RICKY T. INSIGHTS Oscar Nominations 2024 Part 1

Sometimes, MIDNIGHT REVIEWS owner and financier RICKY T takes over, providing all the showbiz facts, gossip, and insight that you need.

With the nomination list for the 2024 Academy Awards revealed [include link, Barbara], we here at Midnight Reviews have the inside scoop on all of the juicy nuggets when it comes to all the important nominees. Below are snippets and pieces of information garnered from interviews and behind-the-scenes walk-arounds with all the biggest stars — everything you could ever need for the Oscars build up!

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Continue reading for that inside scoop on all the nominees you care about.

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Emma Stone — nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role

Emma Stone isn’t someone who does things by halves. She also doesn’t do the expected or do things the easy way.

Emma Stone has been doing the awards circuit since before she can remember. She tosses her hair back and laughs.

“It’s probably my real job now, talking about myself. But that’s probably what you expect most movie stars to want to do, right? Put it in italics, that part.”

And speaking of Emma Stone, what was it like when Andrew Garfield first heard she was nominated for an Academy Award?

There’s a pause. Clearly, Stone is thinking hard about what Andrew Garfield said, what with his opinion being so important when it comes to Emma Stone. She frowns. Maybe she’s worried about misquoting him. I know I would be.

“Well, he was congratulatory. Everyone was really nice about it. Y’know, it was really nice being nominated again.”

Again?

“Yeah. This is my second nomination for lead actress.”

Really? Wow, that’s amazing.

“Yeah I… I actually won it, a few years ago.”

You won? What for?

“La La Land. I… can’t believe I’m having to explain it to you.”

Well, like you said, it was a few years ago, probably people can’t remember. Oh wait, that’s the one that didn’t win Best Picture, right?

“Yeah.”

Wow, that’s amazing. That was hilarious. Well done.

“Thanks.”

And how did Andrew Garfield react when you won the Golden Globe?

“He… he clapped, I think.”

And what about when you won the BAFTA?

“Oh, now that was such a fulfilling moment for me. You know, we do a lot of these award shows, if we’re lucky, but to win such a prestigious award, from a country that really knows its acting — aren’t you going to write this down?”

My assistant’s in the corner. But how did Andrew Garfield react when you won the BAFTA?

“This interview is over.”

Stone, 35, is nominated for Poor Things.

Bradley Copper — nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role; other minor nominations

Writing, directing, model making, sound recording, best boying and starring in a feature film is no mean feat. And Bradley Copper managed it all.

Whilst there was a lot of gossip online regarding Copper’s use of a prosthetic nose to play Jewish composer Leonard Bernstein, a little-known fact is that Copper used other, shall we say, ‘tools’ in order to get into the head space needed to play someone of the Jewish faith. Copper took us through the details in a recent interview at his New York apartment.

“For me, there were the inserts in my shoes, because all Jewish people are tall,” he explained.

I check my phone, scrolling through my regular sites. So far, it all checks out. Copper really did his research.

“Then I had to put on this face cream, right?”

When I asked him what he meant by this, the response went thusly: “Creamy Face. Creamy Face Bernstein. That’s what they called him, ever since he conducted the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, when they played… what was it? Beethoven? In Leonard’s mum’s garage, before he made it big? Yeah. Old Creamy Face Bernstein.”

I couldn’t believe it, but when I told the star to wait in silence whilst I googled the phrase ‘Creamy Face Bernstein,’ I couldn’t believe it, again. Eight million hits. Many from Bernstein’s extremely active social media accounts. He has seven on Facebook alone.

Copper achieved not just the look but the physical side of playing Bernstein from an unlikely source. “I checked out, I actually bought two o’ them, they’re in my apartment right now, at this minute, as we’re talking, over there, two of those inflatable arm-waving things they have at car lots.”

I look over and see them. Lifeless without hot air and dead behind the eyes, Bradley Copper continued explaining his methods.

“Then there was the penis prosthetic.”

Because Leonard was circumcised?

“Oh no, not that; because he was really big. I borrowed Mark Wahlberg’s.”

Copper, 49, is nominated for Maestro.

America Ferrera — nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Supporting Role

With Barbie being snubbed by critics and audiences alike, receiving only eight Oscar nominations including Best Picture and making a paltry $1.4 billion at the box-office, it was time for America Ferrera to step up and represent. And what does she think about the furore surrounding the lack of love for Barbie?

“It’s great that the focus has been almost entirely on the two people who didn’t receive nominations, except for the nominations they did receive. Since I got nominated, I’ve had a lot of attention, a lot of journalists congratulating me on how I’ve handled the lack of press Barbie has gotten and asking me, ‘How is Margot?’ and, ‘Is Greta okay?’ Y’know, I’ve really been feeling the love.”

And what is her response to the Academy not giving Barbie more nominations?

“Look, you’ve never put a foot wrong. Every single year the right movie, the right person gets the award and I’m shocked that this has happened. Probably just a blip.”

Ferrera, 39, is nominated for Barbie.

Robert Downey Jr. — nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Supporting Role

From playing a dog in his first on-screen appearance in Pound to someone who can talk to dogs in Dolittle, this star may have a career that at first seems a little predictable, a career that people could, let’s say, predict. But they’d be wrong. To predict. Their predictions would be wrong.

The star made a star-turn in Oppenheimer, with director Chris Nolan reportedly demanding that his star ‘fight his instincts’ and ‘set the charisma’ aside for his role as Louie Straws. We went on location to follow the star for a week, finding that there was more to things than people knew.

Robert Downey Jr. smiles as he leads us into his trailer. It’s big. Almost as big as he is. But despite his small stature (reports list his height as anything from 6’8’’ to 3’11’’), Robert Downey Jr. is a star. Not in the sky. But a movie star. But Chris Nolan doesn’t care about stars. So he had a set of rules even Tony Stark couldn’t break. Because Chris Nolan cares about films, and movies.

No bathroom breaks whilst on set.

No moving off your mark, even to tie a shoe lace.

Then there were the times Nolan kept showing up off-set to direct the actors. Downey Jr. was no exception.

“I’d be paying for a coffee and he’d sidle up to me. ‘I don’t think you should pay like that. Pay with cash.’ It was tiring but in the end, that’s the British way of directing and ultimately: very rewarding,” the star explained.

Another time, the star was taking us through his relaxation routine. The star was swimming laps when Nolan bobbed up and out of the water, full Scuba gear on. “I really think this would work better with a backstroke,” he said, after removing his Scuba mask.

The director then turned to us directly, explaining his methodology. “You see, I like to play with time, and I really think the backstroke is probably the best stroke to use to really convey the message we’re going for.” He then put his gear back on and sank into the water. When we looked for any signs of him, there were none; he’d disappeared.

“I mean, on Avengers I would just do the research, turn up on set and play the role,” the star explained, “On Oppenheimer I sneezed twice and Chris told me to keep it to single sneezes for the rest of the day. Best note I’ve ever been given.”

Downey Jr., 58, is nominated for Oppenheimer.

So there you have it, folks. The first part of our inside scoop on some of the Oscar nominees ahead of the awards ceremony, which is being hosted by Jimmy Fimmel on March 10th.

Come back for part 2, where we give a glimpse of more behind-the-scenes info and gossip from some of this year’s nominees!

Ricardo Amadeus Taurus is the financier and chief operator of MIDNIGHT REVIEWS. He is also a full-time journalist, chef, actor, mindfulness coach, and ski instructor. He is definitely probably real.