Oscar season is upon us! To break down some of the year’s top films and actors being nominated, Desus Nice and Scottie Beam were joined on the latest Bet! podcast by film executive and founder of The Blacklist, Franklin Leonard.
At this year’s Oscars, two acting heavyweights, Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson, will potentially go head-to-head in the best supporting actor category, with Washington being featured in Gladiator II and Jackson in The Piano Lesson. When asked who he likes in that matchup, Leonard expressed that if he were putting his own money down, it would be tough to go against Washington. He pointed to Washington’s popularity and robust press tour for Gladiator II as key factors and even eluded that Washington is in the Judi Dench phase of his career. Leonard even mentioned a quote that went viral during Washington’s press run where he stated, “I’m putting this dress on, these rings, and I’m going crazy,” just to let fans know what to expect.
Another film generating buzz is Sing Sing, directed by Greg Kwedar, a movie based on a real-life theater rehabilitation program for inmates at the prison. Leonard mentioned that those he spoke with who had seen it said they were in their feelings for days afterward. Desus asked Leonard to expound on what sat with his friends who saw the movie, and Leonard shared that while most people point to Colman Domingo’s performance as the one that stole the show, Leonard affirmed that all the performances were excellent. He also added that most of these actors were acting alongside incarcerated actors and had ties to the actual theater troupe, sparking a lot of emotion from those who have seen the film. Scottie added she had seen the movie three times and hoped someone would get recognized, which startles Desus a bit, to which he responded humorously isn’t it a sad movie? Beam doubles down and lets Desus know she watches 12 Years A Slave when she is on flights; she sarcastically says she makes some folks REAL uncomfortable. Desus jokingly exclaimed I know the white person next to you must have felt really uncomfortable.
A black woman has not won the heralded category of best actress since Halle Berry in Monster’s Ball in 2001. Leonard thinks that Cynthia Erivo has a strong shot to take the award home this year for her work in Wicked. All the reviews he heard about Wicked have been positive and he would be shocked if she is not nominated. Desus asked if there were any non-melaninated movies in the Oscar conversation that we should check out and Leonard contends there were several great movies this year, but the one that sticks out is The Brutalist. It should be noted that The Brutalist is three hours long with an intermission, but Leonard says Adrien Brody’s performance will put him in the conversation for best actor. He also mentioned Conclave, a film about selecting the next Pope. As soon as he said it, Scottie’s face showed some confusion, but Leonard stressed if you like gossip and pettiness, this is the movie for you. Another film garnering a lot of chatter is A Complete Unknown, a biopic on the life of Bob Dylan, played by Timothée Chalamet. Scottie was excited about the film as she wanted to learn more about Dylan while Desus is gobsmacked by the idea that Scottie is a Dylan fan. Knowing who she is he would not have guessed it.
Returning to the Colosseum, Scottie shared that critics were critical of Denzel’s lack of an accent in Gladiator II, to which Leonard responded that some would have the same criticism about Joaquin Phoenix in Napoleon. He affirms that Washington not having an accent does not take away from his performance. He expressed that the film was basically Training Day : The Roman Years, and that he did not come to watch Washington act in a movie for his accent.
For more on Desus and Scottie’s Oscar takes, watch or listen to the full episode below. Plus, visit http://draftkings.com/betpodcast to enter a free-to-play $10K pool. Questions include, but are not limited to:
- Will Scottie’s pick for Best Supporting Actor be nominated?
- Will Scottie’s pick for Best Actress be nominated?
- Will Desus’ pick for Best Supporting Actor be nominated?
- Will Desus’ pick for Best Actress be nominated?
SHOW BREAKDOWN
And The Academy Award Goes To…
The 2025 Academy Awards are on their way and Scottie and Desus know next to nothing about what or who may be nominated. You think that’ll stop them from having opinions though? Absolutely not! Joined by blcklst founder, Franklin Leonard, the trio get into who deserve to be 2025 Academy Award winners.
VIDEO
Bet! is available via audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow Desus Nice on X at @desusnice and Scottie Beam on X at @ScottieBeam.
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