Charlize Theron Calls Megyn Kelly's Reaction to 'Bombshell' 'Validating' After Oscar Nomination

Charlize Theron isn’t just “grateful” to the Academy for recognizing the work she did on “Bombshell.” Theron also said she was incredibly moved to get a positive review from the very woman she portrayed for her Oscar-nominated performance: Megyn Kelly.

“We were all incredibly moved,” Theron told TheWrap following her Oscar nomination. “It was definitely something, we were all, all of us, the producers, the filmmakers, the entire crew, we worked incredibly hard to be as accurate as we possibly could, and to see that video it was incredibly emotional for all of us. And then it felt very validating.”

Kelly revealed in a December Instagram post that she had finally seen “Bombshell” and called it an “incredibly emotional experience.” However, on her YouTube channel Friday, it became clear how deeply she was affected by the film.

Also Read: Megyn Kelly Says She Twirled at Roger Ailes' Request: 'God Help Me, I Did It'

Kelly watched the film and reacted to it along with former Fox News employees Juliet Huddy, Rudi Bakhtiar and Julie Zann, as well as her husband Doug Brunt (played in “Bombshell” by Mark Duplass). The panel agreed that “Bombshell” captured what it felt like to be harassed, specifically within Fox News and by Roger Ailes. And after seeing their response, Theron said their words were moving and “validating” for herself and all of the filmmakers.

“How powerful it felt that they acknowledged that they felt that the essence of this film really represented how it felt to work there and be sexually harassed there,” Theron said. “And that was ultimately what we wanted to get right. For us, that felt very validating.”

That said, Kelly said that director Jay Roach and screenwriter Charles Randolph did take some liberties with the material and even got some facts wrong. And the panel added that it was “surreal” to watch a movie told about their experience in which they had no involvement. But Kelly admitted that she did in fact twirl or spin at Ailes’ request, as it’s shown in the film.

Also Read: Oscars 2020: Women Scored Record 31% of Nominations Overall Despite Female Director Snub

Theron didn’t have time to get into the specifics of what Kelly said were inaccuracies in the film except to say that she as a producer and the rest of the cast and crew worked incredibly hard to get every detail right.

Theron’s nomination was one of three “Bombshell” took home on Monday morning, including another for Margot Robbie for Best Supporting Actress and one for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Theron added that her nomination is meant for the “whole army” behind her and hopes that the nominations can inspire more people to see an important film.

“This movie really is important. I believe that in every part of my body. These stories especially, what happened to the women in Fox, and really to all the women out there who have experienced harassment in the workplace, I do feel like it’s so timely and there’s this catharsis happening around this film that’s just so powerful to witness,” Theron said. “If this makes anyone want to go see this movie a little more, I’m glad to see that.”

Watch Kelly’s full video here.

Oscars 2020: See the Nominees in All 24 Categories (Photos)

Nine films are nominated for Best Picture at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards. This year’s Oscars ceremony, which takes place the earliest ever in awards season, will take place on Feb. 9. And for the second year in a row, this year’s ceremony will have no host. Check out the full list of nominees in all 24 categories.
BEST PICTURE

“Ford v Ferrari,”

“The Irishman,”

“Jojo Rabbit,”

“Joker,”

“Little Women,”

“Marriage Story,”

“1917,”

“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,”

“Parasite” (Pictured)
Neon
BEST DIRECTOR

Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite,”

Todd Phillips, “Joker,”

Sam Mendes, “1917,”

Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman” (Pictured),

Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”
Netflix
BEST ACTOR

Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory,”

Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,”

Adam Driver, “Marriage Story,”

Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker,” (Pictured)

Jonathan Pryce, “The Two Popes”
Warner Bros.
BEST ACTRESS

Cynthia Erivo, “Harriet,”

Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story,”

Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women,”

Charlize Theron, “Bombshell,”

Renée Zellweger, “Judy” (pictured)
Roadside Attractions/LD Entertainment
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”

Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”

Al Pacino, “The Irishman”

Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”

Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” (pictured)
Sony Pictures
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell” (pictured),

Laura Dern, “Marriage Story,”

Scarlett Johansson, “Jojo Rabbit,”

Florence Pugh, “Little Women,”

Margot Robbie, “Bombshell”
STXfilms
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

“Knives Out,”

“Marriage Story” (pictured),

“1917,”

“Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood,”

“Parasite”
Netflix
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

“The Irishman,”

“Jojo Rabbit,”

“Joker,”

“Little Women,”

“The Two Popes” (pictured)
Peter Mountain/Netflix
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

“The Irishman,”

“Joker,”

“The Lighthouse” (pictured),

“1917,”

“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
A24/Photo by Eric Chakeen
BEST FILM EDITING

“Ford v Ferrari,”

“The Irishman,”

“Jojo Rabbit,”

“Joker,”

“Parasite”
Netflix
BEST COSTUME DESIGN

“The Irishman,”

“Jojo Rabbit,”

“Joker,”

“Little Women” (pictured),

“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Sony
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

“Bombshell” (pictured)

“Joker,”

“Judy,”

“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,”

“1917”
Lionsgate
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

“Joker,”

“Little Women” (pictured),

“Marriage Story,”

“1917,”

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
Fox Searchlight
BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from “Toy Story 4,"

“Into the Unknown” from “Frozen II” (pictured),

“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from “Rocketman,”

“I’m Standing With You,” “Breakthrough,”

“Stand Up” from “Harriet”
Disney
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

“The Irishman,”

“Jojo Rabbit,”

“1917” (pictured, Dennis Gassner),

“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,”

“Parasite”
Universal
BEST SOUND EDITING

“Ford v Ferrari,”

“Joker,”

“1917,”

“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,”

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (pictured)
Walt Disney Studios
BEST SOUND MIXING

“Ad Astra” (pictured)

“Ford v Ferrari,”

“Joker,”

“1917,”

“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
20th Century Fox
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

“Avengers: Endgame,”

“The Irishman,”

“The Lion King” (pictured),

“1917,”

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
Disney
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

“Corpus Christi,” Poland

“Honeyland,” North Macedonia

“Les Misérables,” France

“Pain and Glory,” Spain (pictured)

“Parasite,” South Korea
Sony Pictures Classics
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,”

“I Lost My Body,”

“Klaus,”

“Missing Link,”

“Toy Story 4” (pictured)
Disney-Pixar
BEST ANIMATED SHORT

“Dcera (Daughter),”

“Hair Love,”

“Kitbull” (pictured)

“Memorable”

“Sister”
Pixar
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

“American Factory,”

“The Cave” (pictured),

“The Edge of Democracy,”

“For Sama,”

“Honeyland”
Nat Geo
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

“In the Absence,”

“Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)” (pictured)

“Life Overtakes Me,”

“St. Louis Superman,”

“Walk Run Cha-Cha”
Netflix
BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT

“Brotherhood,”

“Nefta Football Club” (pictured)

“The Neighbors’ Window,”

“Saria,”

“A Sister”
Mubi

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The 92nd Academy Awards take place on Feb. 9

Nine films are nominated for Best Picture at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards. This year’s Oscars ceremony, which takes place the earliest ever in awards season, will take place on Feb. 9. And for the second year in a row, this year’s ceremony will have no host. Check out the full list of nominees in all 24 categories.

View In Gallery

Oscars 2020: See the Nominees in All 24 Categories (Photos)

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