There were plenty of A-list celebrities in attendance at this year’s Oscars — but one unlikely movie star stole the show from them all, at least for a brief moment: Anatomy of a Falls dog actor Messi.
The talented pooch made a surprise appearance in the audience at the 2024 Oscars, where he quickly became a firm favorite with guests and spectators alike, even getting a happy nod from Barbie star Ryan Gosling when the pup was seen ‘patting’ Robert Downey Jr.
In a now-viral moment during the ceremony, cameras were seen cutting away to the celebrity appearing to “clap” the Iron Man star after his Best Supporting Actor win for Oppenheimer.
While behind-the-scenes photos revealed the moment had been cleverly engineered using two fake paws, that didn’t stop social media users from expressing their delight at the French pooch’s appearance, with one hailing the pup as the ‘true star of this year’s ceremony .
Anatomy of a Falls dog star Messi shot to viral fame at the Oscars after he was seen ‘clapping’ Robert Downey Jr as he won Best Supporting Actor
Barbie star Ryan Gosling was seen bursting into wild laughter when he spotted Border Collie Messi in the audience
Viewers gushed over 43-year-old Ryan’s response to the puppy as they crowned Messi ‘the best boi’ at the Oscars
Behind-the-scenes photos reveal the moment was carefully crafted using fake dog legs
It had been reported just days before the Oscars that Messi would not be attending – but he managed to score a plum spot at the ceremony
Other behind-the-scenes clips shared on social media that Messi’s ‘clap moment’ had actually been pre-recorded and were not part of the live broadcast of the Oscars, which didn’t stop the dog from becoming one of the most mentioned the stars of the night.
Some couldn’t help but gush over a clip which appears to show Ryan, 43, bursting into laughter at the sight of the pooch sitting in his very own seat at the ceremony, looking incredibly dapper in a bow tie.
Adding to seven-year-old Messi’s rising profile was a mention by host Jimmy Kimmel in his opening monologue, with the comedian joking that Messi ‘gave the performance of the year’.
“Messi, who even though he’s a dog, may have given the performance of the year in Anatomy of a Fall,” Kimmel joked. ‘Messi has an overdose scene, if you’ve seen it, you’ve known it. It’s incredible.
‘Honestly, I haven’t seen a French actor eat his own vomit like that since Gérard Depardieu.’
Messi’s attendance at the ceremony came as a surprise to fans – after it was reported just days before the awards ceremony that the French-based pooch would not be traveling to Los Angeles for the Oscars, despite already building a reputation as a of this season’s most popular. beloved guests.
Talking to The Hollywood Reportera source from Anatomy of a Fall claimed that Border Collie Messi would not be traveling from his native France to California for the awards ceremony.
Oscars viewers went wild over the pup’s appearance on the Oscars telecast
Many also called Ryan’s cute reaction to the adorable dog
But as the ceremony began to start, Messi was seen heading to a reserved seat with his trainer and owner Laura Martin, who sat next to the pup throughout the awards ceremony.
Needless to say, his surprise presence quickly caught the attention of viewers at home, with many taking to social media to express their delight at seeing the pup – as well as gushing over Ryan’s reaction to him.
‘Messi was robbed to have a supporting role!’ someone wrote on X, which was formerly known as Twitter.
‘This is so cute,’ chimed in another, while one wrote: ‘He’s got the limelight.’
“Messi the dog wins Best Boi at the Oscars,” gushed one delighted fan.
Some focused more on Ryan’s reaction to the pup, sharing a short clip of the Barbie star smiling happily as she saw the dog sitting with its trainer and owner.
“Ryan Gosling’s face lights up when he sees Messi, the pet dog at the Oscars,” wrote one.
‘Ryan Gosling smiles as he notices Messi clapping, I’m not okay!’ another shared.
In Anatomy of a Fall, Messi plays a guide dog named Snoop, who is owned by the blind character Daniel, played by actor Milo Machado-Graner
Earlier this year, Messi’s trainer Laura (left) opened up about his sudden fame, explaining that attention for her pup began in Cannes – but quickly skyrocketed in the US
Messi’s role sees him forced to play dead for several minutes, a feat which his coach Laura admitted was no mean feat
Hours before the ceremony started, Messi appeared in an Instagram video posted by Jimmy, in which the host was seen running several jokes from his opening monologue past the pup for his approval, with the dog barking its delight at an anecdote in which he was mentioned.
Earlier this year, Messi’s trainer Laura opened up about her sudden fame, explaining that attention for her pup began in Cannes – but quickly skyrocketed in the US.
“All this attention started in Cannes,” she told The Hollywood Reporter.
“There were a few interviews in France, but what we’ve experienced here in America – with the attention on this dog and his acting – it’s beyond anything we expected. It’s probably the maximum you can achieve in this field .’
In Anatomy of a Fall, Messi plays a guide dog named Snoop, who is owned by the blind character Daniel, played by actor Milo Machado-Graner.
Messi’s role sees him forced to play dead for several minutes, a feat which his coach Laura admitted was no mean feat, explaining to IndieWire that the puppy had undergone rigorous preparation for the role.
Hours before the ceremony, Messi appeared in a video posted to host Jimmy Kimmel’s Instagram account, in which the comedian was seen running jokes past the puppy
The dog also got close to Olivia Wilde at the Film Independent Live Read of Anatomy of a Fall back in February
“Even the simplest things take a lot of work,” she said. ‘It had to happen in stages. First, the simple one, who lies down and has his head slightly motionless. (I) started there and then (we worked on) lifting the head and just letting it fall back without resistance.’
After proving his acting chops in the five-time Oscar-nominated film, Messi earned a place among some of the year’s biggest stars when he was invited to the annual nominees luncheon in Los Angeles – earning some one-on-one time with multiple A -list stars.
“The big moment was with Billie Eilish, who was attached to Messi for almost 10 minutes,” coach Laura told The Hollywood Reporter.
‘They hugged and cuddled and they really had a vibe. Then Bradley Cooper bumped into him in the hallway. The dog went straight to him, so they also had a connection’.
At the same event, Ryan was once again filmed having a heartwarming interaction with the pup, putting his hand over his chest in emotion as he was introduced to Messi for the first time.
Although Messi was not nominated for an Oscar, much to the chagrin of his biggest fans, he did walk away from this year’s Cannes Film Festival with an unofficial trophy: the Palme d’Or.