Kristen Stewart becomes one of the three openly LGBTQ actors to receive an Oscar nomination.
Stewart earned her first Oscar nomination for her starring role in Spencer, as announced during the 94th annual Academy Awards nominations on Tuesday. She was nominated in the best actress category for her role as the late Princess Diana in her biopic, Spencer, from director Pablo Larrain.
The actress, who is openly bisexual, joins only a few other openly known LGBTQ actors to receive a nod in an acting category. Ian McKellan, who is gay, was nominated for his role in The Lord of the Rings 20 years ago and was credited as the first. West Side Story’s Ariana DeBose, who identifies as queer, is among the nominees this year.
Other nominees in the category include Jessica Chastain for The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Olivia Colman for The Lost Daughter, Penélope Cruz for Parallel Mothers, and Nicole Kidman for Being the Ricardos.
Despite winning several national film critic association awards throughout the year, gaining an early front-runner status from awards analysts for the best actress Oscar, before Tuesday, the Golden Globes had been the only major awarding company to nominate Stewart for her portrayal of the Princess. She was snubbed by the Screen Actors Guild, Critics Choice, and the BAFTA Awards, which led to doubts about receiving the Oscar nod.
Stewart’s nomination marks the only Oscar nod for the film in a major category.
Written by Steven Knight, the film follows Diana over a three-day weekend in 1991 as she stays at the queen’s Sandringham, Estate in Norfolk, England, for Christmas festivities. While there, she struggles with mental health and the decision to end her marriage to Prince Charles.
The film also stars Timothy Spall, Sally Hawkins, and Sean Harris.
Spencer is available to stream on Hulu. The Oscars premiere on March 27th, 2022.
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