Leonardo DiCaprio voiced his disappointment after Chase Infiniti, his co-star in One Battle After Another, was left out of the 2026 Oscar nominations announced earlier this week. Speaking to the Associated Press, DiCaprio, an eight-time Oscar nominee who won Best Actor in 2016 for The Revenant, expressed that Infiniti’s performance deserved Academy recognition.
DiCaprio Praises Infiniti’s Vital Performance in the Film
Highlighting the importance of Infiniti’s role, DiCaprio said,
“She was the fabric of this movie. She was the heart and soul,”
before emphasizing,
“There would be no One Battle After Another without the performance that she gave.”
Despite the snub, he noted Infiniti’s attitude remained positive throughout the awards season.
He added,
“A young actress coming in to fill a role that was her first film and carrying the entire emotional weight of this movie was a near-impossible task,”
followed by,
“She should be so proud of herself and we’re all so proud of her.”
Overview of This Year’s Oscar Nominations
This year’s nominations include DiCaprio himself for Best Lead Actor, competing against Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme, Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon, Michael B. Jordan for Sinners, and Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent. Director Paul Thomas Anderson also earned a nod for Best Director, while Benicio Del Toro received a Best Supporting Actor nomination. The film One Battle After Another secured a total of 13 nominations, including Best Picture.
Infiniti was widely anticipated to be among the Best Actress nominees, but the official list includes Jessie Buckley for Hamnet, Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue, Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value, and Emma Stone for Bugonia.
Notable Snubs and Industry Reactions
The Hollywood Reporter highlighted other significant Emmy and Oscar snubs this year beyond Infiniti’s, such as Paul Mescal for Hamnet, Jesse Plemons for Bugonia, Jennifer Lawrence for Die My Love, Jennifer Lopez and Tonatiuh for Kiss of the Spider-Woman, and the ensemble of Train Dreams actors including Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, William H. Macy, and Kerry Condon. These omissions have sparked discussions about the dynamics shaping this year’s nominations.
What This Snub Means Moving Forward
Leonardo DiCaprio’s response underscores the emotional and professional weight of the Academy Awards for those involved in major films like One Battle After Another. While Infiniti’s exclusion highlights the unpredictability of the nomination process, DiCaprio’s support affirms the significance of her work and hints at potential future recognition for emerging talents. The impact of these contentious snubs may influence Academy voting and public discussions as awards season progresses.
