Amazon MGM has formally set its Oscar campaign for Project Hail Mary, submitting the film in 15 categories for the 99th Academy Awards. The push covers Best Picture, Best Director for Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Best Actor for Ryan Gosling, Best Supporting Actress for Sandra Hüller, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Drew Goddard.
The most watched entry: Best Supporting Actor for James Ortiz. Ortiz performed Rocky, the film's arachnoid alien co-lead, through practical puppetry and supplied his voice. The Academy has confirmed his eligibility in the category. No puppeteer has ever been nominated in an acting category at the Academy Awards.
The question of what constitutes a screen performance has circled awards bodies for two decades. Andy Serkis's motion-capture work in the Lord of the Rings trilogy never earned a nomination. Robin Williams received a Special Achievement Award for voicing the Genie in Aladdin, a workaround that acknowledged the performance without opening the acting categories. Rocky runs through neither precedent.
"Typically, we talk about puppetry as a technical achievement, and it is," Ortiz told Variety. "I'm interested in the heart of the character." His voice was meant to be temporary. It was not.
The Golden Globes have not cleared Ortiz for consideration under their current rules. The Actor Awards and BAFTA present clearer paths. Nominations are not announced until January.
