At the 96th Academy Awards, where the most prestigious prize is Best Picture, the evening was marked by an unexpected event.
Film legend Al Pacino had the honor of presenting the coveted award. However, Pacino caused confusion by quickly announcing the winning film, without even mentioning the nine other films nominated in the same category!
2024 Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel playfully jabbed Al Pacino's presentation of Best Picture: 'I guess he's never watched an awards show before.' https://t.co/6RC32l1Fmd
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) March 11, 2024
When he took the stage, 83-year-old actor Al Pacino was warmly applauded by his peers…
…who were then surprised!
During his announcement, the actor began by pointing out that ten excellent films were in the running, but failed to mention each of the nominated films individually, a usual practice during this type of announcement.
However, Pacino immediately opened the envelope, then said, “My eye sees Oppenheimer!”
This presentation created a lot of public reaction, with Al Pacino quickly going viral after that moment!
Online reactions oscillated between humor, fascination and confusion, with many wondering whether this was either a rehearsed joke or an honest mistake on Pacino’s part.
In an interview with Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, Oscar night host Jimmy Kimmel joked about the situation, humorously suggesting that Al Pacino may never have watched an awards ceremony before!
Al Pacino himself has won an Oscar and been nominated nine times during his career.