Posted January 31, 2012

Forget George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep and Viola Davis; awards season has been dominated by one star and one star only: Uggie the dog. From a 10,000-fan strong Facebook campaign to get the Jack Russell terrier an impossible Oscar to frequent appearances on the red carpet to skateboarding on the roof of the Empire State Building, the "Artist" pooch has become a key figure in Hollywood over the last few months. The 10-year-old dog even affected Martin Scorsese, who penned a firmly tongue-in-cheek op-ed for the Los Angeles Times about why Uggie shouldn't get all the doggy attention this year. (Don't sleep on "Hugo" star Blackie or Cosmo from "Beginners," dog-actor aficionados.)

Unfortunately for Scorsese, who did manage to get Blackie a write-in nomination at the Golden Collar awards for best movie dogs, it appears Uggie's reign will extend all the way through to the 84th annual Academy Awards. THR reports that host Billy Crystal has been working with Uggie on a sketch for the show, though little other details are known at the time. Presumably, it could include the aforementioned skateboarding, one of Uggie's more adorable tricks, or simply be an homage to "The Artist." Fun! Or is it?

If the rise of Uggie has proved one thing, it's that this year's crop of Oscar movies have little cache for the drive-by movie fan; as a result, the novelty of an adorable dog with a big personality has taken over to the point where even Oscar-winning icons like Scorsese are participating in the Uggie media tour. Of course Uggie is going to be part of Billy Crystal's Oscar opening; at this point, he's not only the most famous face from "The Artist," he's probably one of the ten biggest stars attending the ceremony. Or at least the only one who can look this cute on a skateboard.

If you want to win a signed poster by Uggie and the cast of "The Artist," head here for details!

[via THR]