
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
“To be a part of this group of actors who have put forth incredible performances this year, and for the movie to be recognized by the Academy the way it has been this morning with nominations for Bob, Jen, Jacki and David O!!!. It’s a moment I’ll cherish and never forget.” — Cooper

Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
“I hadn’t planned to listen live to the announcements, but when I got into the car this morning to go to work, the driver had the nominations streaming as they were being broadcast. To be honest, it’s very exciting but all a bit surreal, and it hasn’t fully sunk in yet. This is a brilliant awards year that has been defined by an eclectic list of stories that have been told by incredibly talented and courageous filmmakers, and it’s an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as the other nominees in the Best Actor category. Having hosted the show, I have seen so many different sides of the Oscars, but to be an actual nominee is something I never would have dreamed possible.” — Jackman

Denzel Washington, Flight
Flight was one of the most challenging roles I’ve ever had in my career, and it was an honor to be directed by Robert Zemeckis. It’s always nice to be asked back to the show, and it will be fun to share the evening with our nominated screenwriter John Gatins.” — Washington

Lead Actress
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
“I’m on cloud nine. It’s incredible. I always wanted to be an actress since I was 7 and I didn’t go the fast route. I studied a lot in college, did a lot of TV guest spots and then finally got a  break in films. My films were delayed and not coming out. Now, I receive two Oscar nominations in a row and I can’t believe this is my life. I’m shocked I even get paid for it. (In regard to the controversy over Zero Dark Thirty), Kathryn Bigelow said something beautiful at the New York Critics that ‘Depiction doesn’t mean endorsement’…I found that really strong. When a filmmaker makes a film and doesn’t say if the outcome is right or wrong, they merely present what they discovered by looking at our history and saying, ‘This is where I’ve been,’ that for me is a brave filmmaker. I’ve now been recognized in two films that have been powerful for women and I’m like wow — that’s something to talk about.” — Chastain

Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
“I’m so honored and grateful for this nomination and to be in the company of such talented actresses. Having the fortunate opportunity to work with David O. Russell was an extraordinary gift and I am so thrilled for my fellow cast members Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver who are all nothing short of amazing. This was a labor of love that we all poured our hearts into and could not be more thankful to The Weinstein Company and Harvey Weinstein for their unyielding support of the film.” — Jennifer Lawrence

Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
“I am truly happy, touched, and honored to receive, today in New York, a nomination for the role of Anne in Amour by Michael Haneke. For me, it is an immense gift, at this stage of my life, to be chosen by my sisters and brothers, for what I do as an actress. I never thought, while working throughout the years in Europe and France, that one day, I would cross the Atlantic Ocean, come to the United States, and be nominated. It is quite surreal for me. Shooting Amour with Michael Haneke was a complete joy for me, as I felt an absolute trust in him and we were in complete synch. Michael is the very music of his own film.” — Riva

Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts Of The Southern Wild
“Everyone who made Beasts happen is so happy! Thank you to all you Oscar folks, from me, my mom and my dad. I am so happy for Benh and Lucy and the gang in Louisiana. Meeting all these great new people is one of the best parts for me. I want to thank my family, friends, fans and everyone so much. Beast it!” — Wallis

Director
Michael Haneke, Amour
“I am very happy and gratified by the Oscar nominations that Amour has received today, and that the voting members of the Academy have taken the film so strongly to their hearts. It is fulfilling to discover that a film has found the audience and critical acclaim that Amour has garnered. I have been very fortunate on both those fronts, but it is especially rewarding to discover that a film has found favor among one’s industry peers who know, in particular, the effort that goes into getting a film — any film –- made. I am also especially happy for all the people who made Amour with me. It is a joyous occasion for us all. Many thanks.” — Haneke

Benh Zeitlin, Beasts Of The Southern Wild
“This was my first feature film and the only way that we got this film made was to charge ahead and believe in destiny and believe that somehow things would all work out. We’ve never been the type of filmmakers who will wait around years for someone to come along and finance things. We just put everything we had into it and moved forward. I’m feeling unbelievably grateful to all the people who’ve championed this film and took the time to look at movie with no stars and barely a budget, and somehow I’m now on the same stage with some of the greatest filmmakers of all time.” — Zeitlin, also nominated for co-writing the adapted screenplay

Ang Lee, Life Of Pi
“I am deeply honored and frankly a little overwhelmed by all of the nominations that Life Of Pi has received this morning. So many talented people gave everything they had to this film, both in front of and behind the camera, and to see all of them receive this kind of recognition is something I am incredibly grateful for.” — Lee

Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
“Every time a nomination like this happens, it’s like starting over again. I have no perspective of what has happened before (in my career Oscar-wise). I feel grateful, the fact that Lincoln was nominated 12 times. There are so many great films this year that have been critically acclaimed and audiences have put their stamp of approval on, they’re so different from one to the next and it shows an incredible amount of bravery that indie and movie studios are letting filmmakers be unique in the ways that they tell stories.…The founding fathers wrote the principles that our film argues; principles which the Civil War put in grave jeopardy. Breaking the idea of the democratic union; the crisis of the country being split in half and a single individual taking the counsel of his cabinet and his family, and people like Frederick Douglass finally coming down on the side of justice — this was a a great story. And the man behind the story is the most fascinating figure on the political landscape and has been a historical figure I’ve been fascinated with since childhood.” — Spielberg

David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
“There are many ways to answer (why this nomination) is so special to me. This is a film I’ve been trying to make for five years and it’s very personal to me and my family. And for (Silver Linings Playbook) to find audiences, this will help it. Oscars make cinema live with bigger audiences, that’s why it matters. The heart and the emotion of this film will reach people and that’s the biggest reason. The Fighter inspired me to do better work. All four of my actors got nominated this time around, which is what I wanted last time. I always want my actors to get what they deserve. Life sometimes isn’t fair and I’m very grateful that my four actors are getting recognized….There are a lot of different films this year and I’m very respectful of the other films. Every organization is different; BAFTA is different, there are many things that are different. I didn’t give up believing in this film even after the DGA nominations. I believe in our film’s emotional life.” — Russell, also nominated for Adapted Screenplay Read More »