Star report
Chile’s ‘Fantastic Woman’ may lead to Oscar history
A transgender Chilean actress has turned in one of the most buzzed-about performances of the year and some are hoping she could be the first trans actor to land an Oscar nomination. Daniela Vega, 28, stars in Sebastian Lelio’s “A Fantastic Woman.” She plays Marina, a transgender woman whose partner (Francisco Reyes) dies, after which Marina is subjected to harsh treatment by the family of her deceased lover and by police investing the death. Chile has selected the film as its Academy Awards submission this year. But the bigger spotlight may be on whether Vega’s breakout performance — one of stirring strength and compassion — could make Oscar history. While several transgender musicians have been Oscarnominated, no trans performer has ever earned an acting nod.
“It’s too early to talk about that, to think about it. I have lots of festivals to attend, lots of dresses to wear,” Vega said. “The Oscars are a little bit beyond the timeline I’m thinking about right now. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” Hollywood hasn’t shied away from telling transgender stories, but the industry has come under criticism for not casting them in high-profile parts. Whether Vega — and Oscar voters — can change history won’t be decided for months. Sony Picture Classics, which has guided performers to dozens of Academy Award nominations, will release the film on Nov. 17. For now, Vega is soaking up her moment.
“It’s like living a dream,” Vega said. “It’s like a film in a film.”
TMZ’s Levin seeks celebs’ stories in their own homes
Harvey Levin, founder of the TMZ celebrity website, has a new project — he’s the creator and host of “Objectified,” which premieres on Fox News Channel today. The program features celebrities showing off personal memorabilia in their homes, starting this weekend with “Judge Judy” Sheindlin. Other participants in the show’s first season include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Martha Stewart, Tyler Perry and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Each celebrity picks seven things from different periods of their life that are used as starting-off points for discussion. “I wanted to do a show on the life stories of really interesting people who have succeeded but have had twists and turns along the way,” Levin said. “I didn’t want to do a show where you sat on the sofa and just talked to someone for an hour.” “Objectified” represents Fox News’ attempt to broaden its programming mix. Levin said there’s no political litmus test on people he can profile. “The show will succeed if it’s interesting, and interesting knows no political affiliations,” he said.