Tuesday
Feb022010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 9:01AM Oscar Nominees React to the Big News
Here are a few reactions from some of this morning's Academy Award nominees. I think you can kind of tell who's been through this before; their responses, while I'm sure they're heartfelt, seem like the stuff the popular kids would write in your yearbook in high school: "Keep in touch this summer...Glad I got to know ya this year!" The others, though, seem a little less rote.
"I'd always assumed that the road to Oscar was planned. I thought people chose projects that were considered "Oscar-worthy." No one wanted to make this film. I didn't want to make this film for the better part of the year. Everyone is as blindsided -- can I say that? -- as I am...John Lee Hancock spent two years of his life on something that no one else saw. And now he's been recognized! I love that there's 10 nominees. It doesn't matter if they win, but I think it's great that everyone gets their moment in the sun."Helen Mirren - Best Actress, The Last Station
"I'm very happy and honored for Christopher, myself and our film. I think Tolstoy himself would have been perplexed by all this, but Sofya, his wife, would have been over the moon. So in that spirit, I am too."Gabourey Sidibe - Best Actress, Precious
"I am so excited and honored to be recognized by the Academy and included in such a remarkable group of actors. I'm very proud of my film, my cast and extremely grateful to Mr. Daniels for the incredible opportunity to play Precious."Meryl Streep - Best Actress, Julie & Julia
"I am proud and grateful to stand with these women who have given such a range of beautiful, indelible performances this year!"Colin Firth - Best Actor, A Single Man
"I thought I was managing my expectations, but on hearing the news I discovered new and unfamiliar vocal tones. Perhaps I should do another musical."Morgan Freeman - Best Actor, Invictus
"I'd like to thank the Academy for this honor. Congratulations to Matt Damon on his nomination. I'm especially grateful to Clint Eastwood, Invictus producer Lori McCreary, and the entire cast and crew of Invictus. Most importantly, thank you to Nelson Mandela for his encouragement, his blessing and his friendship -- without which, this film would not have been possible."Jeremy Renner - Best Actor, The Hurt Locker
"I never knew that I could feel so exhilarated as I did when I was six years old during Christmas, or going to Disneyland for the first time. I never imagined this feeling coming back. It's an amazing high. It really is. "I had zero expectations. What got us through is that we all knew that we had a great script and we had amazing roles. I knew for me, specifically, I had the role of a lifetime. We had to keep fighting through every obstacle and that got us through those moments with flies in your mouth. And when you're working with Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty, it doesn't get any better than that."Penélope Cruz - Best Supporting Actress, Nine
"I am completely surprised and elated. Rob Marshall is not only a genius but an absolute joy to work with. I woke up every morning excited to collaborate with this amazingly talented group of actors. Filming this movie was such a special experience and to be nominated for this role makes me so happy."Vera Farmiga - Best Supporting Actress, Up in the Air
"It's been nice to hold George's and Anna's and Jason's hands through it all. It's been a great trip so far, and it's just nice to have been able to have that acknowledgment as a team. It makes playing quarters at the ceremony much more fun."Anna Kendrick - Best Supporting Actress, Up in the Air
"I am thrilled beyond words to be nominated with these talented and inspiring women. Being involved in a film as special as Up in the Air was a dream come true. I am overwhelmed and honored by this nomination and am so grateful to be able to share this experience with George, Vera and Jason."Mo'Nique - Best Supporting Actress, Precious
"What an honor to be nominated for this prestigious award. God bless us."Lee Daniels - Best Director, Precious
"I am stoked. I haven't moved. I'm in bed feeling like a stuffed pig, I'm just so overwhelmed with joy and so full with excitement. Jason Reitman texted me last night, 'Are you going to sleep OK?' "I'm like, 'Yes, shut up, dude. I'm trying to sleep.'"(Daniels, on becoming only the second African-American Best Director nominee)
"It doesn't even register. When it's down to a black person, it's always a first of something. Like, Jiminy Crickets! How many firsts are there? What it does is it makes me think that it's not just for little black kids hoping to dream, but for all kids hoping to dream because what happens is they all see that anything is possible -- everything is possible."Quentin Tarantino - Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, Inglourious Basterds
"Wow! This honor gives me such tremendous satisfaction. And I'd like to congratulate all the other nominees in the directing and writing categories. I'm proud to be in their company."Ryan Bingham - Best Original Song, "The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart
"I'm not just happy for myself, but everybody that has helped out -- my agent Jack Whigham, T Bone, Jeff Bridges and everybody involved with the music. Everybody's pretty laid back and really cool. You get around those guys and sit back and listen to all the good stories."
Reader Comments (4)
I like Meryl's for how PR friendly her quote is. It's like a Mad Lib: " I'm [adjective] and [adjective] to [verb] with these [nouns]".
Lemme know if Anna Kendrick releases a statement, I'm elated for her nomination. Plus I'm totally crushing on her, so like whatevs.
And so she has...
WOW....great just great post....Please keep updating it with more & more quotes....I wonder what Clooney, Bridges, Cameron, & Tucci has to say
Jeremy Renner's comment was awesome. It is like he is a real person or something. Sandra Bullock displayed a degree of honesty. Her comment mirrors what a lot of us moviegoers think. And Colin Firth's dry, understated English humor is great!