Andrea Riseborough

Andrea Riseborough, who's nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in To Leslie, said the recognition is 'such an unexpected ray of light'

[SXSW](https://people.com/tag/sxsw/) there was a quiet lull. "It has been special to feel so supported by the community — especially by actors — and to feel like the work has broken through that. Where can I see it?' After a while, we were able to point them to iTunes and Amazon, but it didn't happen right away," she said. [PEOPLE's free daily newsletter](https://x.specialoffers.meredith.com/ats/show.aspx?cr=588&fm=241) to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. "I happened to catch it and, wow, I was really staggered by the depth she reached. "It's a tough but really elegant and compassionate film (by Michael Morris) where the emotion is really earned," he added in the caption, alongside three photos of Riseborough in the movie. — we found people were starting to talk about it." "It was so hard to believe it might ever happen because we really hadn't been in the running for anything else. Check it out." And as she told Deadline following her Oscar nomination news Tuesday, "I'm astounded." Even though we had a lot of support, the idea it might actually happen seemed so far away." [Golden Globe Awards](https://people.com/tag/golden-globe-awards/), [Critics Choice Awards](https://people.com/tag/critics-choice-awards/) and [Screen Actors Guild Awards](https://people.com/tag/sag-awards/).

Andrea Riseborough gets her first Best Actress Oscar Nomination for her role in the little-seen indie To Leslie, after a strong grassroots campaign.

“It takes one person to believe that it’s worth sharing.” She was in London this afternoon with her partner, Karim Saleh, who was watching the livestream and told her the good news while she was “busying myself trying to find a sock or something, just to take my mind off it.” It has been special to feel so supported by the community — especially by actors — and to feel like the work has broken through that. A fellow nominee today, Blanchett, singled out Riseborough’s performance in interviews at the recent [Critics Choice Awards](https://deadline.com/2023/01/2023-critics-choices-awards-winners-list-1235221917/), where [Blanchett won Best Actress](https://deadline.com/2023/01/cate-blanchett-tar-critics-choice-awards-best-actress-1235223276/). [ Independent Spirit Award-nominated](https://deadline.com/2022/11/independent-spirit-award-nominations-2022-1235179928/) for the role in late November and earlier won the Best Actress prize at the Raindance Film Festival in London, few prognosticators saw this coming. [Michael Morris](https://deadline.com/tag/michael-morris/) and based on the semi-autobiographical experience of writer Ryan Binaco, To Leslie premiered at last year’s SXSW but flew largely under the radar, grossing a little over $27,000 on an underwhelming release by Momentum Pictures in October. It was so hard to believe it might ever happen because we really hadn’t been in the running for anything else.

How Andrea Riseborough built a celeb-backed Oscar campaign for indie film 'To Leslie' and scored a nomination.

“To Leslie” director Michael Morris and his wife, actor Mary McCormack, showed the movie to Stern in July during the annual wedding anniversary celebration they share with the Sterns. McCormack sent an email to friends asking them to publicly support the movie and Riseborough’s performance, even including images and suggested hashtags and accounts to tag in social media posts. And what’s more comfortable than posting about a movie every day!” “It genuinely caught everyone by surprise,” a source tells me. It feels like the film community rallied around and made a noise.” [To Leslie](https://variety.com/t/to-leslie/),” an indie film about a woman trying to rebuild her life while battling drug addiction and alcoholism.

Oscars best actress nominee and 'To Leslie' star Andrea Riseborough rode a wave of celebrity support to Oscars recognition in a last-minute campaign.

Riseborough isn’t the only surprise nomination in one of the year’s most competitive categories. [Heat Vision](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/e/heat-vision/) [Oscars: ‘Black Panther’ Star Angela Bassett Makes Marvel History With Best Supporting Actress Nod](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/angela-bassett-first-marvel-actor-nominated-oscar-1235305707/) [Robert De Niro](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/robert-de-niro/) [Cosmo Jarvis to Star Alongside Robert De Niro in Barry Levinson’s Gangster Drama ‘Wise Guys’ (Exclusive)](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/cosmo-jarvis-wise-guys-de-niro-casting-1235307052/) [Awards](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/e/awards/) [Oscar Nominee Ke Huy Quan Talks ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Recognition: “None of This Feels Real Right Now”](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/ke-huy-quan-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-oscar-nomination-1235308362/) [Oscars 2023](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/oscars-2023/) [Austin Butler Remembers Lisa Marie Presley Following ‘Elvis’ Oscar Nom: “I Just Wish She Was Here to Celebrate”](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/austin-butler-lisa-marie-presley-elvis-2023-oscar-nomination-1235308446/) In addition to de Armas, Riseborough is nominated in the 2023 best actress category alongside Cate Blanchett for Tár, Michelle Williams for The Fabelmans and Michelle Yeoh for Everything Everywhere All at Once. [Andrea Riseborough](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/andrea-riseborough/) has secured [a surprise leading actress nomination](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/oscar-nominations-2023-nominees-list-1235307974/) for [To Leslie](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/to-leslie/), Michael Morris’ small indie drama about a Texas woman trying to get her life back on track after years of battling addiction, ahead of the 95th Academy [Awards](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/awards/). [Charlize Theron](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/charlize-theron/), [Sarah Paulson](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/sarah-paulson/) and [Edward Norton](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/edward-norton/) have all hosted screenings, with additional enthusiasm coming from Gwenyth Paltrow and Courteney Cox. [Subscribe Sign Up](https://cloud.email.hollywoodreporter.com/signup/) Ana de Armas also cracked the top five as the sole nominee for Blonde, meaning other top contenders like Viola Davis in The Woman King and Danielle Deadwyler in Till missed out. Names who have tweeted or otherwise expressed digital kudos include Susan Sarandon (“beautiful, lil gem of a film”); Helen Hunt (“If you’re out there voting for performances, don’t do it till you see Andrea Riseborough”); Zooey Deschanel (“amazing movie”); Melanie Lynskey (“even for her this is next level”); Mira Sorvino (“absolutely stunning, wrenching and beautiful”); Constance Zimmer (“you’ll never forget this performance”); Rosie O’Donnell (“devastatingly beautiful film”); Minnie Driver (“run don’t walk”); Alan Cumming (“an insanely raw and beautiful performance”); and Daphne Zuniga (“incredible performance”). 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To Leslie had gone virtually unnoticed this awards season until late-breaking support from scores of A-list actors propelled Riseborough over the finish line. In a year crowded with best actress contenders, it pays to have famous friends in your court.

The star of the small indie film "To Leslie" crashes the Academy Award nomination party thanks to heavy stumping from her A-list actor peers.

See our [latest prediction champs](https://www.goldderby.com/best-prediction-scores/awards/league-data/). Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our [famous forums](https://www.goldderby.com/forums/) where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. [Make your predictions](https://www.goldderby.com/leagues/) at Gold Derby now. And yet early Tuesday morning, there she was on the list of [Best Actress nominees](https://www.goldderby.com/article/2023/2023-oscar-nominations-full-list/), seemingly against all odds. Download our free and easy app for [Apple/iPhone devices](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1460576753) or [Android (Google Play)](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pmc.goldDerby) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. But for an actress who was on nobody’s radar to come within 10,000 miles of an Oscar nomination as recently as November to pull it off – and for a movie made in 19 days on a budget of less than a million bucks – is astonishing.

Andrea Riseborough snuck into the Oscars race for her performance in Michael Morris' To Leslie.

[The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/jennifer-aniston-sarah-paulson-andrea-riseborough-to-leslie-1235294300/) earlier this month. [20% offEssentiel by Adele](https://go.linkby.com/FWWYCTOO) It has been special to feel so supported by the community—especially by actors—and to feel like the work has broken through that. Her [eleventh-hour](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/jennifer-aniston-sarah-paulson-andrea-riseborough-to-leslie-1235294300/), word-of-mouth Oscar campaign for her performance in Michael Morris’ indie drama To Leslie was a success, with her name sitting amongst [fellow nominees](https://www.avclub.com/2023-oscar-nominations-1850018411) Cate Blanchett, Michelle Yeoh, Michelle Williams, and Ana de Armas. Movies like this, made for little money, that are this powerful and true, should be given the same attention and consideration as those that have huge studios and therefore budgets behind them.” I felt like I was watching a movie from the ’70s, a time when so many of my favorite films were made. Fellow actors (mostly women) such as Kate Winslet, [Melanie Lynsky](https://twitter.com/melanielynskey/status/1613348724130058245?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1613348724130058245%7Ctwgr%5Ec1f34d0730c942550ba503474398e87fcc2c5b99%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hollywoodreporter.com%2Fmovies%2Fmovie-news%2Fjennifer-aniston-sarah-paulson-andrea-riseborough-to-leslie-1235294300%2F), Demi Moore, Jane Fonda, Naomi Watts, Laura Dern, and Frances Fisher began to come out of the woodwork to praise Riseborough’s performance as a single mother living in West Texas who squanders her lottery winnings. It was so hard to believe it might ever happen because we really hadn’t been in the running for anything else. Even though we had a lot of support, the idea it might actually happen seemed so far away.” “I was just struck by its authenticity. [Deadline](https://deadline.com/2023/01/andrea-riseborough-oscar-nomination-to-leslie-1235238724/). [this year’s Oscar nominations](https://www.avclub.com/oscars-2023-the-academys-biggest-snubs-and-surprises-1850023103/slides/15), one of the [buzzier ones](https://www.avclub.com/oscars-2023-the-academys-biggest-snubs-and-surprises-1850023103/slides/15) is the Best Actress nomination for [Andrea Riseborough](https://www.avclub.com/andrea-riseborough-on-studio-sexism-in-oblivion-and-bei-1845897639).

Despite enjoying a flurry of late celebrity support, many Oscar-watchers felt British actress Andrea Riseborough had too high a hill to climb to score a ...

He was part of a very strong showing for Irish actors and talent. "To be recognised by the Academy is such an insane honour and I'm so utterly grateful." All of the other best picture contenders were released in cinemas - although some have since become available on streaming. This was a huge but very welcome surprise. Where can I see it?' After a while, we were able to point them to iTunes and Amazon, but it didn't happen right away." It has now secured nine nods at the Oscars. "This is bananas!" "After SXSW there was a quiet lull," Riseborough recalled. To Leslie reportedly only made $27,000 (£21,800) at the box office when it first opened. The film premiered at South by Southwest last March. I don’t post a lot about films or actor performances…maybe I should more often. But the copy-and-paste tweets and Instagram posts were driven by an apparently genuine admiration.

A social media campaign by some famous friends netted the star of “To Leslie,” a little-known microbudget indie, her first Oscar nomination.

When I talk to people who haven’t watched the film, they can identify with her even though she’s letting herself and the people she loves down in so many ways. So she’s quite a large character to let into your consciousness, for all of us — I don’t just mean for me playing her, for everybody on the film, cast and crew. We shot it in 19 days, and it was all one or two takes, mostly, because we didn’t have a lot of time. A character like Leslie, once she gets inside you, you can’t really shake her off. “There’s a large part of me that’s really unable to accept that it’s happened.” “It is arbitrary considering how many extraordinary performances there have been by women, not only in this room,” she said. By the time we got to actually making it, it felt like an explosion, because it had been in our bones for so long. A wonderful, warm feeling of being supported and recognized. The thing that feels most exciting is being acknowledged by your community. Here are excerpts from the conversation. “It’s sort of surreal,” Riseborough, 41, said. Immediately I knew that I wanted to make that film and two years later, we did — after a good, long stewing period of not being able to get it financed.

NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer talks with actress Andrea Riseborough about her new movie, To Leslie. It's about a single mother who wins the lottery but quickly loses ...

She's a graduate of the University of South Carolina, and currently lives in Washington, D.C., with her dog, Millie. Ryan began her career in journalism as a print reporter covering arts and culture. Erika Ryan is a producer for All Things Considered.