Director Ryan Coogler spoke about writing his blues-infused vampire film 鈥淪inners,鈥� for his late uncle, whom he imagined celebrating the occasion with some blues music.
Rose Byrne, who learned of her best actress nomination in the middle of the night in Australia, talked about the intensive work of fine-tuning her turbulent character during a five-week rehearsal process.
Leonardo DiCaprio of people sitting in a theater together, immersing themselves in a movie.
And Amy Madigan said her little dog was looking up at her, seemingly asking: 鈥淲hy are we up so early?鈥�
Across Hollywood and beyond, Oscar nominees reflected in interviews with The Associated Press on the work that led to their recognition. Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Ryan Coogler, for 鈥淪inners鈥�
鈥淚 wrote this script for my uncle who passed away 11 years ago. I got to imagine that he鈥檚 listening to some blues music right now to celebrate. I love making movies. I鈥檓 honored to wake up every day and do it. I was writing last night. That鈥檚 why I didn鈥檛 get too much sleep. Honestly, bro, I still feel a little bit asleep right now.鈥� 鈥� In an interview. Coogler is nominated for best picture, director and original screenplay.
Leonardo DiCaprio, for 鈥淥ne Battle After Another鈥�
鈥淎t the end of the day it鈥檚 about trying to be in films that are memorable. To me what matters is great ideas and original filmmaking. The only thing I feel strongly is inherent in us as a species is the idea of us getting together and feeling any great piece of music, of opera, the communal experience of watching a film together and picking up on emotions with a population of people around you.鈥� 鈥� DiCaprio is nominated for best actor.
Rose Byrne, for 鈥淚f I Had Legs I’d Kick You鈥�
“We did the movie in 27 days for like $8.50, and it was two takes, maybe three. And the blessing was, for five weeks, (director Mary Bronstein) and I met three days a week and just rehearsed. We just talked through the script, page after page after page. That preparation was such a gift. And Mary pushed for that. This role was an absolute gift for an actress to have. I just didn鈥檛 want to (expletive) it up.
On receiving the news: 鈥淚t鈥檚 the middle of the night in Australia. I was falling asleep and then (husband Bobby Cannavale) starts FaceTiming me (from New York) because I wanted to try and stay up but it was so late. And then he started screaming, it was like 鈥楾hey said your name!鈥� and then my parents came in the room, they鈥檙e like 鈥極h my God鈥� and then we were all screaming, and that was it. Now I鈥檝e had a shot of adrenaline and I鈥檓 wide awake.鈥� 鈥� In an interview. Byrne is nominated for best actress.
Delroy Lindo, for 鈥淪inners鈥�
鈥淚t took a few beats for it to kind of sink in. And right after, as I was on the phone with my son, I saw that I had 179 texts. The totality of the excitement of my son, my gratitude, hearing it from my son, with the number of texts that were on my phone, I was able to kind of relax and enjoy the moment. 鈥� I didn鈥檛 start looking at any of the texts for another hour or so. I didn鈥檛 look at the full list of nominees. 鈥� In an interview. Lindo is nominated for best supporting actor.
Amy Madigan, for 鈥淲eapons鈥�
“I鈥檓 sitting in my little study room with the fireplace going … with my little dog, Woody, about six inches away from me. He鈥檚 just looking at me like, 鈥榃hy are we up so early?鈥� He is not a morning person and I am not a morning person unless I鈥檓 working. So he鈥檚 a little dazed but that鈥檚 OK.
When I was nominated the first time, it was 40 years ago, which just gives you an inkling about how long I鈥檝e been doing this. And I just continue to love actors and acting, all the people that it takes to make a film with … It鈥檚 about the work, finally, and I really do believe that people are responding to people鈥檚 work and they鈥檙e responding to mine, and that feels really nice.” 鈥� In an interview. Madigan is nominated for best supporting actress.
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, for 鈥淪entimental Value鈥�
“I hope that people in Norway can also take ownership of this movie and that it鈥檚 Norwegian, and that it sort of builds this pride in Norwegian cinema. It鈥檚 a very complex feeling of pride and joy and happiness. And it鈥檚 not just in this moment, it goes all the way back to when you鈥檙e a kid, and … wanting to be an actor and hoping to be actor. It鈥檚 a very difficult job. And so to get this recognition means so much to me. We鈥檝e met a lot of audience members who have been very emotional after seeing the movie and have shared a lot their personal stories with us and felt like they needed to in the moment, immediately, and I feel very privileged to have had that experience. 鈥� In an interview. Lilleaas is nominated for best supporting actress.
Ruth E. Carter, for 鈥淪inners鈥�
鈥淭his is a major step in the development of our voices in Hollywood, and this is a major step for the culture to be leading in nominations for my body of work. 鈥楳alcolm X,鈥� 鈥楢mistad,鈥� 鈥楤lack Panther,鈥� 鈥榃akanda Forever鈥� and now 鈥楽inners.鈥� My trajectory has been about telling the story of culture, and I鈥檓 really proud, because history is being erased. Our history is being erased as we speak. And so to have this responsibility of telling our stories and being as authentic as I can, and being awarded for it is a celebration. I thank the lord that Ryan Coogler was born because he continues to tell stories that are important to the culture.鈥� 鈥� Carter is nominated for best costume design and is now the most nominated Black woman in Oscar history.
Ludwig G枚ransson, for 鈥淪inners鈥�
鈥淲e woke up to a bunch of amazing, beautiful texts and calls. And it鈥檚 very much like a family affair, this film. Everyone on 鈥淪inners,鈥� we鈥檝e been working together for a long time and we鈥檙e kind of like a family. What鈥檚 cool about this film, and what鈥檚 incredible about this movie, is that it鈥檚 about blues music. It鈥檚 about a guitar player. … Anything we’re hearing today on the radio and from Western culture, you know, wouldn鈥檛 exist if it wasn鈥檛 for blues. Ryan (Coogler) was able to show that in the movie and through the movie.鈥� 鈥� In an interview. G枚ransson is nominated for best original score and original song for 鈥淚 Lied to You.鈥�
Ejae, for 鈥淕olden鈥� from 鈥淜Pop Demon Hunters鈥�
“It just doesn鈥檛 feel real even right now. I鈥檓 just still trying to digest the situation. It鈥檚 just definitely a dream come true. And that鈥檚 why, you know, we write 鈥� to have a song that everyone can sing, and not just sing, but make them feel good, because the lyrics (are) very uplifting, and challenge them to sing those high notes.
鈥淔or me, also, it鈥檚 the fact that there are Korean lyrics in it. It is just kind of really crazy to see everyone from all different countries and races singing it. So, I鈥檓 just forever grateful to be a part of this incredible film that I wish I grew up watching, too.鈥� 鈥� In an interview. Ejae is nominated for best original song for 鈥淕olden鈥� from 鈥淜Pop Demon Hunters.鈥�
Diane Warren, for 鈥淒ear Me鈥� from 鈥淒iane Warren: Relentless鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome. Look, it is not easy to be nominated. And there鈥檚 a lot of songs, and from bigger movies or whatever. … I always say this, I really mean it from my heart, that to be nominated is winning because these are the best of the best in the fields of film, music, that vote for you. And the fact that a song of mine earns their respect means everything to me.鈥� 鈥� In an interview. Warren is nominated for best original song for 鈥淒ear Me,鈥� her 17th nomination.
Liza Marshall, for 鈥淗amnet鈥�
鈥淲e continue to be amazed by people鈥檚 deep emotional connections to the film. At the end, people don’t get up, they sit and watch the credits, because they want a moment in the dark before they step out into the real world again. It’s connecting with people on a deep emotional level which we always wanted, but it’s so exciting that it’s happening.鈥�
On star Jessie Buckley: 鈥淭here鈥檚 something about her that’s primal. When you watch her she is not acting, she is just being. There are so many moments in the film where you can see the story playing across her face, with no words. I can’t think of another actor who can do that in quite that way.鈥� 鈥� In an interview. Marshall is a producer of 鈥淗amnet,鈥� a best picture nominee.
Joachim Trier, for 鈥淪entimental Value鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 in Los Angeles actually because I鈥檓 trying not to be (character) Gustav Borg, the father who鈥檚 away all the time, you know, so I have my family with me here for a moment now. And it鈥檚 such joyous news that we鈥檙e all kind of celebrating and being happy here. Got up very early and are very, very happy and grateful. It was a very, very happy surprise. I know the other four (directing) nominees. I am big fans of them. I think they鈥檙e really great. And I鈥檓 so honored to be in this group. For me, this is the win.” 鈥� In an interview. Trier is nominated for best director.
Kaouther Ben Hania, for 鈥淭he Voice of Hind Rajab鈥�
鈥淲hen I started making this movie, my main obsession or idea, because the voice of this little girl wasn鈥檛 heard when it was needed, was how to make her voice echo all over the world. So, the fact that we are nominated today, it鈥檚 a spotlight that the voice of Hind Rajab needs. So I鈥檓 very grateful to the members of the academy who voted for this movie because they recognize that cinema is not always an escape. It can be confrontational. It can be something about truth, and about what is happening and something that we should not look away from.鈥� 鈥� In an interview. 鈥淭he Voice of Hind Rajab鈥� is nominated for best international feature.
Kleber Mendon莽a Filho, for 鈥淭he Secret Agent鈥�
鈥淚 think ‘The Secret Agent鈥� is very much about power, power being used to squash someone. Unfortunately, it鈥檚 something that doesn鈥檛 look like it鈥檚 going to go out of fashion anytime soon. And it鈥檚 really something to see such a Brazilian film that comes from Brazilian history translate just about anywhere. I seem to get a good connection just about anywhere the film is screened, and of course I鈥檝e had some very strong reactions in the United States.鈥� In an interview. Filho is writer-director of 鈥漈he Secret Agent,” nominated for best picture and best international feature.
Alexandre Desplat, for 鈥淔rankenstein鈥�
“I鈥檓 very happy. It’s (director) Guillermo (del Toro’s) dream project since he was a kid, but it鈥檚 also the third movement of a triptych, which starts with 鈥淭he Shape of Water,鈥� (about a) creature, 鈥淧inocchio,鈥� a creature and then 鈥淔rankenstein,鈥� the creature. So, it鈥檚 three stories about love, empathy for people who are different. The way Guillermo gave me the space to write music is, I think 鈥� (how it) goes from a little solo violin to a huge symphonic orchestra with choir 鈥� it鈥檚 everything a composer can dream of.” 鈥� In an interview. Desplat is nominated for best original score.
Nicholas Pike, for 鈥淪weet Dreams Of Joy鈥� from 鈥淰iva Verdi!鈥�
I鈥檓 feeling very anxious all of a sudden. But exciting, you know, really exciting. I鈥檓 super excited that a contemporary operatic aria has been nominated, which doesn鈥檛 happen very often. I鈥檝e done a couple of music-centric documentaries, and I find them incredibly exciting to work on because they are about the art form, you know? And so this one in particular being about Verdi and Verdi鈥檚 music and his retirement home that he built for opera singers and musicians 鈥� I mean what could be more amazing than that?” 鈥� In an interview. Pike is nominated for best original song for 鈥淪weet Dreams Of Joy.鈥�
Bryce Dessner, for 鈥淭rain Dreams鈥� from 鈥淭rain Dreams鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a wonderful piece of news. I won鈥檛 lie. I鈥檝e won Grammys before, but Oscars always felt like a whole other world. It鈥檚 a really beautiful small film 鈥� and it鈥檚 wonderful to have collaborated with Nick Cave on this song. He鈥檚 a huge influence and musical hero of mine and of my band, The National. And to get to do this with him is extra special. I think especially right now in the time we鈥檙e living in, with so much conflict and suffering in the world, I think that a film about empathy and about grief really is something that everyone can relate to, regardless of where you鈥檙e sitting.鈥� 鈥� In an interview. Dessner is nominated for best original song for 鈥淭rain Dreams.鈥�
Maggie O’Farrell, for 鈥淗amnet鈥�
鈥淣ovelists are lone wolves. We just sit in our bedrooms making up stories and no, I never in a million years expected this would happen. When (director and co-writer Chlo茅 Zhao) and I first talked, I said I didn鈥檛 want to do it because I had never written a screenplay before and I had moved on to other things, but Chlo茅鈥檚 very persuasive. I think as the novelist, you have to go into this process knowing that the film is never going to be a replica of your book. And it shouldn鈥檛 be. It needs to be something different. I think of the book as my baby, and the film as a niece or a nephew.鈥� 鈥� In an interview. O’Farrell, who wrote the novel 鈥滺amnet,” is nominated with Zhao for best adapted screenplay.
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Associated Press wirters Ryan Pearson, Jake Coyle and Andrew Dalton contributed to this report.
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