Kevin O’Leary was robbed (of an Oscar nom, that is)

The Oscar nominations were announced this morning with some notable Toronto-centric nods including KPop Demon Hunters for best animated feature (creator Maggie Kang grew up in Toronto) and nine nominations for Guillermo del Toro’s Toronto-shot Frankenstein, including best picture, best adapted screenplay and best supporting actor for Jacob Elordi.

Speaking of which, you know who didn’t get a nomination in the same category? Investor turned accidental thespian Kevin O’Leary for his outstanding performance in Marty Supreme.

Related: How Shark Tank crank Kevin O’Leary broke into Hollywood with Marty Supreme

For those who don’t know the backstory, O’Leary was approached by Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein (Marty Supreme’s director-writer and co-writer) to play their antagonist because they believed in his rare talent for being an asshole. They gave him a script and a toupee and the results were, well, wonderful.

Not once were you left sitting in the theatre thinking, Wait, what is the mean guy from Shark Tank doing in 1950s New York? O’Leary’s turn as a robber baron of the era was subtle and funny, and he held his own against high-calibre castmates like Gwyneth Paltrow and Timothée Chalamet. If that scene with the ping-pong paddle doesn’t scream “give this man a tiny golden statue,” there is officially no sense in this world.

And that’s not just a member of the Toronto media playing favourites. In his annual roundup of Oscar predictions, the Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg named O’Leary as the pick for “Shoulda Been a Contenda,” meaning he was deserving of a nomination but was unlikely to get one.

This prediction was based partly on earlier awards nominations: the Critics Choice Awards, the Golden Globes and SAG-AFTRA’s Actor Awards all failed to recognize O’Leary despite a “for your consideration” campaign from Marty Supreme distributor A24. So what happened?

Just theorizing here, but perhaps O’Leary’s comments about how using AI to replace extras on movies like Marty Supreme could save Hollywood billions didn’t sit so well with the entertainment industry power players and academy members who decide these things. O’Leary says his words were mischaracterized and that he is pushing AI in the name of supporting artists (“lower budgets equals more movies,” or something like that).

Still, in a post–Tilly Norwood world, it seems reasonable to assume O’Leary is a celebrity non grata in some circles. (Never mind his MAGA leanings and cozy trips to Mar-a-Lago.) Still, the point here is not politics; it’s performance. And so, once more for the back of the house: Kevin O’Leary was robbed!

The good news: Marty Supreme was nominated, which means O’Leary will almost certainly be on the Oscars red carpet. This member of the Justice for Kevin O’Leary Society will be watching.