Following the strange decision to award several important Oscars before the telecast, many Hollywood stars are threatening to skip doing press and the red carpet altogether in order to support their coworkers.
The Academy announced last month that certain categories — documentary short, film editing, makeup/hairstyling, original score, production design, animated short, live-action short, and sound — would be presented before the televised ceremony, sparking outrage among some stars. Chastain, who starred in The Eyes Of Tammy Faye, wishes to be present when those awards are announced. “I will absolutely be present when the makeup category is being called, and if that means I’m not doing press on the red carpet for ABC or whatever it is, then so be it,” the actress said. “The most important thing for me is to honor the incredible artisans who work in our industry.”
The Best Actress nominee continued, saying that every aspect of a performance should be recognized, not just the actor. “So much attention is on the actor. We’re like the face in some way because you go to a movie and see us,” she added. “But a lot of people don’t understand how beyond an actor a performance is.”
Chastain isn’t alone in her thinking, as many other Hollywood personnel have expressed frustration with the Academy after this decision. Director Guillermo del Toro also spoke out against the Academy earlier this month, saying “if any year was the year to think about it, this was not the year to not hear their names live at the Oscars. This is the year to say it and say it loud.” The director’s film Nightmare Alley is nominated for four awards, including Best Picture.
The Academy clarified that the recipients would still receive their awards in front of the Dolby Theater crowd, but it would be added into the live telecast later on. Regardless, the show is likely just trying to make more room during the ceremony for the three hosts to have some witty banter, or for the mess that will be the fan-voted award. We will see how this plays out.
The Oscars will air Sunday, March 27th on ABC.
