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The ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ star and awards season darling was not set to attend the ceremony Sunday but ended up making a surprise appearance.
By Christy Piña
Associate Editor
Messi the Dog, the Anatomy of a Fall star and awards season darling, did, in fact, make an appearance at the 2024 Oscars on Sunday.
A source had previously told The Hollywood Reporter that Messi would not be appearing at the Academy Awards after his Los Angeles press tour that saw him attend the Oscars nominees luncheon and partake in a press junket.
The dog’s surprise appearance during the 2024 Oscars took place within the first few minutes of the telecast, as returning host Jimmy Kimmel kicked off his opening monologue by praising the “great” films that were made in 2023, despite the dual actors and writers strikes that shut down Hollywood.
While poking fun at the best picture nominees including Barbie, Oppenheimer, Maestro and more, Kimmel stopped at Robert Downey Jr. and joked about how he played a villain in The Shaggy Dog, which starred Tim Allen. He noted if they were to remake the film, Messi should take over Allen’s role before cutting to the dog sitting in a chair in the audience. He also made a brief appearance later in the telecast as he applauded Downey when he took the stage for his best supporting actor acceptance speech.
Messi started making headlines stateside after attending the Oscars nominees luncheon in February, during which he bonded with the likes of Ryan Gosling, who fawned over the pup, and Billie Eilish, who spent nearly 10 minutes with the dog.
“The big moment was with Billie Eilish,” Messi’s trainer and dog mom Laura Martin previously told The Hollywood Reporter. “They were hugging and petting and they really had a vibe. Then Bradley Cooper bumped into him in the hallway. The dog went right to him, so they also had a connection.”
See the star-studded Oscars red carpet 2024 arrivals.
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