THE OSCAR ISSUE / HUFFINGTON / 02.10-17.13
kwuh-ven-juh-nay
JESS PINKH/ COURTESY OF FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES
Wallis as “Hushpuppy”
on the set of Beasts of
the Southern Wild.
some good fried seafood,
but Quvenzhané would not
budge. “It’s not food,” she
said. “It’s rubber.”
“Here in New York?,” I asked. “Or in
Los Angeles?”
“Everywhere,” she replied.
“All the food is rubber?”
“Yes.”
The conversation turned to awards
season. More specifically, how busy she
would be if Beasts of the Southern Wild
became a contender. I mentioned that
she’d probably have to go through all of
this again if she were nominated for an
Oscar. She acknowledged that possibility,
then, heeding her mother’s warning that
we were running out of time, told me that
the next question would be my last.
Funny thing: Most actors won’t admit to wanting an award. If you ask
them whether they think
they’ll be nominated, most actors will
wince — actors are a superstitious
lot — and offer a few innocuous words
about how privileged they feel to have
worked with this or that director or costar. But most actors aren’t 8 years old.
When I asked Quvenzhané Wallis if she
wanted to win an acting award, without hesitation she replied, “Yes.” And
before I could even think about sneaking in a follow-up question, she added,
“That was the last question.”
Maybe Quvenzhané is already a pro.
Or maybe she just wanted to
play hide-and-seek again.