Messi (dog)

Messi
Messi in 2018
SpeciesDog
BreedBorder Collie
SexMale
Born (2016-04-04) 4 April 2016 (age 8)[1][2]
OccupationAnimal actor
Known forAnatomy of a Fall
OwnerLaura Martin Contini
Named afterLionel Messi

Messi (born 4 April 2016) is a French Border Collie dog actor, known for his role as Snoop in the 2023 film Anatomy of a Fall, for which he won multiple awards, including the Palm Dog Award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

Early life and family[edit]

Messi is owned by dog trainer Laura Martin Contini,[3][4] who adopted him from a neighbor when he was a puppy.[5] Named after Argentine football player Lionel Messi,[5][6] he was the first dog that Contini trained for cinema.[6] Messi lives with Contini in a suburb outside of Paris, France.[7][5]

Career[edit]

In 2023, Messi made his film debut playing the role of Snoop in Justine Triet's legal drama Anatomy of a Fall, for which he won the Palm Dog Award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, with the jury stating that Messi's performance "covers the gambit... one of the best we've ever seen."[8] Triet told The Hollywood Reporter that Messi's character "was not just another character or some animal running around [but] as much a part of the film's ensemble as any of the other actors."[8]

Following his performance in Anatomy of a Fall, Messi became an internet sensation and the subject of several Internet memes.[9][10][11][12]

On 12 February 2024, Messi attended the Oscars nominees luncheon alongside his co-stars from Anatomy of a Fall.[13]

On 10 March 2024, Messi attended the ceremony of the 96th Academy Awards and had his own seat in the audience.[14][12] Before the ceremony, the show's host, Jimmy Kimmel, shared a video in which he could be seen rehearsing his Oscars jokes with the dog.[15] A clip of Messi "clapping" with the aid of his crew was shown during Kimmel's monologue.[16] At the end of the show, Messi was shown appearing to urinate on Matt Damon's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as part of the ongoing Damon–Kimmel feud.[17][18]

Filmography[edit]

Year Film Role
2023 Anatomy of a Fall Snoop

Awards[edit]

Year Award / Festival Category Work Result Ref.
2023 Cannes Film Festival Palm Dog Award Anatomy of a Fall Won [8]
2024 Q d'or Best Dog Won [19]
Fido Awards Mutt Moment Won [20]
Best in World Won

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Neon [@neonrated] (4 April 2024). "Wishing the happiest of birthdays to ANATOMY OF A FALL's Messi!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ^ Martin Contini, Laura (4 April 2024). "Joyeux Anniversaire Messi !!!" [Happy Birthday Messi!!!]. Instagram (in French). Archived from the original on 5 April 2024. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  3. ^ Jones, Daisy (19 February 2024). "How Anatomy of a Fall's Messi the dog was trained to become a star: "He had a lot of trouble getting roles"". British GQ.
  4. ^ Newland, Christina (16 February 2024). "Anatomy of a Fall's Messi: The dog who deserves an Oscar". BBC. Archived from the original on 5 March 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "A dog named Messi, the guest star of the Oscars for the film 'Anatomy of a Fall'". Marca. 2 March 2024.
  6. ^ a b Beckett, Lois (17 February 2024). "He broke your heart in Anatomy of a Fall. Now Messi the dog is a Hollywood A-lister". The Guardian.
  7. ^ Azin, Rebecca (11 March 2024). "Meet Messi! All About the Anatomy of a Fall Dog Who Stole the Show at the Oscars". People.
  8. ^ a b c Roxborough, Scott (26 May 2023). "Cannes: 'Anatomy of a Fall' Border Collie Messi Wins Palm Dog in Most Competitive Canine Contest Yet". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  9. ^ Conradi, Peter (18 February 2024). "Meet Messi, the film-star dog with the life of an A-lister". The Times. Archived from the original on 18 February 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  10. ^ Adam, Orestes (4 March 2024). "'Anatomy of a Fall' Has the Best Animal Performance of the Year". Collider.
  11. ^ Paiella, Gabriella (5 March 2024). "Why Anatomy of a Fall Became One of the Most Memed Films of the Year". GQ.
  12. ^ a b Blanchet, Ben (11 March 2024). "'Anatomy Of A Fall' Star Messi Inspires Some Doggone Hilarious Memes At 2024 Oscars". HuffPost.
  13. ^ Flam, Charna (12 February 2024). "Canine Star of 'Anatomy of a Fall' Attends Oscars Luncheon and Meets Ryan Gosling". People. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  14. ^ Burt, Kristian (10 March 2024). "Who is the dog at the 2024 Oscars? About Messi of 'Anatomy of a Fall'". Today.
  15. ^ Juneau, Jen (10 March 2024). "Watch Jimmy Kimmel Rehearse 2024 Oscars Jokes with Dog from Anatomy of a Fall: 'We Got a Winner'". People.
  16. ^ "Messi the celebrity dog made it to the Oscars. Here's how the show pulled off his (clapping) cameo". Associated Press. 11 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  17. ^ McArdle, Tommy (10 March 2024). "Jimmy Kimmel Continues Matt Damon 'Feud,' Closes Oscars with Dog Messi Peeing on Actor's Walk of Fame Star". People.
  18. ^ Ewe, Koh (11 March 2024). "Messi, the Anatomy of a Fall Dog, Caps Show-Stealing Awards Season With Oscars Prank". Time.
  19. ^ ""Q d'or" : Snoop, le chien d' "Anatomie d'une chute", accepte son prix avec un drôle de discours" ["Q d'or": Snoop, the dog from "Anatomy of a Fall", accepts his prize with a funny speech]. HuffPost (in French). 30 January 2024.
  20. ^ Wise, Damon (11 March 2024). "Fido Awards 2024: 'Anatomy Of A Fall' Star Messi Finally Gets His Oscar Moment". Deadline.

External links[edit]

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