Meet Messi, the dog from Anatomy of a Fall, one of Oscars season's biggest stars

The 2024 Oscar season is chalk full of stars, including Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie, Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jeffrey Wright and Da'Vine Joy Randolph. But one of the breakout stars has been Messi, the talented dog that appears in the Best Picture-nominee Anatomy of a Fall.

In the intense court-room drama, Messi plays Snoop, the dog that belongs to Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner), the son of the couple at the center of a complex trial trying to determine if the wife, Sandra (Sandra Hüller), killed her husband or if it was suicide. In addition to being a loyal companion for Daniel, Snoop plays a key role in helping shape the outcome of the case, but one we won't spoil here.

Messi's performance was so memorable that it received the Palm Dog award at the Cannes Film Festival, which is handed out annually for the best performance by a canine. While the Oscars don't have a similar category, Messi has been along for the ride as Anatomy of a Fall has received five Oscar nominations. That included an appearance at the Oscar nominees luncheon, where he was a hit.

In addition to Gosling, Messi met America Ferrera, Billie Eilish and Bradley Cooper (perhaps making connections for a future big screen appearance). He handled it like a pro according to his trainer, Laura Martin, who took part in a press conference with Messi that What to Watch attended, happily accepting all the hugs and attention that came his way. Messi has been getting recognized outside Hollywood events like this as well, with some at the Los Angeles airport recognizing him; but Messi isn't letting it all go to his head, said Martin.

The Academy has also been sure to play up on the internet's love for good boys like Messi, featuring him prominently in a few of their Instagram posts.

The success is a long-time coming for Messi, as well as Martin. Messi was one of the first dogs that Martin has trained for TV and movies. She initially got him when a neighbor's dog had a litter, joking he was the "ugliest dog" of the bunch, but that his vibe attracted her. Now 8 years old, Anatomy of a Fall is actually the first movie that Messi has appeared in, after many auditions and a few near misses, according to Martin. She said though that since Anatomy of a Fall Messi is getting calls for roles and has already worked on a French TV series and has another French show potentially lined up as well.

Here are some more quick facts about Messi that we learned during the press conference:

• His name stems from a French tradition where pet names are meant to start with a different letter based on the year. It was M when Messi was born, with Martin's children coming up with it.
• Messi and Martin did two months of preparation for Anatomy of Fall
• Messi loves playing in fields and with a ball
• Doesn't require a collar or leash on walks
• Is afraid of the vacuum cleaner
• Generally a scene with Messi takes about an hour and around 10 takes
• Sandra Hüller, who had her own dog in her other 2023 movie The Zone of Interest, said Messi was better behaved on set

While it's still to be determined, there is hope that Messi will come back to Los Angeles for the Oscars on March 10.

In the meantime, you can watch Messi in Anatomy of a Fall right now, as the movie is available to rent via digital on-demand platforms.