Michelle Williams picked up a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination early Tuesday for her role as Casey Affleck’s ex-wife Randi in Kenneth Lonergan’s haunting “Manchester by the Sea.” It’s a masterful performance — and one Williams hasn’t seen yet.
“I’ve seen some scenes from the movie,” Williams told TheWrap shortly after she learned about her nomination. “I haven’t actually watched the movie. My friend and I were going to see it at a theater in Brooklyn today, but I got called into work.”
The actress — who is currently shooting Michael Gracey’s “The Greatest Showman,” a musical starring Hugh Jackman as P.T. Barnum — told TheWrap in November that she had refrained from seeing the film up to that point because she didn’t want to cry in front of a crowd or in an empty screening room.
But with her plans to see it at a New York cinema, she’s apparently gotten over those fears — but hasn’t found the time to catch the full film yet.
The accolades are rolling in now for the film, which earned six Oscar nominations — including Best Original Screenplay, Best Director (Lonergan), Best Actor for Casey Affleck and Best Supporting Actor (Lucas Hedges) — but Williams said she had no idea this would be the result when she started work on the film.
“Good Lord, no,” she said. “Not a clue, not an idea. I love these kinds of sets — they’re the ones I’m the most comfortable with. It was just another barely held-together independent film production. We were cold and hungry and tired. But we believed in Kenny.”
Williams also praised Lonergan’s script for making it easy to get into character.
She said she spent a lot of time researching people who had been through similar situations to her character and learning about the New England area where the film was set, but the screenplay pulled it all together.
“With a script like this you can really lean into it,” she said “You can feed off of it.”
16 Biggest Oscar Snubs and Surprises, From Ruth Negga to Amy Adams (Photos)
This year's Oscars field is out, and its one of the strongest -- and most diverse -- that we've seen in years. But as always, there are nominations that surprised us and absences that left some grumbling. Here's a short list of those.
SURPRISE: Ruth Negga nominated for "Loving"
Emma Stone, Natalie Portman and Amy Adams were early and clear frontrunners in this category, so while Negga’s performance in “Loving” was lauded by critics, it was surprising to see her replace Amy Adams in the final ballot.
SNUB: Annette Bening for "20th Century Women"
The actress was nominated for her role for the Golden Globes (but didn’t win) and was completely overlooked by the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Turns out, Bening’s role as the mother of a male teenager coming of age in “20th Century Women” didn’t impress the Academy enough to score a nomination.
SURPRISE: Victory for "Hidden Figures
The feel-good drama about a group of African-American female NASA scientists topped the box office for two consecutive weeks and has now piloted itself to a Best Picture nomination. Awards favorite Octavia Spencer landed an Oscar nom for Best Supporting Actress
SNUB: Amy Adams for "Arrival"
Amy Adams had been a clear frontrunner for her leading role in “Arrival,” especially after having been nominated for a Golden Globe and a SAG Award in the same category. But the Academy left out the actress.
SURPRISE: Lucas Hedges for "Manchester By The Sea"
Odds-on Best Actor favorite Casey Affleck has dominated the coverage of Kenneth Lonergan's beautiful and tragic drama, but Hedges' breakout performance as 16-year-old Patrick Chandler added an element of levity and innocence to the film. While he didn't manage to get a Golden Globes nomination, the Academy took note of Hedges' performance.
SNUB: "Birth of a Nation" strikes out
Consider this one an expected snub. After its mammoth success at Sundance, "Birth of a Nation" was seen as the film that was going to carry the Academy out of its #OscarsSoWhite debacle. Instead, its wide release brought weak box office returns, historical accuracy criticism, and bad publicity after rape allegations surrounding director Nate Parker resurfaced. Instead, "Moonlight," "Fences," "Hidden Figures' and "Lion" are the movies that are bringing diversity to the Oscar race.
SURPRISE: Mel Gibson for "Hacksaw Ridge"
It seems that Hollywood is finally ready to take Gibson back. After getting a standing ovation at an Academy screening last fall, Mel Gibson has landed a Best Director nomination for "Hacksaw Ridge" in a competitive field that includes Damien Chazelle and Barry Jenkins
SNUB: "Silence"
Despite its enormous critical acclaim, "Silence" will be only the second Scorsese film in the last 15 years to not get a Best Picture nomination. Weak box office numbers and late screening releases hampered the film's campaign, and it will have to settle for just a Best Cinematography nomination
SURPRISE: Isabelle Huppert for "Elle"
The French actress was a surprise winner for the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama for her star turn in "Elle," after most people assumed the ceremony would be another coronation for "Jackie" headliner Natalie Portman. And she continues to defy predictions, landing an Oscar nomination as well.
SURPRISE: Viggo Mortensen for "Captain Fantastic"
Mortensen continues his surprise run for his work in the hidden Sundance gem "Captain Fantastic," adding to his Golden Globe, SAG, and BAFTA nods.
SNUB: Tom Ford for Adapted Screenplay
It probably wasn't easy for the famous designer to take Austin Wright's novel "Tony & Susan" and adapt it for the big screen. The film was lauded by critics and Ford was nominated for two Golden Globes for writing and directing the film -- yet the Academy left him off the list.
Getty Images
SURPRISE: "Passengers" nominated for Original Score
The film score nomination went to "Passengers" starring Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence, shutting out other contenders like "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."
Sony
SNUB: Best Director for "Hell or High Water"
David Mackenzie didn't receive a nomination for directing "Hell or High Water," one of the most critically successful films of 2016. Instead, Mel Gibson snagged a nomination for "Hacksaw Ridge."
CBS Films
SNUB: "Gleason"
Amazon's heart-wrenching and inspiring documentary about former National Football League player Steve Gleason, who is paralyzed from the neck down due to complications from ALS, scored big with audiences -- including Best Supporting Actor nominee Michael Shannon -- but failed to pick up an Oscar nomination in one of the deepest documentary fields in years.
SNUB: "Deadpool" gets zilch
Sorry, comic book fans. The Merc's run ends here. Surprising nominations at the Golden Globes and the Producers' Guild Awards couldn't be converted into Oscar nominations, and we sadly won't see Ryan Reynolds in full Deadpool uniform goofing around on the red carpet. Unless, you know, he decides to show up anyway and demand an explanation for why he wasn't nominated.
Fox
SNUB: Taraji P. Henson
The "Hidden Figures" star may have gotten a Golden Globes nomination, but she fell short with the Academy.
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“Hidden Figures” and Ruth Negga are pleasant surprises while Annette Bening and Martin Scorsese are left out in the cold
This year's Oscars field is out, and its one of the strongest -- and most diverse -- that we've seen in years. But as always, there are nominations that surprised us and absences that left some grumbling. Here's a short list of those.
