This past week, Premier Doug Ford shared a heartfelt moment with Ontarians while apologizing for his failures in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. After the usual lip service to the voter and finger-pointing at the federal government, Ford took things to the next level by dramatically sobbing at his podium. This moving scene had many viewers reaching for some Kleenex or the remote, and has shaken up what was already a contentious race for Best Actor.
While nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards were released over a month ago, many cinephiles have taken to Twitter demanding recognition of Ford’s impeccable performance. One such user commented that while watching the performance they “almost believed Doug Ford was a person,” while another inquired whether he was trained in the Stanislavski or Meisner technique.
Strange as it may seem, it is not unheard of for politicians to receive acting accolades. Keen cinematic chroniclers will remember that Neville Chamberlain famously won a 1938 BAFTA for his bold-faced declaration of ‘Peace for Our Time,’ while Richard ‘I’m Not a Crook’ Nixon narrowly lost Best Actor to Al Pacino at the 1974 Golden Globes. The Academy is yet to announce Ford as an official nominee, but experts have deemed it “practically impossible” to ignore the Premier’s stunning performance.
Ford has admitted that the method acting behind his emotional performance was inspired by his own constituents’ tears throughout his leadership. “None of this would be possible without the hardships of my fellow Ontarians.”
Photo Credit: Ruven Samaraweera and Nona Jalali