Oscar

CHICAGO – The person in the middle of The Slap seen around the world – upon Chris Rock by Will Smith at the 94th Academy Awards – was Will’s wife of 24 years, the actor and musician Jada Pinkett Smith. She had shaved her head due to a diagnosis of alopecia, and Chris Rock raised Will Smith’s ire by making a joke about Pinkett Smith appearing in “G.I. Jane 2,” a reference to her military grade style. Jada Pinkett Smith was photographed in 2008 by Joe Arce and interviewed in 2015 by Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com.

CHICAGO – Usually these Oscar wrap ups are ordinary. But in a shocking event at the 94th Academy Awards, eventual Best Actor winner Will Smith slapped presenter Chris Rock after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Oh and by the way, CODA wins the Best Picture in a historic honor.

CHICAGO – Happy Oscar Day! The 94th Academy Awards takes place on March 27th, and Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com conducted two major interviews connected to nominees. Actor David Dastmalchian for “Dune” (Best Picture) and Director Jessica Kingdon for “Ascension” (Best Documentary).

CHICAGO – The Oscars are this upcoming Sunday, March 27th, and one of the great performances of the year – nominated for Best Actress – is Jessica Chastain as Tammy Faye Bakker in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.” The producer of the film is Gigi Pritzker.

CHICAGO – The nominees for the 94th Academy Awards … taking place on March 27th, 2022 … were announced on February 8th. 23 categories will be up for Oscar, and the favorites will be will be debated as the Awards season plays out. The 94th Academy Awards will be broadcast on ABC-TV.

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin), reviewing the new film “My Octopus Teacher.” The film just won Best Documentary feature at the 2021 Oscars, and is currently streaming on Netflix.

CHICAGO – The great Gary Oldman is a veteran actor who has created so many memorable roles that he’s his own Hall of Fame. His surprising turn as Herman Mankiewicz, the co-screenwriter with Orson Welles on “Citizen Kane” in “Mank,” is being honored by yet another Best Actor nomination in 2021 (his third with one win).

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Glenn Close (“Hillbilly Elegy”) in Chicago, 1998.

CHICAGO – Roll out the red carpet on Oscar Day 2021! Throughout the years, Photographer Joe Arce of HollywoodChicago has had close encounters with many of this year’s nominees and had captured them with his intrepid camera eye. Presenting a slideshow of the 93rd Academy Awards Best Acting nominations.

CHICAGO – Predicting the Oscars is like going on a blind date. You really don’t know what’s going to happen, and often you’re humiliated to boot. But here goes Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, along with one million other online prognosticators. The 93rd Academy Awards are Sunday, April 25th, 2021, in Hollywood.

CHICAGO – Making an impact has pretty much defined the career of Carey Mulligan. Her film characters have had a depth and energy to them that only she can deliver. 11 years after her first Best Actress Oscar nomination (“An Education”), Mulligan is nominated in 2021 for her searing portrayal in “Promising Young Woman.”