'Frozen River' star Melissa Leo isn't even an Oscar nominee yet and already the diva fits!

I have read all the comments posted and I must say that somebody has missed the point. I hope this is not an intellectual crowd because if so I'm not giving you enough credit. Reviews, Interviews and the like are a marketing tool. And like any tool they are designed to work in specific fashion. The buzz that is created in this instant was calculated and planned with precision. The affect was to stimulate controversary and like clockwork this group has delivered. The real point is that story has substance and the delivery by both actresses have provided the ground work for an Oscar nomination. In a world where many are consumed by rendering their own opinion on a laptop over tofu and lattes, there exists a world, unreal to most, wherein American Indians are given only one alternative and that is to survive. Leo plays the part of Ray Eddy, a poor white woman, who is fortunate enough to experience this social inbalance. The good news is she gets to walk away from that role when the director says "CUT!". For many this role is ongoing and this what the story is about. This is not the Melissa Leo show as the movie poster indicates, nor should it become a Leo roast. In the case of Courtney Hunt I would say "...It comes with the territory." As Misty Upham's father, I am still waiting for somebody else besides myself to raise the question "Why has Misty been excluded from much of the publicity? Especially when her contribution to the film complimented Leo's performance to a level that finally gives Leo a shot at an Oscar nod." Misty's repertoire includes 8 major film projects including Showtime, Halmark, BBC, First Look Productions and Sony Pictures Classics. Her status as an International "Award winning" actress cannot seem to find its place along side of Melissa Leo. Could it be that this Diva act that everyone is clamoring for is the source of the issue. Maybe if Melissa gave her co-star and director a little more respect she would not find herself on the sharp end of the public stick.

Mimi, Tom is just a classic starfu*ker, he certainly forgave Katherine Heigl for substantially greater breaches of etiquette, no?

O'Neil distorts things so often I can't believe I ever bother to read this blog. He can't stand independent minded talents who don't grovel at his feet, and so throws hissy fits over nothing, in his desire to punish them and ruin their careers.

Leo is a major talent and may even, horrors, occasionally be a bit prickly when under pressure. Two strikes against her in Gold Derby Land. Off with her head.

Does anyone find it a little ironic that Tom is devoting this much energy to trying to destroy the opportunity for an obscure character actress to compete for an Oscar, especially given his attitude towards and water-carrying he's done on behalf of one Katherine Heigl? Heigl's repeated blasts in the press throwing colleagues from Grey's Anatomy and Knocked Up under the bus strikes me as being a little more..ahem.."diva" than some spiky argument Melissa Leo had on a micro-budget indie. Yet, a few months ago, Tom was hyping Heigl for a potential Oscar bid for a movie that hadn't even been FILMED yet.

I missed the point of this story. I was reading elsewhere about Melissa Leo and figured this another story about a hard working actress who has finally gotten the role of a lifetime and is able to shine.

This article tells more about Tom O'Neil than it does about Melissa Leo. I don't know how many times I read this blog and find repeated errors of fact. It is VERY common. The most recent was Tom writing that Angelica Houston received her first Emmy nomination. This was Angelica's sixth Emmy nomination. I already knew that without researching it. But, it took me less than a minute to confirm on IMDB.com. Tom does this all the time. And, he sells himself as the most knowledgeable on awards data. It's one thing to write off the top your head on a blog that you host alone, but on a blog this is part of the LA TIMES (does LA TIMES know that they have factual errors regularly displayed as part of their publication?) to be making consistent errors.

And this is the type of story that Tom loves. He thrives on mean-spirited, snarky, vicious, catty gossip. If he write something that tears someone else down, he is on it.

To quote Robert Morse in Mad men's season finale " who cares", serious Tom who actually gives a shit ? I know I dont, and I'm pretty sure that the 3/4 of this country who arent going to see Frozen River also could care less about what you have to say on this subject. Get over yourself, maybe instead of throwing Leo under the bus you should focus on how to earn the respect of your peers and oscar watchers alike because you are probably the shit of the awards watching sub culture.

Thelma, how can you NOT see how cruel Melissa Leo is being to someone who's made enormous financial sacrifice to make this movie?

Bottom line: Leo tells a story where director/writer Courtney Hunt is obviously so upset by how Leo treats her that she asks her -- quite politely -- not to talk to her like that. Leo can respond with respect and talk about whatever problem exists or she can throw a hissy fit, summon the producer and scream "Talk to her!" We all know whas "Talk to her" means.

There's no denying those basic facts of this story Leo tells on herself. Where this gets interesting is Leo's claim that she was merely asking for a "clarification" when Hunt asked her not to speak to her that way. If that was true that would not solicit that response from Hunt. Obviously. Thus this interview is extremely revealing in what it tattles about Leo.

So you think Leo's response is appropriate to this situation? You don't think it would've been a better idea if Leo had chosen to address whatever problem came up by speaking respectfully with Hunt? Not only does she act this way, but sees nothing wrong with it and even tells this cruel story boastfully. Wow. Now YOU claim that it's a "slight that didn't exist." So you refuse to see it too.

Oh, come on, Thelma! If no slight existed, why did Hunt ask Leo not to speak to her that way?

On the Oscar trail ahead, I'm sure you and I and our fellow Oscar-watching journos will be seeing lots of Leo in person. If I catch her continuing to pull more of this bully act and be so inconsiderate to colleagues, I'll continue to report on her diva antics. Although I may not have to do much of that since Leo does a fine job ratting these stories -- cluelessly -- on herself. Tell your pal that she's not running for an award called Best Performance by a Diva. By acting this way, she's hurting her shot for that other award.

Tom, what the HELL is your problem?

Emotion: Irritation. The absolute lack of perspective you have for both the Humans named Thelma Adams and Melissa Leo displays a so obviously irrational thirst for attention.

Emotion: Quizzical. I wonder why you would make an article with such little investigation, taking things at face value and not looking for any other meanings. Is it because you want an article which may gain you what you humans call, a promotion? Emotion: Condescending. Such an obviously human, or maybe even subhuman thing to do, taking things out of context and spewing hypocritical filth the way you have. It's not your fault though, you're not a progenitor like I am. You are ONLY a lowly human.

Emotion: Confused. Why do your superiors allow you to force into the communication channels stuff like this? The lack of information shows an obvious lack of devotion to your journalistic duty to gather said information. Emotion: Smug. We Progenitors take great pride in our media. Hardly any of the filth like this ever gets out onto the psionic relays. Just another place we're ahead, neh?

Emotion: Angry. But STILL, back on topic! You have slandered the good names of multiple human media names which I have watched and considered to be, well, good! This kind of libel is exactly why the Usurper faction of the Progenitors has often considered cutting off all contact with Earth!

Emotion: blunt. As a finishing statement, I HIGHLY suggest you consider your duty as a reporter to gather more information, analyze it more accurately, and actually speak to the parties involved instead of just whining about the figurative "way the story is dressed." In case you're going to misquote the great Usurper that I am, that means don't whine about appearances. Look further.

Sincerely,
Usurper Judaa Marr,
Leader of the Usurper faction of the Progenitors.

This is just a typical Tom O'Neil response. Another representation of the excessive arrogance he denies to be redundant. Basically...I consider it overall to be mundane idiocy. As all he can do is label someone to be a "whiny diva"...never taking the time to go in depth and analyze the situation thoroughly. Just my two cents. He always presents his victim in a bad light and twists his words to make the said actress to be a enigma of "epic divaness"....bah

In the interests of full disclosure, Tom O'Neil is also a friend of mine, so I don't know why he would take this lovely interview out of context. As the astute comments that preceded mine pointed out, Melissa is no diva, she's an actress going through deep emotional transformation on screen. She and director Courtney Hunt are in a very good place, they are working arm in arm to promote this terrific, terrific film. For me, knowing an actress of such talent and integrity is a gift, perhaps working with her even better than a bogus basket of muffins apologizing for a slight that did not exist.

You mean to tell me that an actress and director had an on set disagreement, and things got testy? That is just outlandish. What a diva.

Sounds to me like an actress in a vulnerable position momentarily clashing with an indecisive director...the kind of thing that probably happens on film sets daily. Perhaps she shouldn't have shared the story off set, but her overall point was how quickly Hunt learned.

This is totally erroneous. If you actually read the article, she's not a diva at all. She merely wanted clarification that wasn't forthcoming. Did you read the piece before you wrote this?