Josh O’Connor pays tribute to Zendaya at the Gotham Awards: ‘A genius of her generation’
NEW YORK — The excitement around “Challengers” continues as the awards season kicks off seriously.
Zendaya received a special tribute at the Gotham Independent Film Awards on Monday, the first significant awards show leading up to the 2025 Oscars. The evening also served as a reunion for the cast of “Challengers,” with Josh O’Connor presenting the award to his co-star.
In a lighthearted moment, O’Connor shared he considered recycling a speech he had given at his brother’s wedding, which had gone over well—until the part where his brother beat him at tennis.
“Just for the record, Zendaya has never won against me in tennis,” he joked. “It’s a fact.”
O’Connor, who portrayed Patrick alongside Zendaya’s Tashi in the praised tennis film, commended her for “her generosity” and “incredible versatility.” He reminisced about feeling anxious on his first day of filming “Challengers,” a sentiment that Zendaya eased with reassurance: “It’s OK, bro. I’m just as lost as you are.”
“You’re a natural leader, a talent of your generation, a friend, and above all, a person with a kind heart,” he concluded.
Zendaya thanked O’Connor for his “wonderful” words, adding with humor: “We really dislike complimenting each other, so I’ll get back at you for that!” She also highlighted a shared passion with her character in “Challengers”: “We both love what we do.”
Zendaya returned to the stage shortly after to present a tribute award to her “Dune” director, Denis Villeneuve, whom she referred to as a “generous visionary.” Backstage, the director remarked to YSL News that he was “not prepared to be so moved” by her speech.
The event was filled with star power, highlighted by Angelina Jolie’s presence as she accepted the performer tribute award. Jolie, who portrays opera singer Maria Callas in “Maria,” shared how her mother fostered a love for arts during her childhood, even using her oven for storing books.
“Art education in our schools is vital, and it’s troubling that so many programs are being cut,” Jolie remarked.
Jolie also mentioned her daughter, Vivienne, expressing delight in witnessing her daughter’s involvement in theater.
‘A Different Man’ gets a boost for Oscars after unexpected Gothams win: ‘Absolutely shocked’
The film “A Different Man,” featuring Sebastian Stan as a character with neurofibromatosis who experiences a transformation, achieved a surprising victory by winning the best feature award, astonishing its director, Aaron Schimberg. He remarked that he hadn’t prepared a speech and would need to “wing it,” admitting he wasn’t alone in being “totally stunned” by the win.
This award boosts “A Different Man’s” chances in the Oscars’ best picture category. Historically, since 2019, four out of five Gotham best feature winners eventually secured nominations for the Academy Award for best picture, with two winning the top award: “Nomadland” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” This year’s presumed best picture contender, “Anora,” left the Gothams without any accolades despite four nominations.
At the Gotham Awards, Colman Domingo took home the award for best lead actor, and Clarence Maclin won for best supporting actor. Maclin, who previously spent time in prison, portrays himself in “Sing Sing,” a film about a theater group within Sing Sing Correctional Facility. The film was also recognized with a social justice tribute award.
During a heartfelt acceptance speech, Sean “Dino” Johnson, another actor from “Sing Sing” who was once incarcerated, expressed that he and his colleagues demonstrate that everyone can aspire to achieve their dreams, regardless of their beginnings.
Domingo shared with YSL News backstage that he was “astonished” by his best actor win and emphasized how much it meant to him to see Maclin recognized, stating, “I wanted it for him more than I wanted it for myself.”
Will Maclin secure a nomination for best supporting actor at the Academy Awards? He is already looking ahead to March, exclaiming while taking photos, “See you all at the Oscars!”
The drama “Nickel Boys,” which is based on Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, also performed well at the Gothams, winning the best director award for RaMell Ross and the breakthrough performer award for Brandon Wilson.
Vera Drew, winner of the breakthrough director award, thanks Nicole Kidman for ‘the moment I discovered I was trans’
The breakthrough director award went to Vera Drew for “The People’s Joker,” a reimagining of the Joker’s origin story as a trans coming-of-age tale created without consent from Warner Bros. The film faced release delays for nearly two years due to copyright issues.
Drew expressed gratitude to “Warner Bros. for not suing me” and gave a shoutout to Nicole Kidman, who was nominated for her film “Babygirl.”
“Ms. Kidman, I’m not sure where you are sitting, but I want to tell you that seeing ‘Batman Forever’ at the age of six in Baraboo, Wisconsin, was likely when I realized I was trans,” Drew revealed. “I appreciate your work with Joel Schumacher. And also, thank God.”
Complete list of the 2024 Gotham Awards winners:
- Best feature: “A Different Man”
- Best director: RaMell Ross, “Nickel Boys”
- Outstanding lead performance: Colman Domingo, “Sing Sing”
- Outstanding supporting performance: Clarence Maclin, “Sing Sing”
- Best screenplay: “His Three Daughters”
- Best international feature: “All We Imagine as Light”
- Best documentary feature: “No Other Land”
- Breakthrough director: Vera Drew, “The People’s Joker”
- Breakthrough performer: Brandon Wilson, “Nickel Boys”
