An unlikely guest stole the show at this year’s Oscars during Robert Downey Jr’s acceptance speech.
The 96th Academy Awards took place on Sunday night (March 10) at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The star-studded ceremony hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel saw Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer win seven awards, including Best Picture.
But the real star of the show was a little more furry than you’d expect. An adorable pooch called Messi, who appeared in Anatomy of a Fall, has become a viral sensation on social media.
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The canine actor was rubbing shoulders with the biggest film stars on the planet as he appeared in the audience at the annual event. A viral moment saw the pup appearing to clap for actor Robert Downey Jr, who won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer.
(Image: ABC)
The cameras cut away to the famous Border Collie, who seemed to be politely clapping away with his fellow actors after the Iron Man star won his award. Messi was even suitably dressed for the event, sporting a smart black bow-tie.
However, all was not quite as it seemed as photos of the dog taken from other angles revealed that Messi’s clapping was a carefully-staged trick. While he appeared to be recognising Robert Downey Jr’s acting chops, Messi wasn’t the one clapping as two fake paws were being moved in a clapping motion.
(Image: Rob Latour/REX/Shutterstock)
It was also pre-recorded, but nobody was bothered that the applause was fake, because Messi has become an internet sensation. Best Supporting Actor nominee Ryan Gosling seemed to love him too, because clips on social media showed him grinning at the seven-year-old dog.
Host Jimmy Kimmel showed Messi some love his opening monologue, joking that the pooch “‘gave the performance of the year”. He said: “Messi, who even though he’s a dog, may have given the performance of the year in Anatomy of a Fall.
(Image: ITV)
“Messi has an overdose scene, if you’ve seen it you’ve known it. It’s incredible. Honestly I haven’t seen a French actor eat his own vomit like that since Gérard Depardieu”.
Fans rushed to talk about the dog during the show. One baffled fan on X asked: “Did anyone else see Messi clapping his paws, or was that just me?”.
Another gushed: “MESSI CLAPPING HIS PAWS I LOVE IT”. Another said: “Love ya, Messi! Seriously impressive doggie performance.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
