A trio of Star Wars alumni won Academy Awards at last night’s ceremony including Riz Ahmed for Best Live Action Short Film for The Long Goodbye, Greig Fraser for Best Cinematography for Dune, and Troy Kotsur for Best Supporting Actor for Apple TV’s Coda.
Congratulations to Riz Ahmed, Bodhi Rook in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, who was nominated for Best Actor last year for Sound of Metal, and has won his first Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for The Long Goodbye.
Riz Ahmed, the British actor and musician, has won his first Oscar for Aneil Karia’s live-action short film The Long Goodbye, which Ahmed co-wrote and starred in.
In his acceptance speech Ahmed, 39, said: “In such divided times, we believe that the role of story is to remind us there is no ‘us’ and ‘them’. There’s just ‘us’.
“This is for everyone who feels like they don’t belong. Anyone who feels like they’re stuck in no man’s land. You’re not alone. We’ll meet you there. That’s where the future is. Peace.”
Ahmed was nominated for an Oscar last year for his role as a hearing-impaired drummer in Sound of Metal, losing out to Anthony Hopkins.
The Long Goodbye incorporates music from Ahmed’s album of the same name, which was released in 2021 and reflects on his identity as a British Pakistani artist.
The film shows a south Asian family in suburban London whose preparations for celebration are interrupted by news reports of an all-white militia, who soon afterwards knock on their door.
The win marks the first time someone of Asian descent has triumphed in the live-action short category. Ahmed’s nomination last year alongside Steven Yuen in the same category, was the first time two Asian men had been both nominated for best actor.
Watch The Long Goodbye here.
Congratulations also to The Mandalorian alumni Greig Fraser who won an Oscar for Best Cinematography for Dune.
Congrats to Mando alum, Greig Fraser! https://t.co/qir3ADFbOT
— Tracy Cannobbio (@Tcann13) March 28, 2022
And finally, congratulations to Troy Kotsur who won Best Supporting Actor for Apple TV’s Coda. Kotsur was responsible for creating the sign language used by the Tusken Raiders in Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett, as well as playing a Tusken in Chapter 5: The Gunslinger of the The Mandalorian.
Congratulations to @TroyKotsur, winner of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for #CODAfilm#Oscars pic.twitter.com/Tvug4kMppa
— Apple TV+ (@AppleTVPlus) March 28, 2022
Well done to all the winners and nominees.
