Oscars 2023: Brian Tyree Henry’s Nomination for ‘Causeway’ Was a ‘Major Surprise,’ Say Some

The Academy Awards mark the culmination of Hollywood’s awards season. And with the 2023 Oscars coming up fast, fans and pundits alike are eager to see who’ll win the biggest prizes. Although many of this year’s nominees have been talked about throughout the awards season, the Academy had some surprises in store, especially among the acting nods. One nominee — Causeway star Brian Tyree Henry — stood out.

Oscars 2023 is filled with many first-time acting nominees

Throughout Oscars history, numerous stars have routinely popped up among a given year’s list of nominees. For instance, actors like Daniel Day-Lewis and Meryl Streep have three Oscars each and countless nominations between them. Likewise, the 2023 Academy Award nominations see the return of past winner Cate Blanchett and five-time nominee Michelle Williams. But aside from those two, the four acting categories are dominated by first-time nominees.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated Michelle Yeoh, Ana de Armas, and Andrea Riseborough alongside Blanchett and Williams for Best Actress. And Best Actor is filled with all first-time nominees, including frontrunners Austin Butler, Colin Farrell, and Brendan Fraser. In addition, four of the five Best Supporting Actress nominees landed their first nod, with Angela Bassett the sole exception. She was previously nominated for 1993’s What’s Love Got to Do With It.

Brian Tyree Henry earned a supporting nod for ‘Causeway’

But perhaps the biggest surprise acting nomination came in Best Supporting Actor. All awards season long, Ke Huy Quan of Everything Everywhere All at Once and Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan of The Banshees of Inisherin have been popping up. Even Judd Hirsch received several critics’ group nods for his work in The Fabelmans. However, few expected Henry to emerge as the sole nominee for the Jennifer Lawrence vehicle Causeway.

In a Reddit thread, fans reacted in real-time as the Academy announced nominations, with many commenters shocked at Henry’s nod.

One fan called it “the only major surprise … so far,” while another admitted they “loved him in the role but didn’t think he was getting the nomination.”

Still, another fan spoke for most by saying they were “beyond thrilled” to see Henry’s name in the Best Supporting Actor conversation.

Brian Tyree Henry has been doing incredible work for years

Although Henry has yet to hit leading-man status, the actor has been turning in standout performances for years. 2018 marked his first step in breaking into the mainstream, with memorable supporting turns in Widows and If Beale Street Could Talk. That same year, he voiced Jefferson Davis — father to the web-slinging Miles Morales — in the Oscar-winning animated hit Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Since then, Henry has joined the DC and Marvel universes with roles in 2019’s Joker and 2021’s Eternals. He appeared in Warner Bros.’ shared MonsterVerse with 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong. And the actor even appeared in the 2022 hit Bullet Train opposite Brad Pitt, a previous Best Supporting Actor winner. So although Quan is the frontrunner in the category, Henry’s nomination could indicate even greater things to come for him.

The 95th Oscars will air live on ABC Sunday, Mar. 12, 2023.