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Jordan Horowitz: 5 Things to Know About the ‘La La Land’ Producer Who Graciously Cleared Up #EnvelopeGate

Though La La Land producer Jordan Horowitz didn’t win Best Picture at the 89th Academy Awards on Sunday, February 26, he did earn praise from viewers and fellow stars for how graciously he handled the shocking mix-up. Revisit the moment in the video above!

After presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway erroneously announced (because of a wrong envelope) that La La Land won the top prize of the evening, the musical’s cast and crew took the stage at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre to accept the honor and give their speeches. Horowitz, 36, spoke first before handing the microphone over to his colleagues Mark Platt and Fred Berger.

Related: Oscars' Most Unforgettable Moments

Soon after, members of the Oscars crew ran on stage to tell Horowitz and the rest of the team that there had been a mistake and Moonlight had actually won Best Picture. Horowitz gracefully told the audience, “There’s been a mistake. Moonlight, you won Best Picture. This is not a joke. … I’m gonna be really proud to hand this to my friends from Moonlight.”

Moonlight director Barry Jenkins, who took the stage shortly after the mishap, applauded Horowitz on Twitter, writing, “Jordan Horowitz. Wow. I’m slipping slowly into reflection, perspective. Much respect to that dude.” Actress Jessica Chastain echoed, “You are a real class act @jehorowitz.”

Related: Oscars 2017: Inside All of the Afterparties

As we try to make sense of the confusing snafu, here are five things to know about the producer.

1. He Produced His First Movie in 2010

Horowitz coproduced The Kids Are All Right, the Annette Bening– and Julianne Moore–led dramedy that centered on a lesbian marriage and two children conceived by artificial insemination. The film was a hit at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, received four Oscar nominations (including Best Picture) and won two Golden Globe Awards: Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy and Best Actress — Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Bening.

2. He Is Married and a Father

Horowitz is married to writer Julia Hart. The couple cowrote the 2016 comedy Miss Stevens and the forthcoming drama Fast Color, which is scheduled to be released in 2018. Horowitz and Hart share a young son, according to a 2016 profile published by the Los Angeles Times. “I got to thank my wife and my son, so it’s all good,” Horowitz said after Sunday’s snafu, NBC News reported.

3. He Grew Up in New York

Horowitz was raised in Westchester County, New York, where he played for a Jewish temple league basketball team with Berger, his future La La Land colleague, Jewish Journal reported last week. The longtime friends moved to New York City around the same time to kick off their careers in the film industry before relocating to Los Angeles. They met director Damien Chazelle in 2011 and the rest, as we now know, is history.


Related: Biggest Oscar Gaffes Ever!

4. He Has 13 Producing Credits

Since 2010, Horowitz has worked on more than a dozen works, including the 2013 comedy Are You Here (which starred Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis and Amy Poehler) and the upcoming Starz sci-fi series Counterpart, which is set to premiere later this year.

5. He Thought #EnvelopeGate Was ‘Surreal’

Speaking with Good Morning America on Monday, February 27, Horowitz called the mix-up a “surreal moment.” He told the ABC morning show, “There was a lot of confusion on stage, and at a certain point it was clear that the wrong envelope had been given. … It was like this slow, steady realization that something wasn’t right. It needed to be corrected, so we jumped in and did it.”

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