Oscar Nominations 2019: Top Oscar Contenders React to Their Nominations

“I guess there are words you just don’t expect hearing in your life and one is that you’ve been nominated for an Oscar,” Rami Malek says of his nomination

Oscar noms Roma The Favourite

Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” and Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Favourite” led Tuesday morning’s Oscar nominations with 10 nods each, including Best Picture. Nominees in various categories below shared their reactions with TheWrap.

“I guess there are words you just don’t expect hearing in your life and one is that you’ve been nominated for an Oscar. It’s an emotional moment,” said Rami Malek, who was nominated for Best Actor for his work in “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

“Wow, wow, wow. The word I keep coming back to is proud. Proud of our cast and crew with all the work we put into this amazing, yet still timely story. I’m grateful to Barry Jenkins for creating this beautiful role out of the great James Baldwin’s words. Collaborating with Barry has been a highlight of my career and this recognition is icing on the cake! And thank you to The Academy,” said Regina King said of her Best Actress in a Supporting Role nod for “If Beale Street Could Talk.”

“I’d like to thank the Academy for recognizing my work along with the extraordinary performances of my fellow nominees. I was so fortunate to have collaborators in Viggo Mortensen and Peter Farrelly and I’d like to congratulate them on their nominations. Through Dr. Donald Shirley, I had the gift of navigating circumstances as a profound, gifted, complicated genius. A man who had experiences and a combination of qualities that I had yet to see on film. I’m tremendously grateful for the lessons I learned through both his struggles and successes. I sincerely hope Dr. Shirley’s music and his unique contribution to our culture continues to be discovered, shared and appreciated,” Mahershala Ali said of his nomination for Best Supporting Actor for “Green Book.”

“I would like to thank The Academy for honoring The Favourite so generously today. Having felt a bit like an outsider looking in, I am truly humbled about this morning’s nominations. They are a meaningful tribute to every person involved in the making of The Favourite – my talented collaborators and sublime cast, led by Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone.” “The Favourite director Yorgos Lanthimos said of his nomination for Best Director.

“Thank you to The Academy for recognizing The Favourite in so many categories. I’m immensely proud to be part of it and to be nominated in the company of such talented women. Congratulations to my incredible fellow actors Emma and Olivia, our brilliant director Yorgos, and to everyone who participated in the making of this extraordinary film. Thank you to Fox Searchlight for their unwavering support and for having the guts to make a film with three complex female protagonists,” Rachel Weisz, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for “The Favourite,” said.

“Everything to do with this movie has been a total joy. Bjorn Runge is a great director! Jonathan Pryce is an inspired partner. I’m so proud to be in a little film that has such great resonance with so many people. I’m especially proud to have shared the creation of this character with my beloved daughter Annie. So grateful,” Golden Globe-winner Glenn Close said of her nomination for Best Actress for “The Wife.”

“I’m over the moon with this nomination. Playing Vincent Van Gogh in Julian Schnabel’s AT ETERNITY’S GATE was a gift. The making was so transforming and my working with Julian was so complete and close that sometimes it felt like we were the same person. I share this honor with him. I’m so proud of this movie and this recognition means the film will have greater visibility and be seen by more people, which is a VERY gratifying reward,” Willem Dafoe said of his Best Actor nomination for At “Eternity’s Gate.”

“Everyone who worked on this film truly risked putting themselves out there — in the hope that in doing so people will connect and feel something deep and personal — the way films have made me feel since I was a kid. When I got this opportunity I knew I had to risk it all because I may never get another chance — so to be here today in a place where people who have seen the film are talking about how it makes them feel, something deep — that simple human thing — that we need each other — and the Academy to recognize that this morning — I just am so grateful,” “A Star Is Born” actor/director Bradley Cooper said of his nomination for Best Actor for that film.

“Working on ‘The Favourite’ alongside my brilliant friends Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and the whole cast was nothing short of incredible. I was grateful every day and am honored by this nomination. Yorgos created a palace for us all to play in. I am forever indebted to him and the whole team that brought this insane vision to life. Thank you to Fox Searchlight for their invaluable support and thank you to the Academy for recognizing our work,” Emma Stone said of her nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for “The Favourite.”

“From the very first casting call to this morning, my ‘Roma’ journey has been extraordinary. As a daughter of a domestic worker and an indigenous woman myself, I am proud this movie will help those of us who feel invisible be seen. I am eternally grateful to the Academy for recognizing ROMA and am honored to be part of Alfonso’s vision. Congratulations to Alfonso, the entire cast and crew, and my dear friend Marina De Tavira. I am so humbled and honored. Thank You,” Best Actress nominee Yalitza Aparicio said.

“Although we flew under the radar for years, we always felt that Into the Spider-Verse could be something special. We never dreamed, though, that it would have the effect it has had on the diverse, passionate audience it has attracted. While making our movie we tried to push through every boundary we could that dictates what a popular movie can look like – all in the service of a story about finding common ground between different people from different worlds. To be nominated for an Academy Award is a huge honor, and means our movie will continue to reach more people around the world and inspire work that pushes far beyond us. We thank the Academy, our talented colleagues, and the vocal, dedicated audiences who advocated for us and carried us here,” said directors Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman of their nomination for Best Animated Feature for their film “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”

“This is an incredible honor. We’re grateful to the Academy for recognizing the work of more than 800 artists and filmmakers who came together to tell the extraordinary story of Miles Morales in a groundbreaking way. In the last few months we’ve heard countless stories about parents whose children looked up at them while watching the film and said “he looks like me,” or “they speak Spanish like us,” or “I want to grow up and be like her.” It’s such a simple concept but that is the reason so many people worked so hard – to make a movie that was worthy of Miles and makes everyone feel powerful and seen. Now more than ever, the world needs everyday superheroes and we are counting on everyone,” said Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who were nominated for Best Animated Feature for “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”

“Thank you so much to the Academy for this recognition. It is an honor to be nominated for a film that I loved making. I am grateful to Adam for writing such rich material and for creating such a wonderful work environment. I also want to congratulate the other nominees, my cast members, the crew and everyone who worked so hard on this film,” Amy Adams said of her nomination for Best Actress for playing Lynne Cheney in “Vice.”

“Hot damn! I am so truly honored to be recognized by the Academy again this year. Vice is such a special and important film to be a part of and I’m thrilled for Adam, Christian, Amy and Hank, as well as all of the cast and crew,” said Sam Rockwell, who played George W. Bush, of his nomination Best Actor in a Supporting Role in “Vice.”

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