Messi The Dog From ‘Anatomy Of A Fall’ Gets Star Treatment At Oscars, Goes Viral With Reaction To Robert Downey Jr. Win

Messi the dog, a breakout star of the 2024 awards season, wrapped the season in style at the 96th Academy Awards.

The 7-year-old border collie from Anatomy of the Fall in his formal best, wearing a stylish bowtie, made it to the Dolby Theater where he got prime seating in the front alongside the top human stars of the evening.

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The camera of the Oscar telecast turned to Messi when he got a shoutout from host Jimmy Kimmel in his opening monologue.

“I haven’t seen a French actor eat vomit like that since Gérard Depardieu,” Kimmel said amid awwws from the audience as Messi hit his mark with an impeccable — and adorable — close-up. (You can watch the video of the monologue above. The Messi bit is at the 5’20” mark.)

Kimmel earlier in the day used Messi as a sounding board as he tested jokes on him.

Later in the telecast, Messi scored another viral moment when he was caught clapping for newly minted winner Robert Downey Jr.

Anatomy of a Fall earned five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. It was an early winner with Justine Triet and Arthur Harari taking the trophy for Best Original Screenplay.

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