‘Anatomy of a Fall’ dog star Messi gets a seat at the 2024 Oscars

Messi the dog.
Messi the dog at the 2024 Oscars.

The good boy got the good seat.

Messi, the dog star of the Oscar-nominated movie “Anatomy of a Fall,” got his own seat at the 2024 Oscars. 

The border collie captured hearts during the promotional lead up to the Academy Awards, which took place Sunday, March 10 on ABC (at the new time of 7 p.m.), hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.

Kimmel gave the pooch a shout-out during his opening monologue.

Pointing to the dog in the audience, who was politely sitting on a chair, Kimmel said, “Even though he’s a dog, may have given the performance of the year in ‘Anatomy of a Fall.’ I haven’t seen a French actor eat vomit like that since Gerard Depardieu.”

Messi the dog, sitting quietly at the 2024 Oscars. Rob Latour/Shutterstock
Messi the dog, sitting quietly at the 2024 Oscars. Rob Latour/Shutterstock
Messi gave a doggy smile to the camera. REUTERS
Messi gave a doggy smile to the camera. REUTERS

Originally, it was reported that Messi would not attend the ceremony, but he ended up sitting still in a chair, looking well-behaved with nary a bark.

Dog trainer Laura Martin told The Hollywood Reporter, “There were a few interviews in France. but what we’ve been experiencing here in America — with the attention to this dog and his acting — it’s beyond anything we anticipated. It’s probably the maximum that you can accomplish in this field.”

“The big moment was with Billie Eilish, who bonded with Messi for almost 10 minutes,” said Martin.

“They were hugging and petting and they really had a vibe. Then Bradley Cooper bumped into him in the hallway. The dog went right to him, so they also had a connection.”

Messi the dog got his own seat at the Oscars. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Messi the dog got his own seat at the Oscars. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Messi did not applaud. REUTERS
Messi did not applaud. REUTERS

Ryan Gosling also had a moment with the dog, pausing to exclaim over the pup in a moment that went viral on TikTok.

“EVERYBODY STOP WHAT THEY ARE DOING. MESSI THE DOG HAS MADE IT TO THE OSCARS,” one thrilled fan posted on X, formerly Twitter.

“MESSI IS AT THE OSCARS ALERT MESSI IS AT THE OSCARS” another fan said.

Messi the dog. REUTERS
Messi the dog. REUTERS
Meessi’s fans were delighted to see the pooch at the Academy Awards. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Meessi’s fans were delighted to see the pooch at the Academy Awards. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

“Messi seated at the Oscars like a good boy!!!!” another thrilled fan exclaimed.

Messi himself was not nominated for an Oscar, but “Anatomy of a Fall” was nominated for five, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director and Best Actress for Sandra Hüller.