“I, Tonya,” the dark comedy about disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding, received three Oscar nominations Tuesday, including Margot Robbie and Allison Janney for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress.
Robbie was nominated for her portrayal of the two-time Olympian Harding, who was banned from figure skating for life after withholding knowledge of the 1994 Nancy Kerrigan attack.
Janney was nominated for her portrayal of Harding’s mom.
The film was also nominated for Best Editing.
Also, “Icarus,” a film that helped uncover the Russian sports doping scandal, was nominated for Best Documentary (Feature).
Full nominees lists are here. The Academy Awards are on March 4.
“I, Tonya,” was previously nominated for three Golden Globes, with Janney winning for Best Supporting Actress.
On Jan. 6, 1994, Harding’s Olympic teammate Kerrigan was clubbed on the right leg by a hitman hired by Harding’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, in Detroit, where she was preparing for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Kerrigan’s bruised right knee kept her from competing at nationals, but she recovered in time for the Lillehammer 1994 Olympics. Harding won the U.S. title in her absence, so both went to the Olympics.
Tonya and Nancy became a media soap opera in Lillehammer with Super Bowl-like TV ratings. Kerrigan won silver, just behind Ukrainian Oksana Baiul. Harding broke a skate lace in her free skate, reskated and finished eighth.
Four months later, Harding was banned for life by U.S. Figure Skating, which concluded that she had prior knowledge of the attack.
The Australian actress Robbie, who co-produced “I, Tonya,” said she thought the saga was fiction before signing up to play Harding in the movie.
Harding received an ovation at the premiere last month (video here).
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