Academy Award nominee Jeremy Strong rivals Ariana Grande s manifestation powers with adorable childhood pic outside Oscars venue

Get the Full StoryReceiving an Oscar nomination is many actors dream. Sometimes, it s something they ve been working towards their entire lives, which is certainly the case for Ariana Grande and Jeremy Strong. Both are now first-time nominees for their respective supporting performances in Wicked and The Apprentice, and they marked the occasion by sharing childhood pictures that provide extra meaningful context to their achievement. I m sharing this with tiny Ari, I m so proud of you, Grande reflected under an Instagram post containing, among other photos, one of the singer dressed as Dorothy as a little kid and singing The Wizard and I as a teen. It s well known that the 31-year-old practically manifested her Oscar-nominated role as Glinda in the movie musical, but Strong s childhood anecdote could give her cosmic powers a run for their money. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ariana Grande arianagrande The Succession actor is arguably the most earnest actor working today. That might have landed him on the receiving end of a few method acting-related jokes, but it s also why his first Oscar nomination is so special. This man really wants it, and he s never been ashamed to admit it. To celebrate his lifelong dream of becoming an Academy Award-nominated actor, Strong shared a story from when he was just a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed 14-year-old hopeful waiting outside the Oscars venue to catch a glimpse of all his favorite actors. Now he s one of them. In a statement sent to multiple outlets, the Succession actor said the nomination had him thinking back to 1993, when his dad took him to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, to watch the stars arrive at the 65th Academy Awards. Image via Jeremy Strong I remember spending the night on cold metal bleachers, he recalled, adding, being unable to sleep because of how exciting it was to be close to that world. Strong says he never lost that feeling, that he feels it every time he goes to set or drives onto a lot or begins rehearsals, and we believe him. He s gained a reputation for being incredibly dedicated to his art form and his career. There are tales about bankrupting the Yale theater department so he could have dinner with Al Pacino, going a little too detail-crazy as Daniel Day-Lewis s personal assistant on The Ballad of Jack and Rose and, of course, annoying Succession co-star Brian Cox with his method acting. But it s paid off. Ever since Kendall Roy put him on the map after a few years of smaller roles, Strong has won one Emmy, one Tony, several SAG, and one Golden Globe. To that very exclusive list, he s now added Oscar and BAFTA nods for his performance in the controversial biopic where he plays Roy Cohn to Sebastian Stan s Donald Trump during the latter s rise as a New York real estate mogul in the 70s and 80s. The Apprentice, which has left Hollywood scrambling, is neither extremely critical nor particularly benevolent towards the would-be president of the United States. Even if no one knows whether to celebrate or condemn it, the quality and strength of Stan and Strong s performances have never been questioned. The nominations alone feel like a reward for daring to go anywhere near a film that Trump has described as a politically disgusting hatchet job. I have devoted my life to the attempt to do genuine work that would be worthy of this honor, Strong s statement continued. I am filled with amazement and flooded with emotion and with deep gratitude to my peers in the Academy, he concluded. Of course, in true Roy family fashion, it s looking like he might lose to his on-screen brother and nemesis Kieran Culkin in a repeat of what happened at the Golden Globes earlier this month. That somehow makes this so-desired nomination for Strong all the more perfect.

Share: