Daniel Kaluuya Mistaken For Leslie Odom Jr.

Do these two Black men look anything alike to you?

Source: Pool / Getty

Source: Pool / Getty

If you answered no, then tell the Oscars to make room for you in the press room because there’s currently foolery afoot in there.

A journalist who mixed up two Black actors at the 93rd annual Academy Awards is offering an explanation after she was obliterated online. South African journalist Margaret Gardiner outed herself Monday as the reporter and member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association who confused Daniel Kaluuya for Leslie Odom Jr. in the Academy Awards press room.

A viral clip of the incident shows Daniel looking confused as Gardiner asks him “What it meant for [him] to be directed by Regina [King].” Regina King of course directed “One Night In Miami” starring Leslie who was also up for Best Supporting Actor.

“I want to congratulate you on this,” said Gardiner. “I’ve been following you since the beginning of your career, and I was wondering what it meant for you to be directed by Regina [King], what this means for you at this time with the world in the state that it’s in.”

Daniel is then seen asking the reporter to repeat the question, clearly giving her an option to correct herself, but Gardiner pressed on leaving the Oscar winner bewildered while Gardiner added in a question about what his win “meant for the community.”

SIGHHHHHHH. Before you ask, yes, yes, she is.

In a series of tweets, the journalist defended herself and apologized noting that she actually meant to ask Daniel his thoughts on Regina’s Best Director snub—which still doesn’t make sense since Regina never directed Daniel. Unless of course, she STILL thought he was Leslie Odom Jr. or unless Gardiner found it appropriate to sully a Black actor’s moment by asininely asking him about a Black director’s snub.

Neither was necessary.

“Daniel Kaluuya I did not mistake you for Leslie Odom Jr,” Gardiner tweeted. “I’m sorry if it seemed that way. I had wanted to ask about Regina King not being nominated as a director for One Night in Miami, and your win for Judas and the Black Messiah for the community at this time.”

There was a sound issue so I dropped the part about Regina King and restated my question. What does it mean for the community at this time. When I listed [sic] to the audio, I do understand, but there was no confusion.”

After doubling down on her point Gardiner also added, “Nothing I say will convince anyone” which is coincidentally the only correct thing the journalist has said throughout this entire debacle.

SMH.

Gardiner also responded to The L.A. Times via email and noted that she knew Daniel wasn’t Leslie because Leslie wore a gold suit to the Oscars. But then she added in this;

“I was kind of surprised that he didn’t welcome an opportunity” to discuss the current mood in Hollywood,” the HFPA member told The Times in a phone interview Monday. “I had wanted to ask him about winning at this moment … It’s a zeitgeist moment of people finally recognizing the inequalities of organizations,” she said. When I said it, it came out that he couldn’t hear me,” Gardiner added, a few moments before excusing herself from the interview with The Times to go address the situation on social media.

We’re “kind of surprised” that this lady is still trying to play it off and now spinning it on Daniel. The caucasity audacity is at an all-time high here.

This is just another example of what happens when Black journalists who actually KNOW Black actors are snubbed at awards shows and red carpets, but that’s a convo for another day.

What do YOU think about Daniel Kaluuya clearly being mistaken for Leslie Odom Jr.?