UPDATED: Oscar Nominations: The Stars React!

Following the news of the nominations for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards – which will be handed out on February 27 on ABC, the stars spoke out about their big Oscar news!

“I am so honored and grateful to the Academy for this recognition. It is a wonderful culmination of the ten-year journey with Darren to make this film. Making ‘Black Swan’ is already the most meaningful experience of my career, and the passion shown for the film has completed the process of communication between artists and audience. I am so thankful for the support we have received and I share this honor with the entire cast and crew of the film, especially Darren Aronofsky.” – Natalie Portman, nominated for Best Actress for “Black Swan”

*****

“It has been such an incredible journey with ‘The Fighter’ and one that I am grateful to share with David O. Russell, Christian, Melissa, Amy, my fellow producers and the Ward and Eklund families, who are the heart and soul of the film. Thank you to the Academy for this tremendous honor.” – Mark Wahlberg, who starred in and produced “The Fighter,” which received seven nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, as well as Supporting nods for Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo

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“It feels great to be nominated and it is such an honor to be in the company of my fellow nominees. I’m especially proud of Danny Boyle and the whole team behind ‘127 Hours’ for their recognition by the Academy. Danny is such a wonderful entertainer and collaborator and to see the film nominated for Best Picture, Score, Screenplay, Song and Editing is thrilling.” – James Franco, nominated for Best Actor for “127 Hours”

*****

“I was building Lego with my son and lost track of the time. Then the phone started ringing and I realized it must be good news. I’m incredibly touched and humbled. I grew up watching the awards and never thought this would be my reality. I’m thrilled for Natalie who trained tirelessly for a year and then trusted me with her soul and spirit. And I’m so thankful the academy recognized my long time collaborators Matty, Andy and Scott. They are such focused and committed artists and their work inspired me every day.” – Darren Aronofsky, nominated for Best Director for “Black Swan”

*****

“What an extraordinary journey this film has taken me on! ‘Rabbit Hole’ has been a labor of love and I’m so thankful to John Cameron Mitchell, David Lindsay-Abaire and the brilliant cast. This nomination reflects all of the heart and soul that these people have put into it and I can’t thank them enough.” – Nicole Kidman, nominated for Best Actress for “Rabbit Hole”

*****

“As an Australian, I’m as excited to be recognized and honored by the Academy as my character must have been when his London speech therapy business flourished when the future King Of England happened to pop by one day. This story has struck such a rich resonant chord with audiences of all ages, which is very exciting — to have your work honored by your industry peers is even better.” — Geoffrey Rush, nominated for Best Supporting Actor for “The King’s Speech,” which leads the pack with 12 nominations

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“I am absolutely overwhelmed by the twelve Oscar nominations for ‘The King’s Speech’. I am so grateful to the Academy. I am incredibly proud of my extraordinary cast and crew. This is a day I will remember for the rest of my life.” – Tom Hooper, nominated for Best Director for “The King’s Speech”

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“Currently celebrating with my colleagues three feet above the ground. Not used to this much joy, or this much champagne at this hour.” – Colin Firth, nominated for Best Actor for “The King’s Speech”

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“I am truly overwhelmed with gratitude by this recognition by the Academy this morning. I’m smiling from ear to ear knowing that lightning can strike twice and it feels electrifying. I’m thrilled to be amongst these tremendously talented artists. A big congratulations to all the nominees!” – Jeremy Renner, nominated for Best Supporting Actor for “The Town”

*****

“I think that what resonated is that it’s not a timely story, I think what resonated is that it is a timeless story, one with themes as old as storytelling itself: of friendship and loyalty, of betrayal, power, class, jealousy. These are things that Aeschylus would have written about or Shakespeare would have written about. And it’s just lucky for me that neither of those guys were available so I got to write about it.” — Aaron Sorkin, nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for “The Social Network”

*****

“I kept having strange dreams that I was back in like the turn of the century, wearing top hats and things like that, and they were announcing the nominees and they were like, ‘No, you weren’t nominated,’ and I was like, ‘Ahhh,’ and I was so disappointed, and yet I had to go out and solve a mystery afterwards. It was very strange.” — Chris Sanders, co-writer and co-director of “How to Train Your Dragon,” nominated for Best Animated Film

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“Ten seems like an awful lot. We don’t want to take anyone else’s.” — Joel & Ethan Coen, the producers behind “True Grit,” which revceived 10 nominations

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“I’m celebrating with the people who helped get me there — you and your colleagues in the various forms of press and media that have long witnessed my work and long written and spoken beautiful things about it and really, truly helped me get to this day. Everyone asks about celebrations and glasses of champagne. That I get the opportunity to talk to all of you and say: ‘We did it! This is awesome! Look at us now!’” — Melissa Leo, nominated for Best Supporting Actress for “The Fighter”


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