Lily Gladstone, recognized for her acting prowess in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” reflects on her historic Oscar nomination and embraces the responsibility of being the first Native American nominated for Best Actress.
Back in 2004, Lily Gladstone’s high school classmates voted her “most likely to win an Oscar.” Fast forward two decades, and she’s inching closer to fulfilling that yearbook prophecy, securing a Best Actress nomination for her role in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
“It’s crazy when Leo DiCaprio is texting you your own high-school yearbook photo,” shares Gladstone, 37, referring to the recently resurfaced superlative that went viral on social media. She shares this honor with her classmate Josh Ryder, who has been supportive throughout awards season as Gladstone collected trophies from the Gotham Awards, National Board of Review, and New York Film Critics Circle.
Reflecting on the unexpected recognition, Gladstone recalls Ryder saying, “I don’t know if you know this, but all of this greatness in your life has brought our whole class back together.” The class is even planning an Oscars watch party in their old high-school theater. Gladstone is delighted that she didn’t disappoint her classmates.
In “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Gladstone portrays Mollie Kyle, a real-life Osage woman whose family was murdered for their oil-rich land in 1920s Oklahoma. The film follows the sinister plot hatched by Mollie’s husband, Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), and his uncle, William Hale (Robert De Niro), to kill her as well. The FBI intervenes to prevent the tragedy.
Gladstone, born and raised on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana, made history at the Golden Globes by becoming the first Indigenous person to win the Best Drama Actress award. Now, with her Best Actress Oscar nomination, she becomes the first Native American to achieve this recognition.
Gladstone shared her perspective on major awards acknowledging a Native American woman. “It’s a moment for all of us that I just happen to be carrying,” she remarked. Today, she reaffirms that sentiment, stating, “I feel exactly the same way. I’m elated and excited and also just amazed that it took this long. The Oscars take place on Native land, are telling stories that are largely shot on Native land. Why is it taking this long?”
Recalling Keisha Castle-Hughes’ 2004 Best Actress nomination for “Whale Rider,” Gladstone emphasizes the significance of such moments. “That felt like my moment, too. I know if I felt that way, there’s a lot of little actresses with aspirations who feel like it’s really possible. It’s an incredible honor. I just happened to be placed in history with this filmmaker and this film at this time. It’s circumstantial that I have that moniker of ‘the first,’ but I’m certainly not going to be the last.”
As Gladstone celebrates her nomination, she was on FaceTime with her parents when the Oscar nominations were announced. She asked her mom to flip the camera around, wanting to witness their reaction firsthand. To her surprise, seeing her parents’ emotional response brought tears to her eyes.
Gladstone also acknowledges the posthumous nomination of Robbie Robertson for Best Original Score, reflecting on the significance of his collaboration with Scorsese throughout the years. “One day, Martin Scorsese will make his Indian movie,” her dad had predicted. Gladstone sees this as her dad being a bit of a wizard, with “Flower Moon” marking Robertson’s final collaboration with Scorsese.
While “Killers of the Flower Moon” received 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio was surprisingly overlooked in the Best Actor category. Expressing her admiration for DiCaprio’s work, Gladstone says, “I so wish that Leo would have gotten his due for the incredible work he did. I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did without what he did.”
In light of her historic nomination, Gladstone has returned to Pawhuska, Oklahoma, where the film was shot. She plans to spend the day with members of the Osage community, paying respects to Mollie Kyle’s legacy and the land that raised them. While she anticipates the news in close proximity to Mollie Kyle, she emphasizes that she is just one in a long line and encourages others, saying, “I’m certainly not going to be the last.”