The surprise Best Actress Oscar nomination for Andrea Riseborough’s performance in the drama “To Leslie” is still causing some angst in Hollywood, given the project had little-to-no money and no traditional Oscar campaign behind it, shocking the industry in the process. Instead, a last-minute grassroots campaign to get the actress a nomination was fueled by peers like Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Jennifer Aniston, Charlize Theron, Sarah Paulson, Edward Norton, and others. It ended up working, ultimately, but the surprise nomination was so controversial— god forbid, an underdog with no money snag a coveted nomination—and has led to a campaign review/investigation by The Academy into how Riseborough exactly overtook more high-profile potential contenders like Viola Davis for “The Woman King” (a perceived snub towards more familiar candidates). As the Academy does its review, potentially rescinding the nomination, the controversy is not making some people happy. One of those willing to stand up for Riseborough, including her “To Leslie” co-star Marc Maron.
READ MORE: Andrea Riseborough Oscars Controversy Prompts Academy Campaign Review
The comedic actor, who it should be noted is not a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences, is now publicly defending the actress from the backlash to the nomination while speaking on his podcast “WTF With Marc Maron” via EW.
“Apparently, the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences, or whatever the f— it is, has decided to investigate Andrea Riseborough’s grassroots campaign to get her the Oscar nomination,” Maron said. “Because I guess it so threatens their system that they’re completely bought out by corporate interests in the form of studios,” Maron said on his popular podcast.
He continued to rail against the money/politics involved with awards campaigns, “Millions of dollars [are] put into months of advertising campaigns, publicity, screenings by large corporate entertainment entities, and Andrea was championed by her peers through a grassroots campaign, which was pushed through by a few actors. The Academy is [like], ‘Well, we gotta take a look at this. This is not the way it’s supposed to work. Independent artists don’t deserve the attention of the Academy unless we see how it works exactly. So, we’re going to look into this.’”
Maron wasn’t the only one to voice their concerns. “Yellowjackets” actress Christina Ricci in a now-deleted Instagram post (spotted by The Independent), called the investigation “elitist” and will “taint” the nomination regardless if nothing is uncovered in the review.
“Seems hilarious that the ‘surprise nomination’ (meaning tons of money wasn’t spent to position this actress) of a legitimately brilliant performance is being met with an investigation,” Ricci wrote in a deleted Instagram post. “So it’s only the films and actors that can afford the campaigns that deserve recognition? Feels elitist and exclusive and frankly very backward to me.” Then added, “If it’s taken away, shame on them.”
We’ll have to wait to see what this controversial “investigation” becomes and if they’ll be bold enough to take the nomination away from Riseborough. That would probably create great upheaval, and it won’t happen, but Maron certainly has a point. While it is a huge disappointment that actresses like Viola Davis and Danielle Deadwyler (the star of “Till,” also an assumed frontrunner) were overlooked, punishing Riseborough for being part of an organic, grassroots campaign with no money—which she herself did not start, it was lead by the “To Leslie” director, Michael Morris —seems, at least on its face, extremely odd.
Presumably, things will run as is when the Oscars take place on March 12, but the whole situation definitely has riled up the industry in both the pro and con directions.
Regardless, you can listen to that aforementioned episode of “WTF With Marc Maron” and hear what he has to say below.