Bradley Cooper’s Dog Helps Win Him Win PETA’s ‘Oscat’ Award for ‘A Star is Born’

Winston Duke and Natalie Portman also won prizes from animal rights organization

Dog Star Is Born
Warner Bros

Bradley Cooper wasn’t nominated for Best Director at the Oscars, but he just won an “Oscat” from PETA for Best Director for casting his dog, Charlie, in “A Star is Born.”

The animal rights organization’s Animals in Film and Television Division announced its winners of the Oscats on Tuesday, a list of the movies and stars who promoted kindness to animals through positive actions, storylines and CGI in 2018.

Cooper previously won an award from PETA called the “Compassion in Film Award” in October for the same thing. PETA additionally recognized “Black Panther” star Winston Duke, “Vox Lux’s” Natalie Portman and the films “Annihilation,” “Tully,” “Love, Simon” and “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” among others.

Duke won Best Actor for playing the vegetarian tribe leader M’Baku in “Black Panther,” and the film also won The Cat’s Meow award for its CGI panthers and rhinos. Portman, recognized by PETA as a longtime animal rights advocate, won Best Actress for wearing an all-vegan wardrobe in “Vox Lox.”

Her other 2018 film “Annihilation” won Best Stunt Team for its all-vegan crew. “Tully,” directed by Jason Reitman, was named Birds’ Pick for its educational anti-factory farming moments. And “Love, Simon” and “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” tied for the Best SeaWorld Side-Eye award. “Love, Simon” describes the animals’ living conditions at SeaWorld as “really sad,” and the “Jurassic World” sequel was recognized for taking a “strong anti-captivity stance.”

“PETA’s Oscats show that fur and leather are dead, SeaWorld is considered the pits, vegan eating is exploding, and CGI is the future of film,” Lisa Lange, PETA’s senior vice president said in a statement. “PETA is thrilled to recognize the people and projects behind Hollywood’s most significant animal rights advances of the year.”

PETA also awarded Oscats to “Isle of Dog” for Best Animated Film for its creatively rendered, cruelty-free imagery, and “Free Solo” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” which tied for Best Documentary for highlighting notable vegetarians.

The In Memoriam award was dedicated to Stan Lee for creating characters who inspired a generation of fans to act with compassion and stand up against injustice. The winners will each receive a framed certificate.

Other films awarded included “Mowgli,” “The Meg,” and “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” specifically for Donald Glover’s fur-free jacket for Best Costume. The full list is available here.

Last year, PETA similarly recognized “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” “Ferdinand,” Guillermo del Toro, Frances McDormand, Andy Serkis and Doug Jones.

Comments