Oscars Producer Explains Decision To Put Best Actor Last, Possibility Of Chadwick Boseman Winning
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The Academy was very conscious that Chadwick Boseman was a frontrunner going into the 2021 Oscars.
In recent history, Best Picture is the last remaining honour presented at the Academy Awards. Oscars producer Steven Soderbergh revealed why the Academy opted to end on Best Actor this year.
тАЬThat was something we were going to do well before the nominations came out тАФ we talked about that in January,тАЭ Soderbergh told the Los Angeles Times. тАЬItтАЩs our belief тАФ that I think is not unfounded тАФ that actorsтАЩ speeches tend to be more dramatic than producersтАЩ speeches.тАЭ
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тАЬAnd so we thought it might be fun to mix it up, especially if people didnтАЩt know that was coming,тАЭ he continued. тАЬSo that was always part of the plan.тАЭ
Anthony Hopkins (тАЬThe FatherтАЭ) was awarded this yearтАЩs Best Actor over frontrunner and fan-favourite, the late Chadwick Boseman (тАЬMa RaineyтАЩs Black BottomтАЭ). While that marked a disappointing ending for тАЬBlack PantherтАЭ fans, it was, in part, BosemanтАЩs potential victory that influenced the change in order.
тАЬWhen the nominations came out and there was even the possibility that Chadwick could win posthumously, our feeling was if he were to win and his widow were to speak on his behalf, there would be nowhere to go after that,тАЭ Soderbergh explained. тАЬSo we stuck with it.тАЭ
That is not to say the Oscars producers expected Boseman to win.
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тАЬI said if there was even the sliver of a chance that he would win and that his widow would speak, then we were operating under the fact that was the end of the show,тАЭ Soderbergh asserted.
тАЬSo it wasnтАЩt like we assumed it would, but if there was even a possibility that it would happen, then you have to account for that,тАЭ he concluded. тАЬThat would have been such a shattering moment, that to come back after that would have been just impossible.тАЭ
Soderbergh produced this yearтАЩs ceremony with Jesse Collins and Stacey Sher.
