Carey Mulligan is nominated for best actress at the Oscars for a third time thanks to her performance in Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro” (her other nominations came for “An Education” and “Promising Young Woman”), and it’s a honor that never gets old for the star. During a recent interview with The Times of London, Mulligan admitted that awards do matter despite many actors saying otherwise.
“[The Oscar nomination] is just the coolest thing. Because it’s from your peers. It’s wicked,” Mulligan said, adding that “[actors] 100 per cent lying” when they say awards don’t matter and it’s just the work that counts.
It’s a sentiment also shared by Jeffrey Wright, nominated for his first Oscar this year thanks to his acclaimed role in “American Fiction.”
“Anyone who does this work who says they’ve never considered [winning an Oscar] is absolutely lying to you,” Wright told The Independent. “I’ve thought about it, sure. I’m thinking about it more than is healthy!”
While Mulligan is certainly thinking about her Oscar nomination, she’s also thinking about the films and artists who were snubbed. One of the biggest Oscar snubs in 2024 is Greta Gerwig in the best director category. Despite “Barbie” earning critical acclaim, making box office history and earning eight Oscar nominations, including best picture, Gerwig found herself excluded from this year’s best director rice.
“I’m gutted for Greta because I don’t know what else you can do as a director to get nominated,” Mulligan told The Times of London. “You make a critically acclaimed film that’s also an incredible global success, and yet you don’t get nominated?”
Mulligan also reflected on Emerald Fennel’s “Saltburn” getting zero nominations. The film hails from her “Promising Young Woman” director (who won an Oscar for writing that film) and Mulligan even has a key supporting role in the movie.
“I went to the ‘Saltburn’ premiere in LA and I sat with Em and there were 1,700 people having just the greatest fucking experience, so I don’t know,” Mulligan said. “I think the main takeaway is just how incredibly it was picked up. Initially, people didn’t know how to respond and then suddenly it took over the internet and now it’s become this enormous phenomenon where you can buy candles [on Etsy and Amazon] called Jacob Elordi’s Bathwater.”
Mulligan’s work in “Maestro” is one of seven Oscar nominations the film received. Her co-star, Bradley Cooper, is nominated for best actor, while the film itself landed in the best picture race. Mulligan also received a best actress nomination from the Critic’s Choice Awards, and she’s nominated in the same category at the upcoming BAFTA Film Awards and Screen Actors Guild awards.
