Fernanda's No Gracious Loser

- StudioBriefing, 25 March 1999


Appearing to evince much of the cold cynicism that distinguished
her character in Brazil's Central Station (1998), Fernanda
Montenegro accused Motion Picture Academy voters of awarding the
best actress Oscar to Gwyneth Paltrow not for her performance but
for her "thin, pure, virginal" appearance. Speaking on her return
to Rio De Janeiro from Los Angeles, where she attended the awards
ceremony as a rival nominee for best actress, Montenegro said,
"They don't have much of this type of actress like Paltrow in
American cinema. The Oscar for Paltrow is an investment."
Montenegro had few complimentary words for Roberto Benigni's Life
Is Beautiful (1997) as well. "It didn't deserve to win," she said.
"I thought it was just him that won, not the film itself."