The Oscar-winning actor, Al Pacino, left everyone surprised as he presented the Best Picture Oscar to Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. While the usual procedure to present an award includes listing the nominees before announcing the winner, Pacino skipped the first step and went straight to announce the winner.
And the awkward Best Picture announcement has caused concerns about the omission of the nominee announcements, leading the actor and the Oscar producer to issue a statement in this regard.
Al Pacino Shared He Was Told to Skip the Best Picture Nominees
Following one of the biggest nights in Hollywood, the acclaimed actor Al Pacino has issued a statement about presenting the Oscar for Best Picture at the 96th Academy Awards. As he took the stage as the final presenter of the night, Pacino abruptly said, “Best picture … uh, I have to go to the envelope for that.”
And he announced the winner, saying, “And my eyes see Oppenheimer.” without mentioning the ten nominees under the category. The Best Picture nominees at the 2024 Oscars were American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Oppenheimer, Past Lives, Poor Things, and The Zone of Interest.
Issuing a statement in this regard, he has revealed that he was told not to mention the nominees, as “they were highlighted individually throughout the ceremony.” The Godfather star further stated, “I was honored to be a part of the evening and chose to follow the way they wished for this award to be presented.”
Acknowledging the the significance of receiving a nomination and the disappointment such omissions could have he also added,
I say this as someone who profoundly relates with film-makers, actors and producers so I deeply empathise with those who have been slighted by this oversight and it’s why I felt it necessary to make this statement.
The Scarface actor himself is a nine-time acting nominee and has won a Best Actor Oscar for the 1992 film Scent of a Woman. Along with Pacino, the Oscars producers have also issued an apology statement, explaining why they chose to skip listing the nominees.
Oscars Producer Explains Why They Skipped Listing the Best Picture Nominees
In an exclusive interview with Variety, Oscar producer Molly McNearny explained the reason they chose not to mention the Best Picture nominees at the 2024 Academy Awards. McNearny shared that the move was intentional as they wanted to avoid stretching the show.
“It was a creative decision we made,” he said before adding, “Because we were very worried that the show was going to be long.” The producer explained that all ten Best Picture clip packages were presented by the end of the show, asserting that “people just want to hear who wins.” McNeary further stated,
“At least that’s what we anticipated. So, we did not give him a clip package. We did not give him nominations to read. I apologize if our decision to not have to read through all those nominations put him in a tough spot.”
Although he acknowledged that Pacino’s methods of presenting the award made it “a little confusing,” he argued that the unpredictability of live television is also part of its excitement.
