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Another Guy Who Left The Oscars Early
There’s been tons of talk about the bonehead and ignorant decision of Eddie Murphy to leave the Oscars after he lost out to Alan Arkin for Best Supporting Actor. But he wasn’t the only one of the nominees who walked out early… except this guy had a REAL reason. This sad story comes from IMDB:
Kevin O’Connell had a double reason to feel low the day of the Academy Awards – he was nursing his dying mother, who passed away just after the telecast. Apocalypto sound mixer O’Connell found out he’d missed out on an Oscar for the 19th time on Sunday night, but he had more pressing personal matters on his mind. The multi-nominee attended the Oscar ceremony, but left right after his category was announced and raced to the hospital to check on his ailing mother. In a statement released to website GoldDerby.com, O’Connell says, “My mother Skippy passed away on Sunday night right after the Oscars. I was holding her in my arms when she died.”
I’m sorry… did that say the guy has been nominated 19 times?!?! Wow… and I thought Scorsese was on a dry streak. Thoughts and prayers go out to Kevin O’Connell and his family.
So ummm… tell us Eddie… what was YOUR reason for leaving? I’m sure it must be just as valid as O’Connell’s.


wow, eddie sure did get under your skin didn’t he, jio?
John, this story gets even worse. There’s apperantly a big stink about what one of the winners of that category said about him in the press room afterwards. The video of it is up at oscar.com. The guy who said what he said was dead serious about the lack of talent he thought this 19-time-nominated guy had.
It was a disgusting display, and I was floored when I saw it (it’s near the end of the video. There were 3 guys who shared the award, 2 of the guys were perfect gentlemen, the other guy was…unreal)
I think there’s more on it at ‘the envelope’ as well.
I don’t know if I’m allowed to post links here, but it so,
Here some links to the full story:
This also has a response to another sound mixer:
http://defamer.com/hollywood/oscars/oscar-sound-mixer-smackdown-ii-team-apocalypto-responds-240492.php
And here’s the video (just click the one for sound-mixer in the press-room section):
http://oscars.com/video/
I read that story, Ted, and I was floored.
So O’Connell has been nominated 19 times. In my mind, that suggests that his work is well liked and respected.
Alfred Hitchcock was nominated five times as a director (and one other as a prodcer); he never won. Five pictures from all of his classics. His work had inspired -and will continue to inspire- many filmmakers. But the late director never won an Oscar. Does that make Hitchcock one of the worst directors of all time? Up until the other day, Martin Scorcese had never won an oscar for director. Before last Sunday, was he a lousy director? Peter O’Toole lost out again. Is he suddenly a lousy actor?
So why should it different for those in the tech fields? The winner Michael Minkler, should have simply put a cork in it.
Oscars come and go, but your MOM dying is horrible. Deepest condolences for this guy.