Andrea Riseborough says uproar over Oscar-nom influenced me

Almost a month after her unexpected Oscar nomination sparked controversy and speculation, English actress Andrea Riseborough has broken her silence.

In a cover story for the Hollywood Reporter published on Wednesday, the “To Leslie” star reflected on her journey to the 2023 Oscars – which was endorsed by several A-listers – and the resulting Academy investigation into her awards campaign.

“I’m grateful for the conversation because it needs to be had,” she told THR. “It made a deep impression on me”

This year’s awards season has been “confusing” for first-time Oscar nominee Riseborough, 41, who has starred in films including Amsterdam, Birdman and WE in director Michael’s low-budget film To Leslie Morris plays an addict trying to break free from her demons.

“To Leslie” seemed to fly under the radar after its March 2022 premiere, until Riseborough’s performance spread through social media campaigns and Hollywood circles.

Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston were among the stars who hosted ‘To Leslie’ screenings – reportedly the work that distributor Momentum Pictures didn’t do.

Riseborough said she and actress Mary McCormack, who is married to the To Leslie director, also reached out to friends to see the film and break the news. The ‘Amsterdam’ actress also said she appeared at screenings and Q&A where viewers would share personal connections to addiction.

When the Oscar nominations were announced on Jan. 24, Riseborough said she was just as surprised as Hollywood.

“But the very realistic part of me that’s been doing this for 20 years didn’t think this was going to happen,” she told THR. “I don’t think you dare imagine that would happen to something you shot in 19 days.”

Days after the shocking nomination, which eliminated contestants Viola Davis (“The Woman King”) and Danielle Deadwyler (“Till”), the Motion Picture Academy launched an investigation into Riseborough’s campaign. On January 31, the academy announced that Riseborough’s nomination would stand and the academy would work to refine and clarify the rules governing the awards.

“Not only does it make sense for this conversation to be sparked, it is necessary,” Riseborough told THR. “The film industry is shockingly unequal in terms of opportunity. I’m careful not to speak for other people’s experiences because they are better able to speak and I like to listen.”

She said the awards season campaigns have long been “scathingly exclusive” and that she is “working to discover actions” that “best promote meritocracy.”

Riseborough said she’s grateful for the attention “To Leslie” has received, despite the controversy that has swirled around it.

“I assume it’s a really bright beam of light. If any of us are engaged in anything, we want that work to be absorbed in some way,” she said. “You can’t control how people take it.”

Times editors Nardine Saad and Josh Rottenberg contributed to this report.