Amaze, amaze, amaze! Wouldn't it be lovely to see Project Hail Mary's Rocky walking the red carpet and taking to the stage at the next Academy Awards to pick up a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for their performance in the film? It turns out, this isn't some bizarre fever dream as it could actually happen.
Variety has reported that James Ortiz, the puppeteer who so beautifully brought to life Rocky in Project Hail Mary, is in fact eligible for a Best Supporting Actor nomination. As Ortiz was integral in shaping the beloved companion to Ryan Gosling's main hero, he is eligible for a nomination in the category and Amazon MGM Studios intends to do what it can to ensure that Ortiz has a fair run at landing a nomination too.
Naturally, the category is often a stacked and competitive one, meaning it will be tough to secure a nomination never mind a victory, but Ortiz's work in Project Hail Mary aligns with the Oscars regulations and means he is eligible for the category. And the same even applies to The Critics Choice Awards and the BAFTA Film Awards, where nothing explicitly states Ortiz cannot be nominated for the category. The Golden Globes are different and do not allow puppeteers to compete in the category.
It should also be said however that landing a nomination in this category is highly unlikely for Ortiz, as awards bodies do not tend to nominate puppeteers or even voice acting roles in the segment. One anomaly was Eddie Murphy's effort as Donkey in Shrek, as BAFTA nominated him for the category back in 2001.
Still, we're rooting for you, Rocky!