Kristen Stewart and Ariana Debose have made Oscar history as 2022 is the first year two openly LGBT+ actors have been nominated in the acting categories.
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They have also broken a long streak of no queer actors being nominated for an acting nod; Ian McKellen was the first openly gay actor nominated for his work in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in 2002.
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Kristen has received her first-ever Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her work as Princess Diana in Pablo Larrain's Spencer.
"I wish I could see his face," she said of Pablo as she broke her silence after the nod. "I am speechless and humbled this morning. I am bowled over by this. I never thought in a thousand years I’d be in the company of these four incredible women. I would pay to make movies. I would make them if it was illegal."
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"This is dream state, to share on this level,” Kristen continued. "I am so touched and I am so grateful for the work that was generated on this film. I’m so proud to be a part of our film community. I am SO happy. It is a good day."
The 31-year-old is engaged to be married to longterm girlfriend Dylan Meyer.
Kristen Stewart is nominated for her portrayal of Princess Diana in Spencer
Ariana is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for West Side Story, and in a statement, she shared that the news was "surreal".
"My morning walk along the river was extra special today. I am absolutely overjoyed by this morning's news. To be recognized alongside such incredible women for their inspiring performances is surreal enough, but to share this celebration with Steven, Kristie, and the entire team that made our beautiful movie is a dream come true," she revealed.
GLAAD responded to the nominations with a statement from GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis: "This year’s Oscar nominations for performances from queer actors including Ariana DeBose and Kristen Stewart, as well for powerful LGBTQ stories in films like West Side Story, Flee, and The Mitchells vs. The Machines, are clear reminders of the opportunities that exist with audiences and critics when Hollywood invests in queer talent and tells diverse stories in bold and original ways.
“With several worthy LGBTQ stories, actors, and creators absent from this year’s list, the industry and Academy should prioritize investing in and recognizing creators and stories from LGBTQ and other marginalized communities that audiences both crave and connect with.”
West Side Story's Ariana DeBose is up for Best Supporting Actress
This year's announcement also saw an apparent Oscars first, as two real-life couples have received nominations covering all four acting categories.
Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, and Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons received nominations for Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor respectively.
"To be honored by the Academy is a truly humbling experience. For both Jesse and I to get our first nominations together is beyond our wildest dreams," Kirsten said in a statement, later revealing that she called Jesse on the phone "screaming" to tell him the news as he was already on set filming a new project.
There were also an incredible eight first time nominees in the supporting categories; Ariana, Kirsten for The Power of the Dog, Jessie Buckley for The Lost Daughter, and Aunjanue Ellis for King Richard, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Jesse for The Power of the Dog, Troy Kotsur (CODA), and Ciarán Hinds (Belfast).
Nicole Kidman, who was nominated for Best Actress in Being The Riccardo's shared that she was having breakfast with her family when she heard the news, adding: "What a beautiful way to find out!" Olivia Colman, who won in 2019, called her nomination for The Lost Daughter "bloody brilliant".
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