The nominees for the 96th Academy Awards have been announced, and one of the movies receiving recognition is Poor Things, which is considered one of the best films of 2023 by CinemaBlend. The movie is a Frankenstein-inspired story with a sexual twist, including several controversial nude scenes, but it's also a heartwarmingly quirky flick. The film has been nominated for 11 awards, including Best Supporting Actor for Mark Ruffalo, who's been nominated in the category multiple times over the years. Now, the Hulk performer has finally broken his silence on the nomination, and it's very on-brand.
The Avengers alum has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor three times over the course of his career. These nods were for his roles in The Kids Are All Right (2011), Foxcatcher (2015), and Spotlight (2016). Despite initially having reservations about playing the role of Rake, he now has another Oscar nomination to add to his illustrious career. The 56-year-old actor shared his reaction to this news on his Instagram account. The post included some tremendous behind-the-scenes images of the Begin Again actor and his nominated co-star, Emma Stone. The post featured the following caption:
I have the unbelievable privilege of making movies as a job. To be recognized by The Academy among the best is an honor that exceeds all ones expectations as an actor. Thank you to our brilliant filmmaker, Yorgos. And thank you to the audiences who gave this film a chance. Congratulations to my Poor Things family for all the love. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
The veteran actor has become a member of a select group of cinematic icons who have been nominated for the highest number of Oscars in the Best Supporting Actor category. This distinguished group includes Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Walter Brennan, Jeff Bridges, Robert Duvall, Arthur Kennedy and Claude Rains, all of whom have received four nominations in this category.
This book-to-movie adaptation, which is based on a 1992 novel by Alasdair Gray, presents a humorous and dramatic spin on the classic Frankenstein story with Bella (Emma Stone), who is revived by an eccentric scientist, played by Willem Dafoe. Bella embarks on a path of emotional, intellectual and sexual growth, eventually deciding to leave her life behind for a zealous lawyer, portrayed by Mark Ruffalo. Despite the bold sexual content, which director Yorgos Lanthimos had to fight to include, and the Adam Project star being skeptical about doing so considering his age, Ruffalo highlighted the director's ability to foster a comfortable atmosphere on set. Speaking at the film's premiere in New York City in December, the actor shared his experiences with PEOPLE:
Poor Things started with about three weeks of rehearsals, which was just playing theater games, really, and goofing off and cutting up which gave us the feeling of safety with each other and a feeling of fun.
The Now You See Me alum also praised his co-star, calling Emma Stone a “once-in-a-generation talent.” It would seem the Academy agrees with his assessment of Stone because the Oscar Winner has received praise for her Poor Things performance despite it being one of her weirdest films. As a result, she has once again been nominated for another Best Actress award.
If you are rooting for Mark Ruffalo and all the Poor Things crew to bring home the gold, know that the 96th Academy Awards ceremony is airing on ABC on March 10, 2024. For those who haven't seen the flick yet, it is still playing in theaters, so check your local listings for showtimes. It's definitely worth seeing on the big screen, and Ruffalo's off-beat (and now Oscar-nominated) performance alone is enough to warrant a screening. Also, check out our 2024 movie schedule to see what other movies are headed to a theater near you.
