Messi, the dog from the film “Anatomy of a Fall”, has conquered Hollywood

The interpreter of Snoop in “Anatomy of a Fall” by Justine Triet, already popular on social networks, made a remarkable debut on the red carpet.

Black and white coat, ice blue eyes, the dog Messi made a strong impression at the Oscar nominees’ luncheon on Monday February 12 in Los Angeles. Playing Snoop, Daniel’s guide dog, in the film by French director Justine Triet, the border collie participated in his first social event and was the center of attention of Hollywood stars. After meeting Ryan Gosling, hand on heart, visibly moved to meet him, Messi took advantage of a selfie with singer Billie Eilish, who left her Gucci bag on the ground for the occasion.

Photo shoot, interview by the American magazine Variety, the dog even managed to convince the New York Times journalist [article en anglais] who covered the event threw a toy across the room at him, threatening to knock over a few glasses of champagne.

Faced with this success among Hollywood’s elite, the director of the film was even surprised that the dog was better known in the United States than in France. But Messi’s admirers weren’t just moved by the animal himself, his performances were on everyone’s lips, notably his ability to play dead in one of the scenes, which impressed Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone.

No specific regulations for the profession of dog actor

The actor dog is never left to his own devices. His mistress, Laura Martin Contini, also an animal coach in the cinema, keeps an eye on things during the reception as well as on the sets. It was with her that Messi trained, several weeks before filming. Using a clicker, referring to the noise produced by the object when it is activated, the coach makes the dog understand when its action corresponds exactly to what she is asking of it. Laura Martin Contini also guided Messi during his scenes, forcing him to hide in the background or act as an extra, as she tells Madmoizelle.

The animal coach also has the mission of ensuring the well-being of the animal on set. If there are no specific regulations for actor dogs, the animal should not perceive any difference between the filming of a scene and a play session. Messi had so much fun on Anatomy of a fall that he delivered a performance which earned him the “Palm Dog” at Cannes in May 2023. At the end of the lunch, the Academy of Oscars also awarded him the unofficial “Best Dog” prize. but to which will be added, perhaps, statuettes during the ceremony on March 10, 2024, since Justine Triet’s film is nominated in five categories.