It's time to give Al Pacino a break after his appearance at the Oscars has gone viral.
The Godfather actor says he simply followed instructions when presenting the Best Picture award during the 96th Academy Awards ceremony.
He went on stage, and after a small speech, he opened the envelope and announced "Oppenheimer" as the winner.
It sounds normal, but in the past, all the nominees were announced before the winners were revealed.
Instead, Pacino got to the point and went straight to the winner.
(WATCH) Al Pacino presents 'Oppenheimer' with the Oscar for Best Picture | #Oscars pic.twitter.com/H55MR2zztp
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) March 11, 2024
His abrupt announcement became an instant viral hit, with the 83-year-old actor being made fun of.
Pacino said in a statement that he was just following instructions and that he did not intend to omit anyone.
"I just want to be clear it was not my intention to omit them, rather a choice by the producers not to have them said again since they were highlighted individually throughout the ceremony. I was honoured to be a part of the evening and chose to follow the way they wished for this award to be presented,
He added "I realize being nominated is a huge milestone in one's life and to not be fully recognized is offensive and hurtful. I say this as someone who profoundly relates with filmmakers, actors and producers, so I deeply empathize with those who have been slighted by this oversight and it's why I felt it necessary to make this statement."
The show's producer echoed his statement, saying that not announcing the nominees again was a creative decision and are sorry for putting Pacino in a tough spot.
In an interview with Variety, she explained, "By the time you get to the end of the show, you've seen all 10 best picture clip packages. People just want to hear who wins and they're pretty ready for the show to be over.
"At least that's what we anticipated. So we did not give him a clip package. We did not give him nominations to read. I apologize if our decision to not have to read through all those nominations put him in a tough spot."
Now let's give the Godfather a break.
Feature image from Associated Press by Chris Pizzello
