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The 2023 Oscars saw their fair share of noteworthy first-time attendees; from Paul Mescal to Pedro Pascal, plenty of stars made their debut at the March 12 event. But one attendee in particular enjoyed her first Oscars in style: a donkey — though she apparently wasn’t exactly who the event’s host claimed she was.
In the middle of the event, host Jimmy Kimmel brought a donkey wearing a bedazzled emotional-support-animal vest onto the stage and informed the audience that it was Jenny, a donkey who played a major role in “The Banshees of Inisherin.” “Not only is Jenny an actor — she’s a certified emotional-support donkey. Or at least that’s what we told the airline to get her on the plane from Ireland,” Kimmel quipped. “So if you’re feeling upset or you didn’t win or you’re anxious or maybe you just love mules, feel free to come up and give her a hug.” He went on to point out some of Jenny’s Oscar-nominated “The Banshees of Inisherin” costars, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.
Jenny’s scenes with Farrell were some of the film’s most impactful and brought the 3-year-old animal widespread acclaim. However, it turns out the donkey Kimmel brought on stage wasn’t actually Jenny after all. Since wrapping filming, Jenny has apparently been enjoying an early retirement in a secret location — and she wasn’t about to interrupt her retirement for an overseas trip. “The reason why she’s in a secret location [is] because we wouldn’t want her to be used for any commercial gain, but to live the life she deserves,” trainer Megan Hines told the Sunday World on March 3.
Backstage at the Oscars, “The Banshees of Inisherin” director Martin McDonagh confirmed that the donkey wasn’t actually the same one who appeared in the film. “It wasn’t Jenny. We never would have allowed that to happen,” he said, per the Los Angeles Times. Kerry Condon, who was nominated for best supporting actress for her role in the film, also said it wasn’t the real Jenny. “No! All the way from Ireland? ‘Course not!” she said, per the outlet.
“The Banshees of Inisherin” received nine nominations, including best picture, best supporting actor for Gleeson and Barry Keoghan, and best actor for Farrell. Unfortunately, it ended the night empty-handed.
Check out photos and videos of the Jenny stand-in’s appearance ahead.
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