Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty
No,Jimmy Kimmeland the Academy did not flyThe Banshees of Inisherin’s Jenny the Donkey from Ireland to Los Angeles for theOscars.
As Kimmel, 55, recapped the 95th Academy Awards onJimmy Kimmel LiveMonday, the host confirmed that the donkey brought onstage for a bit at the awards showwas not the actual donkey featuredin writer-director Martin McDonagh’s film, which starred nomineesColin Farrell,Kerry Condon,Brendan Gleesonand Barry Keoghan.
“Jenny the Donkey from theBanshees of Inisherin, that was our emotional-support donkey last night,” the host said during his monologue, adding that while “everybody was super excited to see her,” news outlets like theLos Angeles Timesconfirmed with McDonagh and Condon that thedonkey was not actually Jenny.
“I have to say, it’s true. It wasn’t Jenny, it wasn’t even a female donkey,” Kimmel explained. “The donkey’s name is Dominic, it’s a male donkey. We didn’t think it was a good idea to fly a donkey over from Ireland, so we hired an L.A. donkey. Maybe you noticed the lip fillers and the implants.”
Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
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“To anyone who was upset that they didn’t get to see the bonafide donkey, we’re very sorry,” Kimmel quipped. “I want to apologize on behalf of the Academy, it will never happen again, I promise you.”
Jenny the Donkey — the real one — received considerable acclaim from theBanshees of Inisherincast and crew when the film released back in October. The film’s animal trainer Rita Moloney, who secured Jenny’s place in the movie, toldVulturethat filmmaker McDonagh “just fell in love with her” the first time he met the miniature donkey.
“Martin fell so in love with her that he never wanted her to work again,” Moloney told the outlet. “He asked if she could just do this movie, and then retire.”
“Now she’s just a happy donkey running with other miniature donkeys,” she added of Jenny’s life. “I only saw her about three weeks ago down in County Carlow, and she’s looking fine, fit and healthy. She’s just living the dream.”
source: people.com
