Rise and shine! Hollywood's biggest and brightest stars woke up to some well-earned morning glory on Thursday, Jan. 16, when the 2014 Oscar nominations were announced by Chris Hemsworth and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Cheryl Boone Isaacs.
Jennifer Lawrence, Lupita Nyong'o, Matthew McConaughey, and Leonardo DiCaprio were among those recognized by the Academy for their outstanding work in films including American Hustle, 12 Years a Slave, Dallas Buyers Club, and The Wolf of Wall Street.
David O. Russell's crime dramedy American Hustle and Alfonso Cuaron's space thriller Gravity led the pack with 10 nominations each, followed by the critically acclaimed 12 Years a Slave, which earned nine nominations.
Below, see what Tinseltown's top contenders had to say about their Academy Award nominations. (Reactions are organized alphabetically, by first name.) And check back throughout the day for more!
Alfonso Cuaron, Best Director for Gravity: "Thank you, Academy, for this incredible recognition. These nominations are not just about single achievements, but rather the collective effort of hundreds of dedicated artists who made this dream a reality. On behalf of everyone involved with Gravity, I want to express our deepest gratitude to the industry, the exhibitors, and the public for embracing this film so passionately. A special thank you to our friends and collaborators at Warner Bros. for staying on board this journey for more than four years. I am particularly moved by Sandy's nomination. She is the heartbeat of our film. She immersed herself in the part. And I thank her for her grace, her trust and her dedication to finding the truth of this character." (THR)
Amy Adams, Best Actress in a Leading Role for American Hustle: "It's a very good thing to wake up to; we were all asleep! Making Hustle was very challenging, so it's really nice that people not only recognized the film but all the actors as well. And I’m so proud to have been in Her too, which has been recognized with a best picture nomination. As for celebrating today, maybe we should go out for a family hike? Then again, everyone looks pretty tired around here right now!" (THR)
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Best Actor in a Leading Role for 12 Years a Slave: "At no point during filming, in the sweltering heat of New Orleans, did any of us ever foresee the journey this film would take us all on. Steve McQueen created an entire family to tell one man's tale and I am delighted that so many of this family have also been recognized today. I am hugely grateful to the Academy for this great honour, and, of course, to Solomon Northup for sharing his story through his breathtaking book."
David O. Russell, Best Director for American Hustle: "First of all, I want to congratulate all of the nominees from all of the films. We are all blessed to be in this business, telling stories. In American Hustle, we tried to create characters and a world that the audience would find romantic and moving and real. I am so thrilled for my partners — my actors, my producers, Eric Singer, and the craftspeople from the film — who were honored today. They gave it their all; they poured their passion into the movie and I am truly thankful to them.”
Jared Leto, Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Dallas Buyers Club: "I am absolutely blown away by this incredible nomination. I never in my life thought I would have the opportunity to even write these words. Thank you so much to all my fellow AMPAS acting branch members for this honor. Today you not only honor me but also all those around the world living with AIDS and all those we have lost to this disease. Thank you for recognizing them and recognizing their struggle through Dallas Buyers Club. This was a fascinating story told by a group of incredibly passionate and committed filmmakers who wanted to create something special and shine a light on a unique and important story. I'm proud to be a part of this celebration and so very grateful to you all. A huge congratulations to Matthew McConaughey, Robbie Brenner, Rachel Winter, Craig Borten, Melisa Wallack, Jean-Marc Vallee, Martin Pensa, Adruitha Lee, and Robin Mathews."
Jonah Hill, Best Actor in a Supporting Role for The Wolf of Wall Street: "I am in complete and total shock. I honestly was not expecting this, on a level you can't even imagine. Again, I'm clearly in shock. I didn't have a plan for celebrating today because I truly did not expect any of this! But I am going to the Critics' Choice Awards and it will be great to see everyone from the film there tonight. Truly, this is shocking." (THR)
Judi Dench, Best Actress in a Leading Role for Philomena: "This is just the loveliest news. I'm so happy for everybody involved, and so proud to have been part of the wonderful experience that Philomena has been."
Julia Roberts, Best actress in a Supporting Role for August: Osage County: "This was certainly a once in a lifetime experience and the recognition from it is an absolutely thrilling bonus. I simply could not be more excited right now."
Leonardo DiCaprio, Best Actor in a Leading Role for The Wolf of Wall Street: "I am deeply humbled by this honor and even happier to share today with Marty [Scorsese], Jonah [Hill], Terry [Winter], as well as this entire cast and crew. The Wolf of Wall Street has been a passion project of mine, and I found the role to be one of the most challenging and rewarding of my career. Congratulations to all of my fellow nominees and thank you to the Academy for this extraordinary recognition."
Lupita Nyong'o, Best Actress in a Supporting Role for 12 Years a Slave: "I am thrilled beyond words that the Academy has recognized my performance in Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave and I am deeply proud to be in the company of my fellow nominees. This celebration of such an important film is simply extraordinary, and I am so pleased to be able to share it with the rest of the 12 Years a Slave family. I feel truly blessed!"
Martin Scorsese, Best Director for The Wolf of Wall Street: It’s a great honor to receive this nomination from the Academy. I had a great team on The Wolf of Wall Street, and we all worked together to give the picture the special energy that it needed. I could never have done it without them, and I think of this nomination as a way of recognizing the whole group and what they achieved…We knew that we were taking a risk with The Wolf of Wall Street — by telling the story of Jordan Belfort and Stratton-Oakmont. I'm so pleased to see the picture recognized by the Academy, along with all the hard work, by so many talented people, that it took to bring it to the screen."
Matthew McConaughey, Best Actor in a Leading Role for Dallas Buyers Club: "I am honored and grateful for this nomination. I love working in an industry and craft that inspires me daily and allows me to tell stories that translate humanities and move people. I share this with the entire Dallas Buyers Club family of filmmakers, cast, and crew — and the real-life Ron Woodroofs and Rayons who continue to fight and live with dignity. Thank you."
Meryl Streep, Best Actress in a Leading Role for August: Osage County: "I am so happy for our film that Julia and I have been nominated. We are both so proud of August: Osage County. This honor from the Academy, for which we are truly grateful, will help bring attention to our film from audiences across the country, which is thrilling."
Steve McQueen, Best Director for 12 Years a Slave: "I'm extraordinarily happy for all the cast and crew of our 12 Years a Slave family. This has been an amazing ride, and to receive nine nominations from the Academy is testament to all of the hard work. And for that I am truly grateful."
U2, Best Original Song "Ordinary Love" for Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom: "We are humbled and honored that 'Ordinary Love' has been nominated for an Oscar… it was a privilege to be asked to write a song for this extraordinary film, Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, and to help tell this extraordinary love story. We have been working for this great man since we were teenagers and for our song to be recognised in this way by the Academy is beyond our wildest teenage dreams."
