Don't worry, that Oscar winner's dog has company at the hotel
Good news, everyone! The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse director Charlie Mackesy's puppy is doing just fine.
The dog dad and director, who wrote and illustrated the beloved 2019 book of the same name, thanked his pup, who he revealed was hanging out back at the hotel, while accepting the award for Best Animated Short Film at the 2023 Oscars on Sunday.
Backstage, Mackesy confirmed that his dog — a longhaired miniature dachshund named Barney — is in good hands. "He's with my friend Luisa who's looking after him," he said. "To be truthful, I hadn't been on an airplane for 18 years until the Oscars because I just hadn't, and so leaving him — he's 15 — I felt terrible."
Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Charlie Mackesy at the 2023 Oscars
Barney, who has been known to add his own artistic flair to Mackesy's art over the years, also played a key role in the creation of the novel.
"He actually is the mole," Mackesy said, referring to the book's title character. "The mole is the only creature in the film that isn't really like a mole in real life, and he, really, is a reflection of my dog. He's very hungry, greedy."
He added, "Also, Matthew has a dog called Vincent who he loves just as much."
Mackesy's best-selling book follows the friendship between its four titular pals as they learn and grow on their respective life journeys. Its animated short version beat out fellow nominees My Year of Dicks, The Flying Sailor, Ice Merchants, and An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake, and I Think I Believe It.
During his speech, Mackesy also said that a woman from his village told him that making a film was a very courageous act. "It's really true," he said. "The people I've worked with, they've tolerated me for two years and they're brave and kind. Thank you so much."
The 95th Oscars aired live on ABC from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles on Sunday night. See the full list of 2023 Oscars winners here.
With additional reporting by Maureen Lee Lenker.
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