VÍSPERA DE LOS OSCARS CAGE, DE NIRO Y GLADSTONE ... Brindis con Scorsese en Beverly Hills

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las estrellas de "flower moon"
TMZ.com

Ya sabes que es fin de semana de los Oscars cuando Nicolas Cage está en escena... Y esta vez apareció para honrar al director de "Killers Of The Flower Moon" Martin Scorsese y el elenco de su película nominada a Mejor Película.

TMZ tiene un video dentro de la celebración en Bevery Hills, donde Nic, él mismo un ganador del Oscar, y su esposa -Riko Shibata- se mezclaron en la fiesta organizada por Giorgio Armani.

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una mirada al interior
TMZ.com

Es raro ver a Cage en eventos del mundo del espectáculo. Él es más de un tipo de bar de karaoke, pero, como hemos dicho, es ese tipo de fin de semana en Hollywood.

También pudimos ver a la gran Lily Gladstone, que es candidata a Mejor Actriz. Ya ha hecho historia como la primera mujer nativa americana nominada al premio, y la mayoría de los críticos dicen que tiene muchas posibilidades de ganar el domingo por la noche.

Su coprotagonista y nominado al premio al mejor actor de reparto, Robert De Niro, también estuvo ahí y parecía estar de buen humor, ya que se paró a tomarse unas fotos con la gente.

También pudimos ver a Ke Huy Quan, ganador del premio al Mejor Actor de Reparto del año pasado, a Olivia Munn y John Mulaney, y a Jane Seymour y Paris Jackson charlando.

Otros rostros entre el público fueron: Jeffrey Wright -nominado a Mejor Actor- Alessandra Ambrosio, Scott Eastwood y Callum Turner, que no estaba con su relativamente nueva novia Dua Lipa, una pena para él y para todos los presentes.

Oscars Eve Cage, De Niro & Gladstone ... Toast Scorsese in Bev Hills

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"FLOWER MOON" STARS SHINE
TMZ.com

Y'know it's Oscars weekend when even the likes of Nicolas Cage are out on the scene ... in this case to honor "Killers of the Flower Moon" director Martin Scorsese and the cast of his Best Picture-nominated film.

TMZ got video inside the Bev Hills celebration, where Nic, himself an Oscar winner, and his wife Riko Shibata mingled at the Giorgio Armani-hosted party.

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AN INSIDE LOOK
TMZ.com

It's a rare sighting of Cage at showbiz events. He's more of a karaoke bar kinda guy, but, like we said, it's that kinda weekend in Hollywood.

Several other nominees were front and center ... including 'Flower Moon' star Lily Gladstone, who's up for Best Actress. She's already made history as the first Native American woman nominated for the award, and most critics say she's got a good shot to win Sunday night.

Her costar, and Best Supporting Actor nominee, Robert De Niro was there and looked to be in good spirits ... as he stopped to take a few snaps with folks. We also got shots of last year's Best Supporting Actor winner Ke Huy Quan, Olivia Munn and John Mulaney, Jane Seymour and Paris Jackson doing the small talk thing.

Other faces in the crowd -- Best Actor nominee Jeffrey Wright, Alessandra Ambrosio, Scott Eastwood and Callum Turner, who was not with his relatively new GF Dua Lipa ... unfortunate, for him, and everyone else there.

This was far from the only pre-Oscar bash in town this weekend -- the one CAA threw was just as star-studded, with a lot of the same names ... but just a different location, really.

Jimmy Kimmel ¿Buenos genes o buenos doctores?

Jimmy Kimmel ya tiene una estrella en el Paseo de la Fama, ¡y sus looks a lo largo de los años merecen un Oscar!

Esta es la versión de 36 años del presentador del late-night talk show, con un aspecto impecable en 2004 (izquierda). Esto fue un poco después de que su clásico en Comedy Central "The Man Show" terminara y solo un año después de su larga permanencia en "Jimmy Kimmel Live".

Y, dos décadas después, el presentador con más seguidores sigue estando muy elegante, luciendo otro traje de pingüino y listo para el circuito de entregas de premios a principios de este año (derecha).

¿A quién hay que agradecer el buen aspecto de esta estatua dorada?

Jimmy Kimmel

Jimmy Kimmel Good Genes Or Good Docs?!

He's already got a star on the Walk of Fame ... Jimmy Kimmel's looks over the years deserve an Oscar!

Here is a 36-year-old version of the late-night talk show host, looking spiffy back in 2004 (left). This was shortly after his Comedy Central classic "The Man Show" wrapped and just one year into his long-standing tenure on "Jimmy Kimmel Live"!

And, two decades later the host with the most is still sharp while staying buttoned-up in another penguin suit while working the award show circuit earlier this year (right).

So who's to thank for this golden statue's good looks?

Jimmy Kimmel ...

Fiesta pre-Oscars de CAA ¡¡¡Gran encuentro de celebridades!!!

La fiesta de CAA previa a los Oscar era el lugar para estar este viernes, pues tuvo entre sus invitados a los mejores representantes del negocio, quienes se prepararon para el glamour del domingo en el Sunset Tower Hotel.

La legendaria fiesta es conocida como uno de los principales eventos previos a los Oscars, y como cada año, la noche del viernes contó con un montón de figuras de Hollywood, incluyendo muchos de los nominados, como el aspirante a Mejor Actor Cillian Murphy, quien estuvo en la fiesta codeándose con sus compañeros.

Los ya ganadores del Oscar Viola Davis y Brendan Fraser también estuvieron en el evento junto con Chris Rock y Sacha Baron Cohen. Por supuesto, han pasado dos años desde que Chris fue abofeteado por Will Smith en el escenario de los Oscar, así que es agradable verlo nuevamente disfrutando de las festividades.

Danny DeVito, Demi Moore, Jeff Goldblum, Donald Glover, Sir Patrick Stewart, el nominado a Mejor Actor Jeffrey Wright, Chris Evans, Salma Hayek, Olivia Wilde, y Neil Patrick Harris fueron otros de los invitados a la fiesta.

El futuro del cine también estuvo presente, con actores más jóvenes como el actor de "May December", Charles Melton, Anya Taylor-Joy, Glen Powell de "Top Gun: Maverick" y la modelo Kaia Gerber.

Aunque no son grandes figuras de la pantalla grande, los anfitriones Andy Cohen y Kelly Ripa animaron la fiesta, que tenía a DJ Rashida y Lady Sha haciendo a todos bailar.

CAA representa algunos de los nombres más grandes del negocio, como a las estrellas de "Barbie" Margot Robbie y Ryan Gosling, y organiza esta fiesta previa a los premios cada año para celebrar a sus clientes, colegas y compañeros.

Siempre tiene una gran asistencia y una vez más fue una de las mejores fiestas de la ciudad.

CAA PRE-OSCARS PARTY MAJOR HOLLYWOOD HANGOUT!!!

The CAA Pre-Oscars shindig was the place to be ... with the best of the biz out to play at The Sunset Tower Hotel, gearing up for the glitz and glam to come on Sunday.

The legendary bash is known as one of the major Oscars warm-up events, and just like every year, Friday night's shindig featured a who's who in Hollywood with lots of the nominees -- like Best Actor hopeful Cillian Murphy -- in the mix and rubbing elbows.

Previous Oscar winners Viola Davis and Brendan Fraser were also part of the line-up -- along with Chris Rock and Sacha Baron Cohen. Of course, it's been 2 years since Chris was targeted by Will Smith onstage at the Oscars -- so, it's nice to see him back enjoying the festivities.

Some of the others mingling the night away were Danny DeVito, Demi Moore, Jeff Goldblum, Donald Glover, Sir Patrick Stewart, Best Actor nominee Jeffrey Wright, Chris Evans, Salma Hayek, Olivia Wilde, and Neil Patrick Harris.

The future of the movie biz was also on hand ... younger actors like "May December" star Charles Melton and Anya Taylor-Joy, "Top Gun: Maverick's Glen Powell and model Kaia Gerber.

Now, they're not big screen stars, but the hosts with the most Andy Cohen and Kelly Ripa kept the party vibes going strong at the bash, which had DJ Rashida and Lady Sha spinning the beats.

CAA reps some of the biggest names in the biz -- such as "Barbie" stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling -- and it hosts this pre-awards bash every year to celebrate clients, colleagues and peers.

It always has a major turnout ... and once again, it was one of the hottest tickets in town!

WME Pre-Oscars Bash DiCaprio, Usher, Timberlake & More ... Inside Bev Hills Event

Hollywood's elite are warming up for Sunday's Oscars with pre-parties every bit as celeb-packed as the main event will be ... as Usher, John Legend and Leo DiCaprio rallied in one of the town's more iconic mansions!

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PARTY TIME
TMZ.com

TMZ got this video inside the William Morris Endeavor talent agency's big bash in Bev Hills Friday night -- it was held at the Beverly Estate, sometimes referred to as the "Godfather" mansion, and it was absolutely swimming with A-Listers.

Check out these faces in the crowd -- Justin Timberlake, Tobey Maguire, Teyana Taylor, Busta Rhymes, Rob Lowe and, of course, the 3 aforementioned superstars ... all rubbing elbows, literally and figuratively.

Even the celebs themselves seemed starstruck at times ... you can see Justin, Usher and Teyana were posing together for a few snaps as they chatted and laughed.

After their little photo sesh, Justin chatted a bit with some of the other guests as Teyana walked around, mingling.

At one point, Teyana bumped into Busta and the two began to shoot the breeze. Rob was also spotted making the rounds.

Never one to miss a party filled with beautiful people ... Leo, along with his pal Tobey, popped in just as the music started pumping and everyone was hitting the dance floor.

By all accounts, Leo was in good spirits and not even hiding his face that much, as we usually see him.

As for John Legend ... Mr. EGOT got off his feet to do the small talk thing ... sitting on a couch to chat up some other guests.

By the way, the mansion where all this was going down is the spot where they filmed the famous horse's head scene for "The Godfather" flick.

Much happier ending last night ... and no animals were harmed.

Fiesta Pre-Oscars de WME DiCaprio, Usher, Timberlake y más Juntos en Beverly Hills

La élite de Hollywood se prepara para los Oscars este domingo y las fiestas previas han tenido tantas celebridades como el evento mismo. Usher, John Legend y Leo DiCaprio, por ejemplo, se reunieron en una de las mansiones más emblemáticas de la ciudad.

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PARTY TIME
TMZ.com

TMZ consiguió este video de la fiesta de la agencia de talentos William Morris Endeavor en Beverly Hills el viernes, que se celebró en la denominada mansión "El Padrino" y contó con un montón de A-Listers.

Fíjate bien en los invitados, Justin Timberlake, Tobey Maguire, Teyana Taylor, Busta Rhymes, Rob Lowe y, por supuesto, las 3 superestrellas antes mencionadas se estaban codeando literal y figurativamente.

Incluso las propias celebridades parecían deslumbradas con sus colegas famosos por momentos. Se puede ver que Justin, Usher y Teyana posaron juntos para algunas fotos mientras charlaban y se reían.

Después de su pequeña sesión de fotos, Justin charló un poco con algunos de los otros invitados mientras Teyana se mezcló con el resto de la fiesta.

En un momento dado, Teyana se encontró con Busta y los dos empezaron a conversar. Rob también fue visto hablando con todos los invitados.

Nunca se pierde una fiesta llena de gente guapa. Leo, junto a su amigo Tobey, apareció justo cuando empezó a sonar la música y todo el mundo se fue a la pista de baile.

Sin lugar a dudas, Leo estaba de buen humor y ni siquiera ocultó tanto su cara, como suele hacer.

En cuanto a John Legend, el Sr. EGOT también conversó alegremente con los invitados, sentado en un sofá y muy animado en la charla con los otros invitados.

Por cierto, la mansión donde pasó todo esto es el lugar donde filmaron la famosa escena de la cabeza del caballo para la película "El Padrino".

Un final mucho más feliz el de anoche y sin ningún animal herido.

Bill Maher Garth & J.K. Take Ballsy Stances ... So, Here's My Cojones!!!

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2024 Cojones Awards

Boy, does Bill Maher have a golden pair ... and he's handing 'em out to celebs and normies who've said screw cancel culture -- folks like J.K. Rowling and Garth Brooks, in Bill's opinion.

The "Real Time” host held the 2nd annual Cojones Awards Friday night on his show, and the dangling brass pair went to Garth for continuing to serve Bud Light in his Nashville bar ... even as conservatives boycotted the brew for its partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

Bill applauded Garth for taking a stand, because "country singers are beholden to red state fans ... it's why there's no song called, 'She Thinks My Prius Is Sexy.'" Remember, Garth responded to the Bud Light boycott by saying, "If you're an a**hole, there are plenty of other places to go."

And, reminding everyone cancel culture comes from the right and the left, Bill also handed some cojones to Rowling. The 'Harry Potter' author's been ripped for insisting transgender women are not the same as biological women.

Most recently, she ranted about British media coverage of a transgender woman convicted of murdering a man, and several cats. When outlets refused to refer to the killer as transgender, she said, "These are #NotOurCrimes" and "I'm so sick of this s***."

Maher gave her props and agreed with her stance, saying "How many biological women torture cats? None. It's a guy thing."

He also lauded a "body positivity" influencer who decided obesity wasn't healthy, and dropped 60 lbs. -- and Dartmouth College President Sian Beilock for bringing back the SAT for admissions.

Shiny balls aside, Bill also had Oscar nominee Robert De Niro on to chat about Donald Trump's surging popularity. Of course, Bobby D might be the most vocal Trump hater on the planet, and he said if you want to "live in a nightmare, vote for Trump, and you'll get the nightmare."

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SO LAME !!!

He also predicted a fascist regime if Trump wins again ... as he warned Bill that Trump would take his show off the air, and also come looking for De Niro himself.

Bleak stuff, but that's where we are heading into the Biden-Trump rematch. BTW, ya gotta watch the clip, because De Niro also talked about why he'd never ever play Trump on camera.

Paul Heyman Yeah, I'm a Hall of Famer ... But I'm Just Getting Started!!!

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You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet!
TMZSports.com

Just because Paul Heyman is being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year doesn't mean he's slowing down anytime soon ... 'cause the wrestling legend tells TMZ Sports in reality, he's just getting started!!

The big news was announced earlier this week ... stating the "Wise Man" would receive top honors when WrestleMania 40 goes down in Philadelphia next month.

Heyman says he turned down several attempts to get into the Hall sooner ... but everything lined up perfectly to get it done this time around -- especially with it being in the City of Brotherly Love, where WCW was based.

Despite the nostalgic aspect of the ceremony, Heyman admitted it's not his style to look back on his journey ... 'cause he's always thinking about what's next.

"I never dwell on the past, I'm always looking into the future, which is another reason why I've never accepted it before," Heyman tells us. "I kind of really look at this as my 'Rookie of the Year' award because I think it's taken 40 years to kind of really figure out this industry and the art of presentation."

Heyman says he really feels like he's firing on all cylinders now ... and he has no plans of slowing down anytime soon -- unless, he jokes, WWE has something to say about it.

As for the day the news broke, Heyman hilariously described it in one word -- "bothersome."

There's more -- Heyman also has a message for the Cody Crybabies ... as well as the Kelce brothers and Taylor Swift.

'Anatomy of a Fall' Dog Luncheon Cameo P.O.'d Oscar Contenders ... Will Be MIA at Award Show

A dog featured in a movie that's up for an Oscar this year reportedly ruffled feathers at an awards event last month -- where other contenders got pissed off for him being a good boy.

Back in mid-February ... the border collie from 'Anatomy of a Fall' -- whose real name is Messi but who goes by Snoop in the film -- made an appearance at the Oscars luncheon ... where he was a big hit with all the stars, especially with Ryan Gosling, who seemed pretty smitten with the pooch.

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Nothing wrong with bringing the dog from the film to make a little cameo for a pre-Oscars powwow right??? WRONG!!!! At least that's how some felt about it behind the scenes.

According to THR, production companies (and presumably studios) that have films up for Academy Awards apparently complained about Messi's presence at the luncheon ... griping that the dog being there and being so popular was giving his film an unfair advantage.

The dog showed up when Oscar voting was still going on -- and per THR, multiple companies with their hat in the ring complained to Academy honchos about it.

Fast-forward to today -- and the newest news is that Messi will be MIA from Sunday's ceremony ... a bummer, of course. Whether that decision has anything to do with the luncheon "scandal" ... jury's out. THR reports the luncheon thing had always been planned to be a one-off for Messi -- but if his being there angered that many people, who knows!

BTW, this dog is super talented -- and some have joked that it might actually be worthy of an Oscar nod itself. If you haven't seen 'Anatomy' yet ... there's a memorable scene with the dog, where it almost overdoses on aspirin ... and it plays out looking scarily real.

As it turns out ... that's because it was, meaning the dog was actually playing dead. A BTS look at how that came to fruition surfaced this week -- and it's pretty fascinating. Smart pup!

The Oscars are on Sunday ... and we're sure Messi's work will be rewarded. 'Anatomy' is supposed to do fairly well -- 'cause it's a damn good movie, even outside his performance.

Oscars 2024 Se despliega la alfombra roja... Preparativos a toda marcha

¡Hollywood está desplegando la alfombra roja para los Oscar este fin de semana! Y lo decimos literalmente porque los trabajadores ya están de rodillas y ocupados con los preparativos para el gran espectáculo.

La icónica entrega de premios se realizará el domingo en el famoso Teatro Dolby de Hollywood, y es bastante obvio que se necesitan un par de días para transformar el Paseo de la Fama de Hollywood en una alfombra roja para recibir a las estrellas de la lista A.

El equipo se reunió esta mañana para desplegar grandes cantidades de tela roja para cubrir la pasarela por donde pasarán las estrellas. Parece que el rojo y el dorado serán los colores de la noche, a juzgar por las cortinas que se están colocando, algo que no es extraño porque esa suele ser la temática de los Oscar.

Por supuesto, las plantillas de las estatuillas de los Oscar están muy presentes en todo el espacio, como si se nos fuese a olvidar la entrega de premios que estamos viendo. El caso es que, ¡ya están preparando el lugarl!

La Academia hace esto todos los años, pero siempre es fascinante de ver.

Se espera que superestrellas como Margot Robbie, Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Robert Downey Jr., Ryan Gosling y America Ferrera asistan este domingo, ya que todos están nominados en la noche más grande del cine.

Es seguro decir, que el lugar será aprobado por los A-listers, igual como pasó en 2023.

El año pasado la entrega de premios contó con actores de la talla de Austin Butler, Ana de Armas, Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis y Cate Blanchett, quienes vistieron sus mejores atuendos y posaron para las cámaras.

Echa un vistazo a las fotos tras bambalinas del año pasado, como una muestra de lo que está por venir.

Oscars 2024 Red Carpet Getting Rolled Out ... BTS Prep Fully Underway

Hollywood is rolling out the red carpet for the Oscars this weekend ... and we mean that literally -- 'cause workers are already knee-deep in prep work for the big show!

The iconic awards show will kick off Sunday at the famed Dolby Theatre in Hollywood -- and it's pretty obvious it takes a few days to transform the Hollywood Walk of Fame into an A-list-ready red carpet ... as you can see, people were already hard at work starting Wednesday.

Crew members came together to roll out massive amounts of red fabric in order to cover up the star-studded walkway. It looks like red and gold will be the colors of the evening, if all the drapes that are going up are any indication. No surprise ... that's usually the Oscars' theme.

Of course, stencils of Oscar statuettes are heavily featured throughout the space ... as if we'd forget which awards show we're watching. Point is ... they're getting the joint ready to go!

They do this every year -- but it's always fascinating to see what goes into making the venue actor-ready once cameras start rolling later this weekend. Clearly, there's a lot of work BTS.

Superstars like Margot Robbie, Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Robert Downey Jr., Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera are expected to attend ... as they're all big nominees heading into Tinseltown's biggest night.

Safe to say ... this thing will be backed with A-listers -- similar to how the 2023 show was.

That's to be expected, of course. Last year's awards show featured the likes of Austin Butler, Ana de Armas, Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis and Cate Blanchett ... all of whom stepped out for the event and posed for cameras.

Take a peek at last year's behind-the-scenes pics above for a taste of what's to come!

Jamie Foxx Promises to Spill on Health Scare ... During AAFCA Speech

Jamie Foxx says he's going to finally address what exactly happened to him that landed him in the hospital last year -- but it sounds like it'll be a televised special of some sort.

The comedian/actor was accepting a Producers Award Sunday night in L.A. at the African American Film Critics Association Awards -- where he delivered a touching speech and discussed how his whole view on life has changed for the better after what he went through.

Of course, he's referring to the health scare that sidelined him for most of 2023 -- a mystery ailment that never quite got cleared up ... but which he says has given him new perspective.

He was cracking jokes while addressing this, but at one point -- he made a revelation ... namely, that he was going to discuss the details of his hospitalization in due time. The only caveat, he says, is that he's going to do it his way ... meaning, with humor and comedy.

The way he talks about it here ... it seems like Jamie wants to do this in a stand-up setting.

No timeline was offered on when this might be coming to fruition -- but it's the first time we've heard Jamie promise to tackle the issue head on ... as there's been lots of rumors and speculation, which he's well aware of. We're talking al the clone conspiracy chatter here.

One other highlight from Jamie's time at the event ... he posed with Jonathan Majors and Meagan Good -- both of whom attended the AAFCA, and who looked like a happy couple.

Jonathan's fresh off a criminal conviction ... but he's carrying on with his life regardless.

As for Jamie ... he's obviously still hilarious -- that much was clear from this event, as he's back to his old self. It'll be interesting to see if/when he spills the tea on what went down.

Diane Warren Remains Modest On Oscar Chances ... But She's in the Pink for a Different Oscar!!!

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WE'RE ALL WINNERS
TMZ.com

Diane Warren says she's just along for the ride as she heads back to yet another Academy Awards while seeking her first win ... but her movie partners are a lot less bashful, 'cause they're bashing her competition.

We got the legendary songwriter Thursday at Pink's Hot Dogs on La Brea -- where Diane was being honored with her own veggie hot dog -- and our photog asked her about that elusive Oscar's win.

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GOOD VIBES ONLY!!!
TMZ.com

Diane's nominated for an Academy Award for the 15th time in her career -- this time she's up for Best Original Song for "The Fire Inside” from the film "Flamin' Hot" -- and she told us she's just happy to be nominated and already feels like a winner.

While Diane played it cool, her partners on the film go to bat for her ... telling us she deserves to finally win an Oscar.

Becky G sings Diane's song from the Hot Cheetos movie ... and she's gonna perform it at the Oscars, along with the other nominees.

The competition includes a couple songs from "Barbie" ... the Ryan Gosling-performed song "I'm Just Ken" and Billie Eilish and Finneas' "What Was I Made For?"

Diane's movie partners, Richard and Judy Montanez, take a couple playful shots at the "Barbie" duo here ... telling us Diane's tune is way better than the Ken song.

Don't even get them started on Billie's track, which they quietly say is "depressing." No hate here, just good fun ... Billie says she was depressed when writing the song anyway.

Win or lose next weekend at the Oscars, Diane's already got another notch on her belt ... in the form of her very own Pink's hot dog.

Diane's special dog is a veggie dog topped with jalapeño pepper jack cheese, guacamole, and Flamin' Hot Cheetos.

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TMZ INVESTIGATES
TMZ Studios

Bet they don't serve those in Barbie Land!!!

Robert Downey Jr. Anon. Academy Member He's Got My Vote, Met Him At a Party

Robert Downey Jr. is the front-runner to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor -- but one Academy member is openly admitting ... he's voting for him because he met him in person.

The Hollywood Reporter did their annual writeup that polls anonymous AMPAS members to see what their thought process is going into the new Academy Awards -- which are a couple weeks away -- and one of them was candid on their thoughts about RDJ.

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LOOK AT ME NOW, CRITICS!!!
The CW

This member said they were voting for Bob ... but it sounds like it might have more to do with his personality than his actual performance -- which is a little disheartening to hear.

They say, "I was torn between Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr., and even though it’s cheesy I’ll be real with you: I met Downey at an awards season party, we had an interaction that I did not initiate, and it tipped the scales for me."

This anonymous voter adds ... "Campaigning matters! What’s really great about him as an actor, in this film and so many others, is his ability to be believable all the time. I loved watching him turn as the story turned on Strauss."

In other words ... they liked RDJ's work in "Oppenheimer," but a little schmoozing went a long way with this person when they met Rob in real life. So, no ... it's not all on merit, it seems.

The reason that kinda sucks ... well, in a perfect world -- you'd like to think people who vote at the Oscars are only looking at what they see on screen, and are judging off of that. But, as this person is confessing, there are some politics involved in this process.

This mystery Academy member calls it campaigning ... another word for it is, lobbying.

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TMZ INVESTIGATES
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While Downey Jr. has been considered a shoo-in from the start -- yes, his performance is actually spectacular and worthy of recognition -- this is the type of stuff you don't really wanna hear if you're Ruffalo, Robert De Niro, Sterling K. Brown or Ryan Gosling.

They're also up for BSA ... but hey, maybe they already know how the game's played. 🤷🏽‍♂️