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ABC Executive Responds to Backlash Over Oscars 2021 Ending with Anthony Hopkins Winning Over Chadwick Boseman

ABC Executive Responds to Backlash Over Oscars 2021 Ending with Anthony Hopkins Winning Over Chadwick Boseman

An executive at ABC is speaking out about the controversial ending to the 2021 Oscars, which included not only ending on Best Actor, and not Best Picture, as has been tradition, but also, not giving the award to Chadwick Boseman in what was built up to be a climactic moment.

Rob Mills gave an extensive interview and spoke about the moment.

Click inside to find out what happened at the ending of the Oscars and what an ABC exec is saying about it…

“It was not meant to end on somebody who was not present,” ABC’s Rob Mills told Variety. “It was a calculated risk, that I think still paid off because everybody was talking about it. Similarly, nobody wants the wrong envelope to happen, like it did three years ago, but everyone was talking about it. I think some people thought maybe they missed some awards. ‘Why is best picture early?’ or, ‘What’s happening, this is crazy,’ almost like, ‘How can this possibly happen? Best picture has to end it!’ Some people were upset, some people loved it and that was really the point that there was no apathy.”

Anthony Hopkins ended up winning Best Actor, and he was not present to give a speech.

Variety noted, “At the very least, Mills noted that it served as a reminder that the producers really don’t know the winners beforehand.”

Rob then responded, “Although imagine that they did, and they still did that. That would have been very bold.”

About Best Picture not being last, he added, “It wasn’t just the final categories, the whole show was mixed up. Screenplay, that usually comes in Act 5 or 6, one of the later acts. And best director was also very early. I think the point was, sometimes you watch the show and you feel like, ‘Gosh, I’ve seen this every year.’ So, it really was the ‘Wow, I really don’t know what’s coming next.’”

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