Whether or not you were surprised by Casey Affleck’s Best Actor win last night, there’s no denying that there was a mixed reaction to his victory for Manchester By The Sea. Not long after his nomination was announced, Constance Wu criticized the Academy for showing such recognition to someone who had to settle out of court with two women who alleged he’d sexually harassed them during the making of I’m Still Here, especially in light of how resurfaced rape accusations against Nate Parker rendered The Birth Of A Nation DOA. And there wasn’t as much effusing in the crowd as you’d expect after Brie Larson read Affleck’s name while presenting the Best Actor award. Larson herself refused to applaud after announcing Affleck’s win, and looked downright downtrodden over the whole thing.
After Larson handed Affleck the statuette, she stepped back and stood with her arms at her sides during his speech. But her silent protest didn’t go unnoticed, as the internet applauded Larson’s underwhelming response.
Neither did the internet fail to acknowledge that this is the second time that Larson, who’s an advocate for sexual assault survivors following her performance in Room, has had to present Affleck with an award this season. It looks like Larson’s already warming up to play a hero in Captain Marvel.