The Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar race was widely seen as a two-way competition between The Theory of Everything’s Eddie Redmayne and Birdman’s Michael Keaton, with possible spoiler potential from American Sniper’s Bradley Cooper.
Did Michael Keaton have his speech all ready to go at the Oscars?
Emily St. James was a senior correspondent for Vox, covering American identities. Before she joined Vox in 2014, she was the first TV editor of the A.V. Club.
In the end, Redmayne won for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking. Vine user Beefyrhetoric caught what appears to be Keaton slipping his unused speech into his pocket while standing to cheer for Redmayne. Watch closely at the bottom of the screen.
Of course, having one’s speech ready to go is just good protocol at the Oscars, particularly if you think you have a better than average chance of winning. And it was a bit weird that the Academy went so nuts for Birdman without rewarding the man at the center of it, holding the film together.
But it still doesn’t change the small, touching humanity of the moment. Michael Keaton thought for a moment that he would win, and then he didn’t. Everybody should be able to identify with that.
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