Angelina Jolie helps Ewan McGregor campaign for his first Oscar nomination

Here are some new photos of Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor at last night’s charity screening/premiere of their film, The Impossible. I’ve discussed the film before – it’s a true story about a European family caught up in the 2004 Tsunami – go here to watch the trailer again and weep. Ewan looked dashing and handsome in his Vivienne Westwood MAN suit (and scarf!) while Naomi wore Tom Ford…. I mean, I like the general cut of the dress. If the sleeves had been half-way normal, this would have been a homerun for me. But the sleeves are a disaster.

Wonderfully enough, Ewan is being discussed for an Oscar nomination for this film. It would be in the Best Supporting category, of course, and yes, he’s been mentioned for awards before. But if he gets nominated for The Impossible, it will be his first Oscar nomination EVER. Isn’t that weird? Doesn’t it feel like he’s done Oscar-worthy work before now? And here’s something especially awesome (for me!): Angelina Jolie hosted a screening of The Impossible two nights ago in London, and she did a Q&A with Ewan after the screening, where she talked him up. Fun side note: when Angelina first got together with Jonny Lee Miller, JLM was sharing a flat with Ewan and Jude Law. Angelina and Ewan have probably known each other for nearly two decades. YAY! Here are some highlights from Jolie’s campaign to get Ewan an Oscar:

This trend of peers effectively campaigning for each other looks set to continue, and we had this season’s first instance of it last night at London’s Soho Hotel, where Oscar-winner Angelina Jolie hosted an intimate reception and screening of “The Impossible” — chiefly to talk up the performance of her friend Ewan McGregor.

McGregor is being campaigned in the Best Supporting Actor category for his performance as a distraught father seeking to reunite his family in Juan Antonio Bayona’s harrowing survival drama set around the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004. Naomi Watts is firmly in the hunt for a Best Actress nomination, while 16 year-old newcomer Tom Holland — who is being campaigned, with unusual and commendable integrity, in the lead race — will surely receive his share of breakthrough and young actor citations. But McGregor’s work has, thus far, prompted less awards talk for a turn that’s no less impressive than that of Watts — though his character comes into focus later in the action.

Still, it’s a performance that will find many admirers among those who stick through Bayona’s viscerally moving, technically astonishing film — in particular, one scene in which an emotionally threadbare McGregor barely holds up one half of a phone conversation is Oscar clip-ready, and I mean that in the least cynical way. Yesterday, Jolie offered this tribute to the actor:

“I have known you for years and you are one of my favorite actors and I’ve always loved to watch you, but I watched this and I didn’t recognize you… To say it is one of the best performances of the year, really doesn’t give it credit, because it doesn’t feel like a performance. It’s from such an honest place and so deeply emotional. You rarely see this emotion from a man on screen and I called him later to tell him how much he made me cry. I was crying, and I looked over at Brad [Pitt] and he was crying. It’s just really, really powerful. As an actor, I’m in awe.”

Of course, Jolie didn’t limit her praise to McGregor while introducing “The Impossible,” a film she quipped “I wish I had something to do with.” She also offered warm words of admiration for Holland, who was also in attendance, together with the film’s writer and composer. (Bayona and Watts couldn’t make it, but will be in London for tonight’s UK premiere.) Jolie continued:

“What the filmmakers have done, they have made [the tsunami], through this one family’s story, personal. We feel like we are in it and we travel through it, and it changes us. That is quite an extraordinary thing and I think that is due to the brilliance and the elegance of the script by Sergio Sanchez. You can see the detail and the care that he took when you watch this, and the respect for this family and all of the families involved. When you take a true story like this, to handle it with such delicacy is really to be commended. It is also masterfully directed by J.A. Bayona, and there will be many scenes where you will be sitting here watching it thinking, ‘How did they do that? That is insane! I don’t understand.’ I was asking them myself and they said, ‘Don’t you know? Aren’t you an actor?’ And I said, ‘It is just beyond imagination.’

“The true testament of any film is what you walk away with, and I think in this film you walk away with more empathy, with a greater sense of connection to your fellow man, and you want to run home and hug your kids, and tell the people you love that you love them. There is no greater message and this is an extraordinary film.”

[From HitFix]

I wonder if Angelina really does have any “pull” with the Academy at large? Sure, she’s an Oscar winner herself, but it’s not like she hosted this screening in LA or NY (the industry towns). This was London. So my guess is that she agreed to host the screening because she loved the film and she loves Ewan (as a friend!). Sigh… I wish Angelina and Ewan would make a movie together. A dirty movie. Something involving spanking.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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46 Responses to “Angelina Jolie helps Ewan McGregor campaign for his first Oscar nomination”

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  1. Pink says:

    Meh…

  2. ernie says:

    I hate when this happens. It makes me root against people I usually adore. When they get nominated and it feels like they’re being nominated for the sake of being honored for all the times they’ve been overlooked before. And Ewan has had so many good performances. This movie doesn’t interest me at all. These kind of movies are so emotionally manipulative and sometimes it feels as though the Academy voters are put in front of a wall because not nominating it would make them seem like insensitive pricks. Which is probably how I sound right now, I’m aware.

  3. arock says:

    I wonder if Angelina does have that type of sway, its completely clear that the oscars are impressionable and her record outside the acting world is pretty heavy weight.
    just saw the link to the movie, and omg. the cast itself looks wonderful and it will do alot to remind people of the devestation of the tsunami and the on going rebuilding.
    that being said, you could score “One” behind a cat in a litter cox and id openly weep.

  4. Amelia says:

    Don’t Oscar winners get inducted into the Academy? I may have misread something a while ago, but I was under the impression you become a voter once you win.
    Either way, it’s quite sweet she’s backing him. Ewan definitely would deserve it, he’s long overdue.
    But I think the whole ‘campaigning’ schtick has just become a bit of a farce. Now it’s about how many freebies you get off a studio rather than the quality of an actor.
    I reckon if KStew handed out solid gold mini coopers she’d probably swing a nomination.

  5. lisa2 says:

    I think she just hosted the screening. Very small. And Angie and Ewan have known each other for years. He and JLM are friends. If memory serves they lived together when they started out. This is a smaller film and I think they are trying to bring some interest in the face of the films that are getting way more coverage.

    Ewan looks great by the way.

  6. smiley says:

    Why is that despite having all the money in the world actresses get themselves ridiculous outfits?

    • Rhea says:

      It is exactly because they have a lot of money that they are looking for something—-ehmm—–different than usual, because they have tried almost everything and bored with the usual outfit. Could be also because they want to be the center of the attention at the red carpet. 😉

      If it’s me, I would definitely looking for the best bargain with the tight budget that I have. But ask me back again when I have a load of money that could last for 7 generations. I might change my mind. LOL. 😀

      With that said, I think Naomi’s dress is not bad because the rest of the dress is simple. I could think many other ridiculous red carpet outfit from other actresses.

    • LAK says:

      i love the dress. I love Noami watts BUT she’s too vanilla for that dress. That dress is drama that she doesn’t bring. And i am not saying that to be mean. That dress needs someone with good bitch face, taller and statuesque. It would also look very dramatic if it was floor length because the sleeves would balance better.

      Naomi is too sweet to be in that dress.

    • bettyrose says:

      I’m sorry, I was so distracted by how much shorter Ewan looks in that matchy matchy suit that I didn’t even notice the dress.

  7. KellyinSeattle says:

    I don’t know; I kind of think she should stay out of it. She’d be good in a naughty movie.
    The sleeves on the dress are atrocious. Give her the hat and the flying nun comes to mind.
    “I’m gonna fly like an eagle, to the sea. Fly like an eagle let and let my sleeves carry me”…

  8. Emma - the JP Lover says:

    (Blinks) Okay, I’ll be the first to say it … Naomi Watts is rocking the SH$T out of that dress! Girl looks good and classy.

    I absolutely adore Naomi and her gorgeous man Liev Schreiber as actors and parents. 🙂

    • spinner says:

      I agree with you. I love Naomi — she is a class act. I also love Ewan — I would do naughty, naughty things to that man.

  9. Malificent says:

    Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, and Jude Law all sharing a flat back in the day. Wish I coulda been their pizza delivery girl….

    • truthSF says:

      You dirty, dirty bitch! 🙂

    • mia girl says:

      That was my major takeaway from this story as well. Those three… in one apartment! Damn.

    • kj says:

      Then I couldn’t help picture a 4 way…. Sick Boy and Renton really lived together… omg. Those three men were unbearably attractive in the early 90s.

      Ewan is still #1 with a bullet on my freebie five, don’t think anyone will ever take his spot.

  10. marie says:

    either Brad ran from the room weeping or this didn’t happen..

    I think Ewan is a great actor though, and I’m shocked he’s never been nominated before..

  11. serena says:

    Aw she was really sweet. Also, I can’t imagine Angie and Brad weeping after watching this movie, it’s kind of out of my imagination.
    Anyway I really hope Ewan will win, he’s a wonderful actor and deserve an oscar for sure.
    Naomi not so much..she is just meh to me.

  12. Kate says:

    My thoughts:
    Tom Ford DOES make mistakes
    Ewan BRINGS it on the red carpet, and his beard is hot
    Angelina is a good friend to hoat that party to bring press to his little movie. But she is one of the most overrated actresses in HW. Hate that she has an Oscar.

  13. Angie Rules! says:

    Your opinion, not that of many, many, many others. In fact, Angie has all the awards, not just an Oscar. But, more importantly, she can pick & choose when and with whom she wants to work- VERY FEW actors can do that. Even after taking tons of time off to give birth/raise her kids, she still gets $20M plus backend on 1st dollar gross (only 1 or 2 females have ever gotten that deal), so call her whatever you want, she’s on top. I like that she cares so much about others, too- there needs to be more people like her in the world.

  14. TQB says:

    Disagree about the dress. I LOVE it. Love the crazy sleeves – they work because of the simplicity of the rest of the dress. She looks fantastic.

  15. ShakenNotStirred says:

    Given that McGregor and his wife have an arrangement, I wouldn’t be surprised of Jolie tapped that. Can’t say that I’d blame her. Brad Pitt bores the hell outta me.

    • WTH says:

      You don’t know a thing about Ewan and his wife’s relationship. It amazes me how people like you….minds are always in the gutter. I guess you are bored right? Maybe you should go read a tabloid. That seems to be your angle.

      • ShakenNotStirred says:

        You don’t know me. Stand down fanatic.

      • bns says:

        Why are you so mad? It’s pretty well known that Ewan and his wife have an open marriage. It doesn’t make their relationship any less legit if they’ve both agreed to it.

    • Lmao says:

      Agreed. Ewan is too hot. I say go for it.

      Brad Pitt is a stuck up snob and a snoozefest.

  16. midnightmoon says:

    Never cared for JLM. Not that hot for EW or JL, but ALL THREE? Now you’re tawkin’ my language!!!!! Finally something to dream about when I’m bored. I am sure the apt walls could tell a tale or three.

  17. Lisa says:

    Good, I am glad to see Ewan might finally get a nomination. I believe he’s done nomination-worthy work for many years. I think it’s kind of stupid that to some degree it’s a popularity contest with these campaigns, but remember Melissa Leo’s campaign? How she basically did it herself and everyone thought her budget ads would ruin her chances? She won anyway, which she certainly deserved.

  18. Lmao says:

    Angelina and ewan look surprisingly sexy standing next to each other. Angelina looks healthier than usual.

    A movie starring those two would be hot! As long as she doesn’t lose any weight.

  19. WTH says:

    @ ShakenNotStirred Let me get this straight. You are quoting blind items and tabloid/gossip site crap….but you have the nerve to call me a fanatic? You are delusional. I will NEVER understand why grown a*s women need to lie (I mean gossip) about a celebrities sex life. LOL Have a nice day.

    • Dap says:

      What are you doing here if you despise gossip?

    • Mrs. Ari says:

      I don’t understand people on here getting angry at others for gossiping. This is a gossip site. Do you also visit porn sites and chastize the people on there too? Jeesh.

  20. Mira says:

    I don’t know what’s more hot – Ewan or his beard. I think his beard is hot in its own right, independent of Ewan.

  21. Dani says:

    He doesn’t do it for me. I somehow think he’s mediocre at best, but this film DOES look interesting. Angelina however, really over hyped. There isn’t one performance by her that really stuck with me. Salt is probably the most decent movie she was in, IMO.

    • lisa2 says:

      You don’t know what you are talking about. Angie is a great actress. Sad that you have no taste whatsoever.

      It was nice of her to support an old friend. And it worked because there has been no mention of this film on this site to my knowledge.

  22. Ginger says:

    LOL! Yes a naughty movie with Angelina and Ewan would be spectacular! I wonder if she’s an Academy Awards member? I would love to see Ewan win an award. He is such a great actor!

  23. Loira says:

    I already saw the trailer at my local cinema. Very moving. I am afraid of crying when I go see it. We have had some tragedies (big earthquakes) in my hometown, and other disasters in my country, but a Tsunami is a thing that has not happened in my coastal state like in 80 years.
    Hope it wouldnever happens again, but after the tragedy in Japan last year one never knows.

  24. stellalovejoydiver says:

    Christopher Plummer won because of his life achievement and his age, but Evan can´t get a nom because of his life achievement? I loved him since Trainspotting, he should have gotten a nom for that, so in my eyes he deserves one.

  25. Laura says:

    To quote Ewan on the Oscars: I don’t care about Oscars. It’s such self-aggrandizing nonsense. It’s a way to manipulate people into believing that their choices are what’s good. It’s rubbish. They’re looking after themselves. I’ll be fking deliriously happy if I ever get one by the way. I’ll go up there and cry and everything. But I don’t value them, because I don’t have one yet.