Rosie Perez was invited to the Oscars in 1994 when she was nominated for an Academy Award for her supporting role in Fearless. The actress is back to the ceremony almost three decades later after never being invited again.
The Academy informed that Perez is confirmed to present an award during the upcoming 94th award show. According to Rosie, despite the excitement of being included in the guest list again, being overlooked for 28 years made her sad.
“Not even to sit in the audience, not to present, nothing – and I’m a member,” Perez told Variety in 2021. “I love the Academy Awards. I cheer on my peers, but it hurts. It’s like when your home team doesn’t ask you to come back into the stadium after you got up to bat and hit the home run.”
Oscars co-producer Will Packer announced the first group of presenters, including Kevin Costner, Lady Gaga, Yuh-Jung Youn, Zoë Kravitz, and Chris Rock. “Movies inspire us, entertain us and unite us across the globe,” he said. “That’s the precise goal of the show this year, and we’re thrilled to welcome the first of a stellar lineup joining the Oscars stage to help us celebrate the power of film and honor the year’s best in filmmaking.”
The 94th Academy Awards take place March 27 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.