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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Al Pacino says he was following the instructions of the Oscars producers when he omitted the names of the best picture nominees while announcing the winner of the show's biggest category.
The Oscar-winning actor was Sunday night's final presenter and announced “Oppenheimer” as the best picture winner without naming the full slate of nominees.
“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 honored to be a part of the evening and chose to follow the way they wished for this award to be presented,” Pacino said in a statement Monday afternoon.
“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.”
Pacino is a nine-time acting nominee, who won best actor for 1992's “Scent of a Woman.”
The Oscars started late and ended in a respectable time — under last year's runtime — in part because Pacino skipped reading all the nominees for best picture.
The nominated films — “American Fiction,” “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Barbie,” “The Holdovers,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Maestro,” “Oppenheimer,” “Past Lives,” “Poor Things” and “The Zone of Interest” — all were featured with montages during the show.
But Pacino's abrupt presentation — saying “And the Oscar goes to ... ” before eventually announcing “my eyes see ‘Oppenheimer,’” left many viewers confused.
It wasn't the only category to omit a reading of the nominees. The nominated original songs were all performed on the show, and the announcement that “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie” had won was made without listing them again.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment about Pacino's statement.