‘Bitter and unprofessional’: Excuse me, did the director of ‘Emilia Pérez’ shake his head at Cynthia Erivo’s Oscar nomination?!

Wicked gave legions of fans, new and old, a different look into the wonderful world of Oz by bringing it to the big screen. Erivo’s co-star, singer and actress Ariana Grande, has already won several awards for her performance as Glinda, and Wicked mania has well and truly spread throughout the world. It’s fair to say that as movie musicals go, Wicked is up there with the best of them, bringing the cultural phenomenon that is the Wicked musical to gravity-defying new heights.

Given the way the movie slotted itself firmly into the cultural landscape, it’s unsurprising that Wicked has picked up so many awards and nominations, although there are apparently some who aren’t exactly “rejoicified” at its attention. For example, director Jacques Audiard looked particularly unhappy with Cynthia Erivo’s nomination for Best Actress.

Audiard directed Emilia Pérez, a musical crime comedy film centered around the titular character Emilia, a former cartel boss and her story of gender transition. The film was released to a good critical reception in the U.S. and Europe but met a lesser welcome in Mexico for a number of reasons, including its use of stereotypes, which was pointed out by Mexican screenwriter Héctor Guillén who called out the film for its “Racist Euro Centrist Mockery”.

Despite its varied reception, the film has won “trans visibility front and center. Audiard and the cast of Emilia Pérez should be justifiably pleased with their nominations after the hard work of the cast and crew, but in scenes described as “bitter and unprofessional,” Audiard can be seen derisively shaking his head at Cynthia Erivo’s own nomination for Best Actress.

Posted to X by a Wicked fan , the video attracted a lot of comments in of Wicked and Erivo, along with many critical of Emilia Pérez — including posts packaging Héctor Guillén’s scathing criticism of the movie into an easily digestible image.

The Oscars are big business in the industry and tensions are running high, so a bit of conflict is understandable. Yet any suggestion that Erivo doesn’t deserve her nomination is bound to displease many, as her grounded portrayal of Elphaba Thropp gave the character depth and nuance while her sensational vocals helped catapult Wicked to massive critical and commercial success. It’s one thing to be ive of your own movie and an actress you’ve worked closely with on a ion project, but it’s something else entirely to be dismissive towards another actress. It’s just about learning and accepting that it’s more than possible to build someone up without tearing someone else down.