Debunked! How they got Messi the Anatomy of a Fall dog to clap at the Oscars

If there is one scene stealer of Awards season this year, it’s Messi – the goodest boy in Hollywood who gave the performance of a lifetime in Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall. There were some reports that Messi was banned from the Oscars after people were worried his likability might sway votes in Anatomy of a Fall’s favour. Thankfully, these were debunked – the good boy himself was plonked in the audience and keeping all eyes on him as per. He’s literally the actor of the year. But he really got tongues wagging as well as tails when he seemingly clapped for Robert Downey Jr. Obviously, dogs don’t tend to know how to clap – but with the skills of Messi that he showcased in Anatomy of a Fall, you never know. But we’ve got answers – here’s how the dog clapped at the Oscars.

Good boy!

The Academy cut to Messi clapping his little paws for Robert Downey Jr last night, and we all collectively lost our minds. No one more than Ryan Gosling, whose face lights up when he sees that Messi the dog clapped away at the Oscars. But did he actually or is this all TV trickery?

How the Oscars pulled off the dog clap

In a video showing the pre-recorded stunt, Messi is sat on the chair all smiles whilst someone claps some fake paws below him. The crowd was drafted in early to get the little stunt pulled off correctly. It’s all very charming. Truly the magic of Hollywood.

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