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In the realm of entertainment, success stories are often shaped by talent, perseverance and a touch of fate. Teo Yoo’s rise has captivated audiences worldwide, a Korean actor raised in Germany who defied the odds to break into the international film industry. From humble beginnings to global sensation, his journey is an inspiring tale of passion, determination and unwavering belief in one’s dreams.



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Yoo’s touching performance as a man doubting his destiny in the critically acclaimed film, Past Lives, cast him into an unexpected spotlight. The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January last year, won Best Feature at the Gotham Independent Film Awards, and was a Best Picture nominee at this year’s Oscars.


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="819" height="1024" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_04-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81075" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_04-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_04-224x280.jpg 224w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_04-768x960.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_04-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_04-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_04-200x250.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_04-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_04-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px" /></figure></div>


“It’s still a bit surreal as Love to Hate You was my first leading role in a Korean TV show and Past Lives was the first time I was the lead of an American feature film,” says the 42-year-old actor of 2023. “Being able to showcase the diversity of my work to the public has been exciting.”



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Teo’s breakthrough came with a role that would define his career and eventually solidify his place among the finest actors of this generation. First casted in an independent film, his portrayal of a complex character captivated audiences and critics alike. The film’s success propelled Teo into the international spotlight, earning him accolades and paving the way for a myriad of opportunities.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Chosen path</h3>



This year, he promises audiences will see a different side of him. “I don’t even feel like I have scratched the surface of my potential. It is always hard to answer this question [of what challenge is coming next] because as an actor, we are not choosing what we want to do. We are getting chosen. So it is hard to tell what comes next. But I can tell you that I want to show a more colourful and extroverted variety of my character in the future.”



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Born Kim Chi-hun in Cologne, Germany, in 1981, to South Korean immigrants, Teo Yoo was supposed to train as a physical therapist, but pursuing acting studies at the Lee Strasberg Theatre &amp; Film Institute in New York and then the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London changed his mind.


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="819" height="1024" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_03A-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81074" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_03A-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_03A-224x280.jpg 224w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_03A-768x960.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_03A-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_03A-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_03A-200x250.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_03A-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_03A-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px" /></figure></div>


His career began in the mid-2000s with a few small roles in Korean films. Having relocated to Seoul, he clocked up appearances in a couple of international productions – Seoul Searching (2015) and the Russian rock movie Leto (2018), both of which took him to the Cannes Film Festival.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Breaking free</h3>



As the son of a coal miner who moved to Germany as part of a labour scheme, Yoo doesn’t waste time dwelling on regret and has never been afraid to take chances. “Personally, I believe that an individual can adapt anywhere and still find a reason and a purpose to feel that they belong in said circumstance,” he says. “I also believe that it even heightens a sense of belonging due to the purposeful nature of becoming invested in the new environment.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Heart felt</h3>



Past Lives, Yoo’s most significant career highlight to date, is an endless love story, even if it lacks the genre’s typical elements. Written and directed by Celine Song, it follows two childhood friends as they grow older, become adults and go in separate directions. It crosses boundaries, time, relationship, and even lifetimes, and arouses emotions so deeply that yearning looks are the greatest way for the two protagonists, Hae Sun (Yoo) and Nora (Russian Doll and The Morning Show star Greta Lee), to express themselves rather than words.



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The story’s origins lie in the Korean idea of inyeon, which holds that two individuals are meant to cross paths because of their ties from past lifetimes. Even though the couple’s relationship is intense and powerful, first-time director Song manages to make it seem real and relatable. And Yoo and Lee persuade us that it’s true.


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="819" height="1024" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_01-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81073" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_01-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_01-224x280.jpg 224w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_01-768x960.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_01-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_01-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_01-200x250.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_01-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_01-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px" /></figure></div>


“The cultural belief system of inyeon helped to construct the emotional elements of the character in this particular movie,” he says, adding: “I don’t really reminisce too much about my life. But sometimes I do like to think about it as a form of an imaginative exercise, as the construct of ‘what if’ is such a Western idea. In contrast, the core concept of inyeon allows me to just be.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">A happy ending?</h3>



Warning: A bit of a spoiler. Past Lives is a romance, even if the majority of the people who have watched it don’t feel that way by the end. However, without giving too much away, Yoo insists: “Looking at it from my character’s perspective, it’s not an ending. It’s just maybe a beginning. So it’s definitely a romance.”



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His Oscars 2024 red carpet moment was a touching one tinged with sadness. Yoo wore a turtle pin, and when asked by the press he revealed the layers of meaning behind his accessory choice – it symbolised his late tortoise, Momo.



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“Okay, so my pet tortoise passed away last year and I had him for 10 years. I’m gonna grieve for a while,” he announced, while smiling but close to tearing up. Yoo’s vulnerability, in real life or reel life, is what makes him very likeable.


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="819" height="1024" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_06A-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81076" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_06A-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_06A-224x280.jpg 224w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_06A-768x960.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_06A-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_06A-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_06A-200x250.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_06A-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Teo-Yoo_06A-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px" /></figure></div>


Yoo says he was “in tears for about three days” after his pet’s death. “I was so dramatic. You know, it’s like that moment you have with your pet where you’re like, ‘Oh my god. Life is over.’ And then you remove yourself at the same time as an actor and you look at the situation and you think, ‘Oh my god, this is so dramatic and comical.’”



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Driven by talent, dedication and relentless pursuit of artistic excellence, Yoo has proven that with hard work and determination dreams can indeed become reality. His success story continues to unfold, leaving audiences eagerly anticipating his next endeavour and celebrating the indomitable spirit of a true artist.

Yoo’s Cues: Teo Yoo shot to fame with his nuanced performance in Past Lives, but the extrovert within him awaits

<figure id="attachment_70294" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-70294" style="width: 768px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-70294 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/95_TC_0700-e1678768659793.jpg" alt="95th academy awards" width="768" height="512" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/95_TC_0700-e1678768659793.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/95_TC_0700-e1678768659793-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/95_TC_0700-e1678768659793-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-70294" class="wp-caption-text">Blaine Ohigashi / ©A.M.P.A.S.</figcaption></figure>
Having just dominated the SAG awards two weeks ago with four wins, it clearly came as no surprise that Everything Everywhere All at Once swept the most awards at the Oscars too.
The <a href="https://a24films.com/films/everything-everywhere-all-at-once" target="_blank" rel="noopener">movie</a> was directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert and follows the life of Chinese immigrant Evelyn Wang, played by Michelle Yeoh, who has quite a lot of things going on in her life – Her laundromat is being audited by the IRS; her husband Waymond Wang, played by Ke Huy Quan, is on the verge of divorcing her; she is having her pernickety father for a Lunar New Year Party; and she is unable to come to terms with her daughter (played by Stephanie Hsu) Joy Wang’s relationship with a non-Chinese girlfriend.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-70299" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-e1678769663434.jpeg" alt="95th Academy Awards" width="768" height="432" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-e1678769663434.jpeg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-e1678769663434-200x113.jpeg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-e1678769663434-600x338.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />
With all that is happening, Evelyn’s life is anything but dull, that is until she is sucked into a multiverse where there are different possible versions of her that would have resulted from a particular decision she took. As a protagonist, Evelyn has to use her verse-jumping abilities to save the multiverse from her daughter who has formed an everything-bagel sort of phenomenon that can suck the different universes and destroy all of them.
There are quite a lot of movies that deal with the multiverse genre. There is The Matrix from the top of our heads. However, the Daniels-directed movie goes for a completely unique representation of the multiverse genre with its exhilarating plot packed with action and quirky humour that is so absurd. For instance, Evelyn has sausage fingers in one universe.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-70292 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/eeo6.0-e1678768592647.jpg" alt="95th academy awards" width="768" height="512" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/eeo6.0-e1678768592647.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/eeo6.0-e1678768592647-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/eeo6.0-e1678768592647-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />
The queer science-fiction movie perfectly touches on the topic of existential crisis as it explores the what-ifs of Evelyn’s life, and also deals with nihilism, absurdism and other philosophical concepts that add more layers to the already-overwhelming storyline.
With an IMDB score of 8 and a 95 per cent Rotten Tomatoes score, Everything Everywhere All at Once shined at the Oscars by taking home the most trophies. The movie won the following awards at the 95th Annual Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role – Michelle Yeoh, Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Ke Huy Quan, Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Jamie Lee Curtis, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director – Daniel Kwan &amp; Daniel Scheinert, and Best Film Editing – Paul Rogers.
<figure id="attachment_70295" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-70295" style="width: 8256px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-70295 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/95_TC_0689.jpg" alt="95th academy awards" width="8256" height="5504"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-70295" class="wp-caption-text">Blaine Ohigashi / ©A.M.P.A.S.</figcaption></figure>
Michelle Yeoh’s win was historic as she became the first Asian actress in 95 years to win an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. It was a more prideful moment for Hong Kongers as she said in her acceptance speech, “&#8230;and to my extended family in Hong Kong, where I started my career. Thank you for letting me stand on your shoulders, giving me a leg up so that I can be here today.”
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/celebrity-entertainment-michelle-yeoh-asian-actress/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Five things you need to know about the widely talented Michelle Yeoh</a>

Everything Everywhere All at Once Shines at the 95th Academy Awards, and makes Oscars history.

The nominations for the 94th Academy Awards which take place on 27 March have landed. While the triumph of &#8220;The Power of the Dog&#8221; is confirmed with 12 nods, as this year&#8217;s race gears up it&#8217;s gratifying to see Asian talent emerge on the global scale.&nbsp;Gafencu&nbsp;shines a spotlight on the Asian films and projects which are touted to be sensational at the Oscars&#8230;
Drive My Car, Japan
<figure id="attachment_64487" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-64487" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-64487 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-21.png" alt="" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-21.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-21-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-21-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-21-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-21-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-21-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-21-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-64487" class="wp-caption-text">A still from Japanese movie, Drive My Car</figcaption></figure>
The meditative drama, based on celebrated writer Haruki Murakami&#8217;s short story,&nbsp; scored multiple nominations &#8211; best film, best director, best adapted screenplay and best international feature film. 43-year-old director Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s moving drama,&nbsp;Drive My Car’s solid nominations haul was beautifully reminiscent of the historic 2020 Oscars run of Bong Joon Ho’s&nbsp;Parasite, the film landed six nominations, ultimately winning four awards.
Starring Japanese leading actor Hidetoshi Nishijima as Yusuke Kafuku, a stage actor and director coping with the fateful death of this wife, he travels to Hiroshima to direct a performance of Anton Chekov’s&nbsp;Uncle Vanya. The movie is a powerful tale of conversations and revelations between the young, female chauffeur and Nishijima.&nbsp;The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last summer and has been winning accolades ever since
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, Bhutan
<figure id="attachment_64488" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-64488" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-64488 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-22.png" alt="" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-22.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-22-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-22-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-22-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-22-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-22-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-22-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-64488" class="wp-caption-text">A still from Bhutanese film, Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom</figcaption></figure>
&nbsp;A film from Bhutan has made it to Oscar nominations for the first time in 23 years.&nbsp;Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom was&nbsp;sent as Bhutan’s entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards as well, but was later disqualified. This is the second time.&nbsp;The 109-minute-long film which tells the life of a disillusioned school teacher, Ugyen, touches upon the basic&nbsp;human quality of seeking where you belong, seeking happiness, and seeking home. The storyline follows Ugyen in the remote&nbsp;town of Lunana in northern Bhutan during the final year of his training where he adapts to the rough life in a cold, high altitude place with little or no amenities. Ugyen keeps the company of a yak and a song that echoes through the mountains. 
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The drama has won several international accolades at festivals – Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film and the Best of the Fest at the 2020 Palm Springs International Film Festival, Lessinia d’Oro Award for Best Film at the 26th Festival della Lessinia in Italy, the Guiria Microcosmo del carcere di Verona Award and a special mention in the Log to Green Award, Prix du Public in the Festival international du film de Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Sherab Dorji was awarded the Best Actor award for his role of Ugyen Dorji.
Also Read: <a href="//www.gafencushop.com/anticipated-movies-to-watch-in-2022/">10 most anticipated Chinese films in 2022</a>
Writing With Fire, India
<figure id="attachment_64489" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-64489" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-64489 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-23.png" alt="" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-23.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-23-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-23-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-23-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-23-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-23-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-23-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-64489" class="wp-caption-text">A still from Writing With Fire, India&#8217;s official entry to the Oscars</figcaption></figure>
The only Indian film to earn a nomination at the 94th Academy Awards, Writing With Fire, the love child of filmmakers Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, has been nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category&nbsp;alongside Ascension, Attica, Flee and Summer of the Soul (Or When the Revolution Could not be Televised).
The film shines the light on a rural newspaper Khabar Lahariya, run by marginalised Dalit women, and follows it transition from print to digital in recent years. The film tracks Meera and her fellow journalists as they get abreast with new technology whilst questioning the role of patriarchy, the overarching incompetence of the police force, and reporting stories about victims of caste and gender violence. It&nbsp;has already made waves at several international festivals including the Sundance Film Festival.
Also Read: <a href="//www.gafencushop.com/squid-game-five-reasons-watch-south-korea-biggest-netflix-show-sreries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Squid Games is sensational &#8211; Five reasons it&#8217;s so popular!</a>
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Oscars 2022: Asian films gunning for glory

Envisage the archetypal Hollywood leading lady. What springs to mind? Young? Beautiful? Willowy? The kind of sex appeal that would arouse an addled octogenarian from miles away? Yes. All of the above. What probably doesn’t spring to mind, however, is Olivia Colman.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44570" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-won-Best-Actress-at-the-2019-Oscars.jpg" alt="Olivia Colman won Best Actress at the 2019 Oscars" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-won-Best-Actress-at-the-2019-Oscars.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-won-Best-Actress-at-the-2019-Oscars-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-won-Best-Actress-at-the-2019-Oscars-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-won-Best-Actress-at-the-2019-Oscars-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-won-Best-Actress-at-the-2019-Oscars-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-won-Best-Actress-at-the-2019-Oscars-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-won-Best-Actress-at-the-2019-Oscars-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
Yet, this 45-year-old Brit actress is the toast of Tinseltown as the winner of this year’s Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Anne, the 18th century British monarch in The Favourite. For many, this was Hollywood belatedly recognising that, almost imperceptibly, the last 20 years had seen 45-year-old Colman emerge as one of the acting profession’s all-time greats.
Her relatively low profile can, in part at least, be attributed to the fact that she refined her skills not in US films but, rather, in the more rarified surroundings of UK TV. She first came to the attention of the British public playing Sophie, a neurotic ex-girlfriend-to-be in Peep Show, a cult comedy that eventually ran for nine series. Then, she conquered a series of major roles – a small-town policewoman in the smash-hit crime series Broadchurch, the evil godmother in the cult comedy Fleabag and an alien-possessed parent in Doctor Who, to name but three.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44572" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-in-Broadchurch-a-British-TV-series.jpg" alt="Olivia Colman in Broadchurch, a British TV series" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-in-Broadchurch-a-British-TV-series.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-in-Broadchurch-a-British-TV-series-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-in-Broadchurch-a-British-TV-series-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-in-Broadchurch-a-British-TV-series-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-in-Broadchurch-a-British-TV-series-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-in-Broadchurch-a-British-TV-series-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-in-Broadchurch-a-British-TV-series-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
From 2010 onwards, however, her career went through something of a sea change. Out were the goofy comedy roles and in came the meaty dramatic parts – an abused wife in 2011’s harrowing Tyrannosaur (2011) and Margaret Thatcher’s daughter Carol in The Iron Lady (2012), with Meryl Streep playing the title role. It was, however, just two years ago that Colman truly joined the big league and become internationally unmissable. That was the year she signed up for the role of the older Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix’s internationally-adored real-life royal soap The Crown.
Reflecting on her feelings when she knew she would be replacing Claire Foy, the 34-year-old English actress who had played the young Elizabeth to huge acclaim, Olivia Colman said: “I was such an enormous, binge-watching fan of The Crown. So, when the call came to join the cast, I was very uncool – ‘Yes, please, straight away, immediately’ – and didn’t really consider the inevitable pressure I was letting myself in for by signing up for something that was already so successful.”
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44573" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-in-her-award-winning-role-as-Queen-Anne-in-The-Favourite.jpg" alt="Olivia Colman in her award-winning role as Queen Anne in The Favourite" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-in-her-award-winning-role-as-Queen-Anne-in-The-Favourite.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-in-her-award-winning-role-as-Queen-Anne-in-The-Favourite-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-in-her-award-winning-role-as-Queen-Anne-in-The-Favourite-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-in-her-award-winning-role-as-Queen-Anne-in-The-Favourite-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-in-her-award-winning-role-as-Queen-Anne-in-The-Favourite-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-in-her-award-winning-role-as-Queen-Anne-in-The-Favourite-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Olivia-Colman-in-her-award-winning-role-as-Queen-Anne-in-The-Favourite-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
Part of that pressure proved to be playing a woman famed for her absolute composure and reluctance to show emotions – traits that Colman sees as almost the complete opposite to her own character. Speaking after filming got underway, she said: “I emote. The Queen is not meant to. She’s got to be a rock for everyone and has been trained not to show her feelings. For me, though, when in character, if I received some bad news, I wanted to cry. In the end, I had to wear an earpiece and try and screen out my natural emotional response by listening to the Shipping Forecast whenever things got too intense.”
While playing the current Queen of England obliged her to remain uncharacteristically buttoned up, playing Queen Anne – her two-and-half-centuries-previous predecessor – in the film that took her to Academy Award glory, allowed her to give far freer rein to her emotions. In her bid to bring to life an eccentric, half-forgotten, grief-prone 18th-century monarch – one who sacrifices her regal role to win the love of certain of her most favoured subjects – Olivia Colman was obliged to shed any inhibitions and any notions of matriarchal insouciance. This freed her to deliver a true tour de force performance, one that is unlikely to be forgotten any time soon – not least because, as well as the Oscar, it also won Colman Best Actress at both the BAFTAs and the Golden Globes.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-44571" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Unlike-many-Hollywood-A-listers-Olivia-Colman-refined-her-skills-on-British-TV.jpg" alt="Unlike many Hollywood A-listers, Olivia Colman refined her skills on British TV" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Unlike-many-Hollywood-A-listers-Olivia-Colman-refined-her-skills-on-British-TV.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Unlike-many-Hollywood-A-listers-Olivia-Colman-refined-her-skills-on-British-TV-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Unlike-many-Hollywood-A-listers-Olivia-Colman-refined-her-skills-on-British-TV-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Unlike-many-Hollywood-A-listers-Olivia-Colman-refined-her-skills-on-British-TV-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Unlike-many-Hollywood-A-listers-Olivia-Colman-refined-her-skills-on-British-TV-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Unlike-many-Hollywood-A-listers-Olivia-Colman-refined-her-skills-on-British-TV-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Unlike-many-Hollywood-A-listers-Olivia-Colman-refined-her-skills-on-British-TV-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
Unlike the majority of her fans – many of whom have long been convinced of her uninimitable greatness – Colman, herself, seemed somewhat taken aback by the very sweep of her success. Indeed, her Academy Awards acceptance speech was pretty much a masterclass in taking onboard unexpected adoration: “It’s genuinely quite stressful. This is hilarious. I got an Oscar…”
Her stock-in-trade self-deprecating humour aside, Olivia Colman still found space in her acceptance speech to try and inspire any watching actresses-in-waiting, saying: “Thank you. And to any little girl who’s practicing her own future acceptance speech back home, well you never know.”
Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay 
Images: AFP

Olivia Colman is now Hollywood's hottest property

Brit-born actress Olivia Colman is suddenly Hollywood’s hottest property

Without fail, every year the Oscars is host to winners and losers, and the red carpet is no exception. As befits the most glamourous night in all of Hollywood, this year too, celebrities dressed up in their absolute best to grace the 91st Academy Awards. Below we&#8217;ve rounded up the very best and worst looks of Oscars 2019, some that flopped worse than any box-office disaster, and others that not even the strictest fashion Nazi could find faults with.
Worst-dressed on Oscars Red Carpet
<h4>Gemma Chan</h4>
<figure id="attachment_43219" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-43219" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-43219" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b3.jpg" alt="oscars 2019" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b3.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b3-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b3-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b3-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b3-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-43219" class="wp-caption-text">Picture: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Source: Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
She got her Bulgari jewels on point, but the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_Rich_Asians_(film)">Rich Crazy Asians</a> star&#8217;s fuchsia pink Valentino gown let her down by being too voluminous.
<h4>Awkwafina</h4>
<figure id="attachment_43220" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-43220" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-43220" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b2.jpg" alt="oscars 2019" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b2.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b2-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b2-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b2-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b2-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-43220" class="wp-caption-text">Picture: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Source: Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
We wanted to like this sparkly Dsquared suit, but the pussycat-bow blouse was just&nbsp;too distracting.
<h4>Sarah Paulson&nbsp;</h4>
<figure id="attachment_43218" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-43218" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-43218" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b4.jpg" alt="oscars 2019" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b4.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b4-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b4-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b4-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b4-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-43218" class="wp-caption-text">Picture: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Source: Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
The neat hair-do, matched with the Harry Winston jewellery ticks the right boxes, but the hot pink Brandon Maxwell gown is one parachute-esque dress that fails to land.
<h4>Diane Warren</h4>
<figure id="attachment_43221" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-43221" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-43221" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b1.jpg" alt="oscars 2019" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b1.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b1-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b1-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b1-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b1-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-43221" class="wp-caption-text">Picture: Jeff Kravitz Source: FilmMagic</figcaption></figure>
Our nod of approval to Diane Warren for carrying a small figurine of US Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in her trousers pocket, but her ensemble goes downhill from there. We don&#8217;t know who designed her suit, and we&#8217;ve decided we&#8217;d rather not know.
<h4>Sarah Kate Ellis</h4>
<figure id="attachment_43217" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-43217" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-43217" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b5.jpg" alt="oscars 2019" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b5.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b5-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b5-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b5-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/b5-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-43217" class="wp-caption-text">Photo: Steve Granitz Source: WireImage</figcaption></figure>
Wearing an embellished white suit by August Getty, all the white just washes her out.
<h3>Oscars 2019 Red Carpet Winners</h3>
<h4>Emma Stone</h4>
<figure id="attachment_43222" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-43222" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-43222 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/5-2.jpg" alt="" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/5-2.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/5-2-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/5-2-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/5-2-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/5-2-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-43222" class="wp-caption-text">Picture: Jeff Kravitz ImagesSource: FilmMagic</figcaption></figure>
Emma Stone cuts a pretty picture in this bronze beaded Louis Vuitton gown, and we&#8217;re loving the raised shoulders and futuristic look.
<h4>Brie Larson</h4>
<figure id="attachment_43223" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-43223" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-43223 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/4-3.jpg" alt="" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/4-3.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/4-3-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/4-3-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/4-3-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/4-3-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-43223" class="wp-caption-text">Picture: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Source: Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
Last year&#8217;s Best Actress is wearing a shimmering Celine mock-neck gown with Chanel jewellery and Jimmy Choo sandals, we&#8217;d give her another award just for this look.
<h4>Laura Harrier Wearing</h4>
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-43224" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/3-6.jpg" alt="oscars 2019" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/3-6.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/3-6-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/3-6-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/3-6-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/3-6-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" />
Laura looks divine in this baby-blue Louis Vuitton beaded dress and Bulgari jewellery.
<h4>Michelle Yeoh</h4>
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-43225" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2-10.jpg" alt="" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2-10.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2-10-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2-10-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2-10-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2-10-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" />
Wearing an off-the-shoulder Elie Saab gown with Chopard jewellery and a Roger Vivier clutch, Michelle shows just the right amount of skin.
<h4>Laura Marano</h4>
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-43226" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/1-10.jpg" alt="oscars 2019" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/1-10.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/1-10-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/1-10-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/1-10-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/1-10-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" />
This Celia Kritharioti number with a large bow and Hearts On Fire jewellery is the perfect combination of pastels. Our favourite gown of the night.
&nbsp;
<h3>Oscar 2019 Red Carpet Winners &#8211; Men</h3>
<h4>Chris Evans</h4>
<figure id="attachment_43212" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-43212" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-43212" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m5.jpg" alt="oscars 2019" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m5.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m5-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m5-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m5-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m5-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-43212" class="wp-caption-text">Picture: Mark Ralston</figcaption></figure>
Captain America looks rather dashing in his Salvatore Ferragamo suit, paired with an IWC watch and Mont Blanc jewellery.
<h4>Jason Momoa</h4>
<figure id="attachment_43216" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-43216" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-43216" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m1.jpg" alt="oscars 2019" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m1.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m1-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m1-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m1-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m1-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-43216" class="wp-caption-text">Picture: Mark Ralston</figcaption></figure>
Aquaman certainly cleans up nicely in this pink Fendi suit. We particularly love his Fendi velvet scrunchie that Momoa wore on his wrist as a tribute to the recently deceased designer Karl Lagerfeld who had created the actor&#8217;s pink tux.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h4>Henry Golding</h4>
<figure id="attachment_43213" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-43213" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-43213" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m4.jpg" alt="oscars 2019" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m4.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m4-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m4-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m4-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m4-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-43213" class="wp-caption-text">Picture: Frazer Harrison</figcaption></figure>
We&#8217;re star-struck by Henry&#8217;s classic Ralph Lauren Purple Label suit and IWC watch.
<h4>Mahershala Ali</h4>
<figure id="attachment_43214" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-43214" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-43214" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m3.jpg" alt="oscars 2019" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m3.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m3-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m3-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m3-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/m3-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-43214" class="wp-caption-text">Picture: Mark Ralston</figcaption></figure>
Mahershala not only took home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor this year but also our favourite men&#8217;s look of the night in his&nbsp;Ermenegildo Zegna XXX suit, paired with Christian Louboutin shoes and a Cartier watch.&nbsp;

From the Red Carpet: The Oscars 2019 winners and losers

&#8220;This wasn’t supposed to happen,” was the unexpected response from soon-to-become Hollywood’s leading lady as she accepted the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series at the 70th Emmy Awards back in 2017. It’s hardly the faux modesty / humblebrag that characterises the pre-polished, unconvincingly surprised award speeches because Claire Foy, the winner in question, is hardly your typical Tinseltown thespian&#8230;
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-42797" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-is-not-your-typical-Tinseltown-thespian.jpg" alt="Claire Foy is not your typical Tinseltown thespian" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-is-not-your-typical-Tinseltown-thespian.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-is-not-your-typical-Tinseltown-thespian-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-is-not-your-typical-Tinseltown-thespian-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-is-not-your-typical-Tinseltown-thespian-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-is-not-your-typical-Tinseltown-thespian-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-is-not-your-typical-Tinseltown-thespian-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-is-not-your-typical-Tinseltown-thespian-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
Born, back in April 1984, in Manchester, her father, David, was a photocopier salesman and her mother, Caroline, a lynchpin of the local pharmaceutical logistics sector. It was an unthespian beginning for an actress not only destined to be Hollywood royalty but also to be feted for her bravura small-screen performance as the matriarch of Britain’s own royal family – Queen Elizabeth II.
Perhaps driven by the pain of her parents’ divorce when she was eight-years-old, Claire Foy was ambitious from the start. At just 13, she set her sights on becoming a ballerina, although a diagnosis of juvenile arthritis soon ended her dream of a dance career. Four years later, she was dealt another blow when a tumour developed on her optical nerve. Thankfully, it was benign, but it still added to the many woes that punctuated her childhood.&nbsp;Asked about her abiding memory of that time, she says: “Illness. It was a horrible and debilitating period for me, but it made me realise that if I was ever going have the kind of life I truly wanted, I would have to grab it.”
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-42796" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-in-the-part-of-Lady-Persie-in-BBCs-Upstairs-Downstairs.jpg" alt="Claire Foy in the part of Lady Persie in BBC's Upstairs Downstairs" width="1200" height="675" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-in-the-part-of-Lady-Persie-in-BBCs-Upstairs-Downstairs.jpg 1200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-in-the-part-of-Lady-Persie-in-BBCs-Upstairs-Downstairs-200x113.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-in-the-part-of-Lady-Persie-in-BBCs-Upstairs-Downstairs-800x450.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-in-the-part-of-Lady-Persie-in-BBCs-Upstairs-Downstairs-498x280.jpg 498w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-in-the-part-of-Lady-Persie-in-BBCs-Upstairs-Downstairs-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-in-the-part-of-Lady-Persie-in-BBCs-Upstairs-Downstairs-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-in-the-part-of-Lady-Persie-in-BBCs-Upstairs-Downstairs-120x68.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-in-the-part-of-Lady-Persie-in-BBCs-Upstairs-Downstairs-500x281.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-in-the-part-of-Lady-Persie-in-BBCs-Upstairs-Downstairs-400x225.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-in-the-part-of-Lady-Persie-in-BBCs-Upstairs-Downstairs-600x338.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />
And grab it she did. With her tumour treatment complete, she enrolled at Liverpool’s John Moores University with the vague idea of eventually becoming a cinematographer before finally moving to Oxford School of Drama to become an actress. After completing her course, she worked her way up through regional theatre, before graduating to bit parts for the BBC, then eventually, undertaking bigger roles, most notably Lady Persephone Towyn in Upstairs Downstairs (2010), a period drama detailing the lives of the British aristocracy in the run-up to World War II.
Then, in 2016, her big break came when she was cast as Queen Elizabeth II – the part for which she was eventually honoured at the Emmy Awards the following year – in The Crown, a big-budget production by Netflix, which ambitiously set out to chronicle the lives and loves of the British royal family through the latter half of the 20th century. Foy clearly shone in the role. Indeed, even the Queen – the woman she has so beguilingly brought to life on TV screens across the world – has confessed she is a fan.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-42795" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-got-her-bit-break-as-Queen-Elizabeth-II-in-The-Crown.jpg" alt="Claire Foy got her bit break as Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-got-her-bit-break-as-Queen-Elizabeth-II-in-The-Crown.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-got-her-bit-break-as-Queen-Elizabeth-II-in-The-Crown-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-got-her-bit-break-as-Queen-Elizabeth-II-in-The-Crown-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-got-her-bit-break-as-Queen-Elizabeth-II-in-The-Crown-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-got-her-bit-break-as-Queen-Elizabeth-II-in-The-Crown-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" />
While many feared the warts-and-all approach of The Crown would prove controversial, it transpired, however, that it was ultimately the studio politics behind the series that made headlines across the world. When, against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement and a worldwide initiative aimed at closing the gender pay gap, it came to light that her male co-star, Matt Smith, was receiving a far higher salary than her, Claire Foy suddenly found herself the poster girl for the misogynistic remuneration issues that had long plagued the film and TV industry. Ultimately, the series producers apologised and awarded her a massive retrospective pay rise.
Sadly, despite such a victory, she soon bowed out of the series. This, however, was not down to any actorly fit of pique, but was instead occasioned by a 30-year leap in the narrative, which required the more age-appropriate Olivia Colman (44) to take on the role of Her Majesty in her later years.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-42799" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-swept-up-numerous-awards-as-Janet-Armstrong-in-First-Man.jpg" alt="Claire Foy swept up numerous awards as Janet Armstrong in First Man" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-swept-up-numerous-awards-as-Janet-Armstrong-in-First-Man.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-swept-up-numerous-awards-as-Janet-Armstrong-in-First-Man-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-swept-up-numerous-awards-as-Janet-Armstrong-in-First-Man-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-swept-up-numerous-awards-as-Janet-Armstrong-in-First-Man-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-swept-up-numerous-awards-as-Janet-Armstrong-in-First-Man-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-swept-up-numerous-awards-as-Janet-Armstrong-in-First-Man-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-swept-up-numerous-awards-as-Janet-Armstrong-in-First-Man-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
Since her forced abdication, however, Foy has been offered lead roles in three big-ticket Hollywood productions. In the first of these, Unsane, she played a woman mistakenly committed to a mental institution after being pursued by a stalker. Not only did she garner great notices for her memorable performance, the film was also remarkable for one particular innovation – it was wholly-filmed on an iPhone 7. More conventional in cinematographic terms was First Man, which saw Foy again scoop up several award nominations for her performance as Janet Armstrong, the wife of Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon.
For Claire Foy fans – and their number is legion – there is some bad news, though. Following 2018’s three-movie-spree and the end of her commitment to The Crown, she is planning to take a little time out this year, saying: “Last year was really rewarding and amazing, but quite exhausting. As a result, I’ve done nothing since last summer and I plan to carry on doing nothing for quite a while longer.”
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-42798" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-is-taking-a-sabbatical-this-year.jpg" alt="Claire Foy is taking a sabbatical this year" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-is-taking-a-sabbatical-this-year.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-is-taking-a-sabbatical-this-year-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-is-taking-a-sabbatical-this-year-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-is-taking-a-sabbatical-this-year-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Claire-Foy-is-taking-a-sabbatical-this-year-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" />
Despite her protestations, she does have at least one film-related event in her diary – the 25th of this month, the date of the 91st Academy Awards. The word is she’s pretty much a shoo-in for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance in First Man. No doubt, her many fans will indeed be over the moon should this particular prediction be borne out.

Text: <a href="mailto:bailey@itotalmedia.com">Bailey Atkinson</a> 
Photos: AFP

First Lady: Will First Man see actress Claire Foy get her first Oscar?

<img decoding="async" class="ngg_displayed_gallery mceItem" src="//www.gafencushop.com/nextgen-attach_to_post/preview/id--16963" data-mce-placeholder="1" />
This year’s Oscars will go down in history for all the wrong reasons after actors Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway awarded the Best Picture prize to the wrong movie. 
The producers of La La Land were in the middle of their acceptance speech at the Dolby Theatre, Los Angeles, when the error was spotted and the award was eventually handed to Moonlight.
Monumental mix-ups aside, Hollywood’s best and brightest once again wowed the crowds with their outfits.
Check out our slideshow to see some of the best-dressed stars from this year’s Oscars.
Winners:
Best Picture: Moonlight
Actor: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Actress: Emma Stone, La La Land
Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Fences
Animated Feature: Zootopia

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