The investigation into British actress Riseborough’s Oscar nomination has left Hollywood insiders stunned

is the British actress whose surprise Oscar nomination for Best Actress stunned Hollywood this week and seemed to herald her elevation to the AA list.

But just days later, Andrea Riseborough became at the center of an extraordinary investigation into whether any rules were broken in choosing the Oscars shortlist.

The film world was stunned when she received the nomination for her portrayal of an alcoholic in the independent film To Leslie. The never-before-seen film earned just £22,000.

Riseborough’s performance in the low-budget drama released in October was praised by stars including Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Miaarrow, Susan Sarandon, Minnie Driver and Edward Norton. Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, Charlize Theron and Courteney Cox have hosted special screenings of the film and expressed their support for Riseborough.

Andrea Riseborough is at the center of an extraordinary investigation into whether any rules were broken in choosing the Oscars shortlist

The film world was in awe when Andrea Riseborough’s portrayal of an alcoholic in the independent film To Leslie received a nomination.

Many share the same powerful Hollywood agency as Riseborough, who has long been admired for her performances in films like Birdman and Battle Of The Sexes but is largely unknown in America.

As for Leslie, Riseborough wasn’t nominated for a Golden Globe or Critics Choice, the traditional “road” to the Academy Awards.

Her nomination sparked outrage from some who believed that popular black actresses Viola Davis (The Woman King) and Danielle Deadwiller (Even) had made the Best Actress list until Riseborough’s A-list campaign kicked off.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences saidriday it would immediately launch a review to see if any of its rules — including one banning “direct solicitation” for votes from members — have been broken. If so, Ms. Riseborough could be stripped of her nomination.

An Academy voter producer said: ‘Andrea is one of the best actors working today and is well liked by her peers but her Oscar nomination shocked everyone. It wasn’t just a shock, it was a miracle. You could hear the shouts when her name was read across the room. This is a movie no one had seen or heard of until recently.

Both Viola and Danielle gave amazing performances and it was expected that one or both of them would be nominated. There was a lot of backlash this week, and once again, perhaps a white woman pushed equally worthy black actresses, who have never received anything quite as supportive as Andrea.

The nomination sparked outrage from some who believe that popular black actresses Viola Davis (“The Woman King”) could have made the Best Actress list.

Others argued that Danielle Didwiller (pictured) would have made the Best Actress list until Riseborough’s A-list campaign kicked off.

The To Leslie campaign garnered more attention when several stars, including Miaarrow, used the same wording in their social media posts, calling it “a little movie with a huge heart.” Entertainment website Puck reports that the investigation will center around an email sent to A-list stars and Academy voters, purportedly from a source close to the movie, that said, “If you were willing to post every day between now and January 17th, it would be That’s great! “

The source said: Is this against the rules of the academy? it’s close.

“You are not allowed to directly request the voting members.”

Earlier in the week, Riseborough said of her nomination, “I’m stunned.” Its spokesperson declined to comment.

The other Best Actress nominees are Cate Blanchett (Tarr), Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere at Once), Michelle Williams (Fabelmans) and Ana de Armas (Blonde).