In the Golden State — where it sometimes seems like everyone looks like a movie star — stars are judged at the Oscars not just for their acting talent, but the scale of their transformations.
This year’s nominations are extraordinary in terms of leading actors who go the extra mile.
Step forward Cate Blanchett – who not only learned to speak German, but also had to brush up on her piano skills – and, most impressively, convincingly led a philharmonic orchestra She was a master conductor in Tar.
As I discovered, there’s more to this skill than simply waving your arms.
As I stood in front of the Royal Academy of Music Orchestra, the conductor Natalie Murray Beale murmured, “Let’s make the upper part looser while they try, with pity, to use I waved my hands to keep up with the rhythm.”
Later Bill – professor at the Royal Academy of Music and Tar’s director of conducting – explained how Blanchett has truly demonstrated a unique skill set.
“Everything she conducts is spot on, her hands and her body are in the right space, but more importantly, I think her emotion and communication with the orchestra is extraordinary. It’s a very, very special skill “
A giant-type billboard on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood – designed to grab the attention of Academy members, pointing out Austin Butler’s “extraordinary performance” in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis.
Not only did he learn to sing like The King, he also mastered the deep Southern accent and dance moves of the music legend.
Athletic Coach Polly Bennett Teams Up With Butler To make sure he wasn’t trying to impress, but giving meaning and purpose to every handshake and foot twitch.
“Let’s go horseshoe, horseshoe, stick out your wedding ring, and shake out your gloves,” Bennett demonstrates after I convince her to show me some basic moves.
Austin Butler, I’m clearly not. Yet she offered sweetly: “There’s always time.”
Elvis star Austin Butler teamed up with athletic trainer Polly Bennett.Image: Polly Bennett
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She admitted with pride that she couldn’t be more proud of what they had achieved.
“Nobody actually goes, ‘It doesn’t look like Elvis!’ or ‘He doesn’t sound like Elvis!’ “
“It came from Austin, from his body and his understanding of the psychology behind the movement … He was a very tenacious, creative person.”
On top of that, Butler also faces the challenge of an aging role.
Brendan Fraser spent hours doing makeup for scenes in The Whale. Figure: A24
Not only did he wear prosthetics for this, but according to the star, he also gained weight by microwaving and drinking ice cream.
Of course, this is not an option Brendan Fraser’s Prosthetic in Whale The scale is completely different.
To play the morbidly obese Charlie, he had about five hours of makeup time to put on a custom suit that weighed about 300 pounds.
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Fraser told Sky News that having Darren Aronofsky direct gave him confidence.
“Aronofsky is a world-class filmmaker with a track record of delivering brilliant, sometimes transformative performances from the actors he works with.
“So, I have no doubts how good he is at what he does.”
Ana de Armas (who was up for Best Actress for her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe) spent nine months voicing Blonde on her own, while Mr. and Mrs. Fabermans’ Michelle Williams had to. Don’t dance ballet, play the piano and perform with a monkey.
It shows the real, Oscar– Worth showing – maybe a little more than most of us (well, me!) hope to master.
You can watch the red carpet and the Oscars from 11pm on Sunday, exclusively on Sky News UK.