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During the 65th Academy Awards held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Jack Palance announced Tomei as the winner of the Best Supporting Actress award. Her performance as Mona Lisa Vito—a character marked by sharp wit, comedic timing, and unexpected emotional depth—came as a shock to many, given that her competitors included titans of the industry like Judy Davis, Joan Plowright, Vanessa Redgrave, and Miranda Richardson. Soon after the ceremony, whispers emerged claiming that there had been a mistake, feeding into a narrative that Tomei’s win was undeserved due to her comedic role standing in stark contrast to the more traditional, dramatic performances of her peers.