Who is Andrea Riseborough? 'To Leslie' star's 'miracle' Oscar nomination under review amid criticism
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In response to criticism over this year's Oscar nominations, the film academy launched a study of "campaign procedures" on Friday, January 27. Moreover, the British actress Andrea Riseborough unexpectedly received the Best Actress nomination for her portrayal in the independent film, 'To Leslie', however, her nomination is now under review.
The investigation comes after an aggressive grassroots campaign that saw Hollywood bigwigs praising Riseborough in the weeks before the voting. Kate Winslet, Jane Fonda, Charlize Theron, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Amy Adams were among the A-listers. The academy makes a reference to concerns that have surfaced since this week's announcement but it doesn't specifically identify Riseborough or the actors who participated in the last-minute campaign.
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"It is the Academy’s goal to ensure that the awards competition is conducted in a fair and ethical manner, and we are committed to ensuring an inclusive awards process," the statement says. "We are conducting a review of the campaign procedures around this year’s nominees, to ensure that no guidelines were violated, and to inform us whether changes to the guidelines may be needed in a new era of social media and digital communication. We have confidence in the integrity of our nomination and voting procedures, and support genuine grassroots campaigns for outstanding performances," the statement added as cited by The Guardian.
Many analysts were surprised by Riseborough's selection in the category, considering how little attention the movie received during the awards season. When her movie 'To Leslie' was released in October last year, it only brought in $27,000. Despite being nominated for an Independent Spirit award, neither the Golden Globes nor the Screen Actors Guild chose her.
Daily Mail reported that a producer who is an Academy voter stated, "Andrea is one of the best actors working today and beloved by her peers but her Oscar nomination shocked everyone. It wasn't just a shock, it was a miracle. You could hear the gasps when her name was read out in the room. This is a film no one had seen or heard of until recently." The producer added, "Both Viola and Danielle turned in stunning performances and one or both were expected to be nominated. There has been a lot of backlash this week that, yet again, a white woman may have pushed out equally-worthy black actresses, who never received anything like the support Andrea got."
Who is Andrea Riseborough?
Riseborough was born in Tyne and Wear, England. Her father was a car salesman, while her mother was a secretary. The English actress began her career as a child performing in local theater before studying her field. Before receiving her Oscar nomination, she had a distinguished filmography after earning her degree from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 2005, reported US Magazine.
Riseborough is well-recognized in the industry because she has around 20 years of experience. In 2010, she co-starred in 'Never Let Me Go' with Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley, and three years later, she made an appearance in the Best Picture winner 'Birdman'. She portrayed Emma Stone's love interest in the 2017 sports biography 'Battle of the Sexes' and also made appearances in 'Matilda the Musical' and 'Amsterdam' from the last year.