Oscar nominees reflect on roles, big night
By Cindy Pearlman February 24, 2011 8:18PM
Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM
Just when you thought it was an honor to be nominated comes the news that it’s also baffling to those in your innermost circle.
Nicole Kidman recalls that her third Oscar nomination — for last year’s “Rabbit Hole” — came with a little confusion. “My poor little daughter Sunday. I heard I was nominated and Keith [Urban] was screaming, ‘Yea!’ and jumping around the kitchen,” Kidman says. “Sunday is like, ‘Why is Mommy crying now?’ I said, ‘Mommy is crying because she’s so happy.’”
Oscar will do that to a person, and Kidman probably started what will be a long, teary night tonight when James Franco and Anne Hathaway host the 83rd annual Academy Awards (7 p.m. on WLS-Channel 7).
Some of the nominees reflect on the big night and the characters who brought them to the Oscars:
The Contender
Christian Bale is reveling in his best supporting actor nomination for playing boxer on the ropes Dicky Eklund in “The Fighter.” His regimen for the role could have helped other Oscar nominees slip into those tight dresses tonight. “I was just running like crazy,” says Bale of his prep for the role. “But I felt really healthy, you know.” Now that “The Fighter” has been seen by audiences, Bale is happy to reflect if, in the end, Dicky was a good influence on his younger boxer brother. “I think he was an absolute source of inspiration initially. Then he became absolute confusion. It’s an immensely loyal family, but sometimes you have to remove yourself a little bit in order to change the dynamics. In the end, this movie wouldn’t exist without the beautiful relationship between the two brothers.”
The Aussie
Unlikely nominee Jacki Weaver for “Animal Kingdom” says her nomination isn’t just for herself, but for her country. “Australia is only 22 million people and I think most of them are rooting for me, which is such a good feeling,” she says. Going home a few weeks before these ceremonies helped. “It was wonderful to look for a dress at home and then clean up my kitchen,” she jokes. “I lead a very, very normal life.” As for getting into characters, she muses, “My mother says I came out of the womb pretending to be someone else.”
The Mama
Melissa Leo isn’t taking this awards season for granted. Hot on the heels of her SAG and Golden Globe wins, she’s looking to bring home a little gold guy tonight for her portrayal of Dicky Eklund’s mother in “The Fighter.” “It’s such an amazing honor to be in the place I am right now,” she says. “It’s such a thrill.” Leo has spent the last two years on a career jolt. She went from working actress to Oscar nominee for “Frozen River” (2008) and now “The Fighter.” She says the process to discovery has been much longer. “I’ve been acting for 30 years. It’s the only thing I wanted to do as a little girl,” she says. Who else does she credit for her success? “I had a lot of family and friends who fed me and housed me during the tougher years. I also have a son who is now 23. I raised him on the back of acting,” she says. “They’re all with me this season.”
The King
Best actor nominee Colin Firth used loneliness as the key to his portrayal of George VI in “The King’s Speech.” “That kind of loneliness exists today in all walks of life. It applies to everyone,” he says “None of us knows what it’s like to be part of the royal family and I still don’t. I just played him as a man who couldn’t communicate properly and couldn’t express his loneliness. We’re all threatened by that fear.” Firth can communicate his joy with being nominated. “This time has been unreal,” he says of his awards seasons sweep.
The ‘Social’-ite
Best adapted screenplay nominee Aaron Sorkin is hoping “The Social Network” sails into a best picture win. “It’s [director] David Fincher who is peerless,” Sorkin says. Any strife on the set between writer and director? “Our disagreements fell into two categories: screwdriver or beer in that once scene when Mark is writing his blog after breaking up with Erica and he’s drunk. I said, ‘David, he was drunk. It doesn’t matter how he got there. Vodka and OJ is more visual.’ David said, ‘I don’t care. If it was Beck’s beer, we have to get it right.’” Sorkin adds, “If I never work with another director other than David Fincher, I will be happy for the rest of my life.”
Big Picture News Inc.
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