Kuwait Times

Beatty urges academy president to clarify Oscar fiasco

-

Warren Beatty says Academy of Motion Pictures President Cheryl Boone Isaacs should "publicly clarify" what happened during Sunday night's best picture presentati­on "as soon as possible." Beatty released a statement Tuesday to The Associated Press in which he declined to comment further on the debacle that led to him and co-presenter Faye Dunaway mistakenly reading "La La Land" as best picture winner rather than "Moonlight." Instead, he urged the academy to answer questions. "I feel it would be more appropriat­e for the president of the Academy, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, to publicly clarify what happened as soon as possible," said Beatty. Representa­tives for the academy didn't immediatel­y comment Tuesday. Since Sunday's broadcast, the academy has largely left the explaining to PwC, the accounting firm that has taken the blame for the "La La Land" mistakenly being read as the best picture winner by Beatty and Faye Dunaway. PwC, which is in charge of tabulating the winners, has said partner Brian Cullinan mistakenly handed them the wrong envelope.

The film academy didn't release a statement of its own until late Monday. "We deeply regret the mistakes that were made during the presentati­on of the best picture category during last night's Oscar ceremony," it read. "We apologize to the entire cast and crew of 'La La Land' and 'Moonlight' whose experience was profoundly altered by this error. We salute the tremendous grace they displayed under the circumstan­ces. To all involved? - ?including our presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, the filmmakers, and our fans watching worldwide? we apologize."

On Monday, the academy said it has spent Sunday night and the following day "investigat­ing the circumstan­ces" and "will determine what actions are appropriat­e going forward." Neither PwC or the academy has commented on whether Cullinan's use of social media was a factor in the error. The PwC partner tweeted a behind-the-scenes photo of best-actress winner Emma Stone moments before the best picture announceme­nt. The tweet was later deleted. As per protocol, Cullinan and PwC colleague Martha Ruiz toted briefcases to the awards via the red carpet, each holding an identical set of envelopes for the show's 24 categories. The accountant­s are also supposed to memorize the winners. During the telecast, the accountant­s were stationed in the Dolby Theatre wings, one stage left and one stage right, to give presenters their category's envelope before they went on stage. Most presenters entered stage right, where Cullinan was posted and where he handed Beatty and Dunaway the errant envelope. Yet the previous award, best actress, had been presented by Leonardo DiCaprio, who entered stage left and received the envelope from Ruiz. That left a duplicate, unopened envelope for best actress at stage right. — AP

 ??  ?? ‘La La Land’ producer Jordan Horowitz, left, presenter Warren Beatty, center, and host Jimmy Kimmel right, look at an envelope announcing ‘Moonlight’ as best picture at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. — AP
‘La La Land’ producer Jordan Horowitz, left, presenter Warren Beatty, center, and host Jimmy Kimmel right, look at an envelope announcing ‘Moonlight’ as best picture at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. — AP

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Kuwait