Uggie (February 14, 2002 – August 7, 2015) was a trained
Parson Russell Terrier
The Parson Russell Terrier is a breed of small white terrier that was the original Fox Terrier of the 18th century. The breed is named after the Reverend Jack Russell, credited with the creation of this type of dog. It is the recognised conforma ...
famous for his roles in ''
Water for Elephants
''Water for Elephants'' is the third novel by the Canadian–American author Sara Gruen. The book was published in 2006 by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. The historical fiction novel is a 20th century circus drama. Gruen wrote the book as part ...
'' and ''
The Artist''. His memoir ''Uggie, My Story'' was published in the United States, the UK, and France in October 2012.
The campaign "Consider Uggie" was launched in December 2011 on
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...
by S.T. VanAirsdale, an editor at
Movieline
''Movieline'' was a website, formerly a Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California ...
, for Uggie to receive a real or Honorary
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nomination.
BAFTA announced that he would be ineligible for one of its awards, while he received a special mention at the
Prix Lumière Awards in France. He won the
Palm Dog Award
The Palm Dog Award is a yearly alternative award presented by the international film critics during the Cannes Film Festival. Begun in 2001 by Toby Rose, it is awarded to the best performance by a canine (live or animated) or group of canines dur ...
at the
2011 Cannes Film Festival
The 64th Cannes Film Festival was held from 11 to 22 May 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition and French filmmaker Michel Gondry headed the jury for the short film competition. South Ko ...
.
Early life and family
Uggie was rejected by at least his first two owners as being too wild.
[ He was about to be sent to a ]dog pound
An animal shelter or pound is a place where stray, lost, abandoned or surrendered animals – mostly dogs and cats – are housed. The word "pound" has its origins in the animal pounds of agricultural communities, where stray livestock would ...
, but was adopted by animal trainer Omar Von Muller after his friends alerted him to the dog.[ Von Muller intended only to foster the dog while he found him a new home, but decided that Uggie should stay.][ He said of the dog, "He was a crazy, very energetic puppy, and who knows what would have happened to him if he adgone to the dog pound. But he was very smart and very willing to work. One of the most important thing is that he was not afraid of things. That is what makes or breaks a dog in the movies, whether they are afraid of lights, and noises and being on sets. He gets rewards, like sausages, to encourage him to perform, but that is only a part of it. He works hard."][ When not working, Uggie lived in ]North Hollywood
North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...
with Von Muller, Von Muller's wife and Von Muller's daughter. There were six other dogs in the household, all of whom work in the film industry.[
]
Career
Uggie's earliest roles were in commercials and minor roles in the films ''What's Up Scarlett,'' '' Wassup Rockers'' (2005) and '' Mr. Fix It'' (2006) alongside David Boreanaz
David Paul Boreanaz ( born May 16, 1969) is an American actor, television producer, and director known for playing the roles of vampire-turned-private investigator Angel on The WB/ UPN ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' supernatural drama (1997–200 ...
.[ His first named role, and big break, was as "Queenie" in the romantic drama '']Water for Elephants
''Water for Elephants'' is the third novel by the Canadian–American author Sara Gruen. The book was published in 2006 by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. The historical fiction novel is a 20th century circus drama. Gruen wrote the book as part ...
,'' alongside actors Robert Pattinson
Robert Douglas Thomas Pattinson (born 13 May 1986) is an English actor. Known for starring in both big-budget and independent films, Pattinson has ranked among the world's highest-paid actors. In 2010, ''Time'' magazine named him one of the 10 ...
and Reese Witherspoon
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, she ...
.[ He appeared in "The Incredible Dog Show" from August 2010 onwards, a tour of dogs with different tricks, which toured the United States and South America; his trick was riding a ]skateboard
A skateboard is a type of sports equipment used for skateboarding. They are usually made of a specially designed 7-8 ply maple plywood deck and polyurethane wheels attached to the underside by a pair of skateboarding trucks.
The skateboarder ...
.
He went on to appear in the 2011 silent movie
''Silent Movie'' is a 1976 American satirical comedy film co-written, directed by and starring Mel Brooks, released by 20th Century Fox in the summer of 1976. The ensemble cast includes Dom DeLuise, Marty Feldman, Bernadette Peters, and Sid C ...
'' The Artist,'' and it was this role which brought him to the attention of mass media,[ with some critics describing him as "stealing every scene". He had two ]stunt double
In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes FOR another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...
s in the film, named Dash and Dude, who were colored to look more like Uggie, but Uggie did most of his own stunts and the doubles were barely required.[ Uggie and his trainers for the film, Sarah Clifford and Omar Muller, spent three days with the film's star ]Jean Dujardin
Jean Edmond Dujardin (; born 19 June 1972) is a French actor and comedian. He began his career as a stand-up comedian in Paris before guest starring in comedic television programmes and films. He first came to prominence with the cult TV series ...
to teach the French actor the verbal commands and hand signals Uggie needed in a scene.[ Because it was a ]silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...
, the trainers could also call out commands while the film was rolling.
He attended the American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees.
Leade ...
premiere of the film and walked the red carpet
A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events.
History
The earliest known reference to ...
along with the rest of the cast. Uggie promoted the film on a week-long promotional tour, appearing on television shows in the UK, including ''The Graham Norton Show
''The Graham Norton Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by Graham Norton. It was initially broadcast on BBC Two, from 22 February 2007, before moving to BBC One in October 2009. It currently airs on Friday evenings, with Norton ...
.'' He also appeared at a charity screening in London's West End, in aid of Dogs Trust
Dogs Trust, known until 2003 as the National Canine Defence League, is a British animal welfare charity and humane society which specialises in the well-being of dogs. It is the largest dog welfare charity in the United Kingdom, caring for ove ...
. Uggie appeared opposite another Jack Russell terrier named Cosmo from Mike Mills
Michael Edward Mills (born December 17, 1958) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer who was a founding member of the alternative rock band R.E.M. Though known primarily as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist of R.E.M., h ...
' ''Beginners
''Beginners'' is a 2010 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Mike Mills. It tells the story of a man reflecting on the life and death of his father, while trying to forge a new romantic relationship with a woman dealing w ...
'' in a photoshoot spread for ''The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
''. He also appeared in other photoshoots for ''W'' magazine and ''The Hollywood Reporter''.[ During the "Consider Uggie" campaign, an official ]Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, an ...
account was set up in his name.
Trainer von Muller said that Uggie was approaching retirement and that he wouldn't want him to have to go through the same long hours that the dog experienced while filming ''The Artist'' again, but would be willing to let Uggie take other less intense jobs.[ On February 8, 2012, Uggie was named as ]Nintendo
is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade playing cards. ...
's first-ever spokesdog. He helped promote their 3DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generation ...
video game '' Nintendogs + Cats'' during Responsible Pet Ownership Month. Later that year he became a spokesdog for PETA
Peta or PETA may refer to:
Acronym
* Pembela Tanah Air, a militia established by the occupying Japanese in Indonesia in 1943
* People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization
* People Eating Tasty Animals, a ...
in an ad campaign that encouraged potential dog owners to adopt
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...
from shelters. Uggie made a cameo appearance in the 2012 comedy film '' The Campaign'', his final film role before retirement.
"Consider Uggie"
After ''The Artist'' received critical acclaim sufficient to suggest that the film might have a real chance of winning "Best Picture" awards, S.T. VanAirsdale, an editor at Movieline
''Movieline'' was a website, formerly a Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California ...
, began a campaign called "Consider Uggie" on Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...
to seek recognition for Uggie's performance; he felt that the dog outperformed Leonardo DiCaprio's performance in ''J. Edgar
''J. Edgar'' is a 2011 American biographical drama film based on the career of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, directed, produced and scored by Clint Eastwood. Written by Dustin Lance Black, the film focuses on Hoover's life from the 1919 Palmer ...
'', but probably wasn't as good as George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Academy Awards, one for his acting and the othe ...
in ''The Descendants
''The Descendants'' is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Payne. The screenplay by Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash is based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Kaui Hart Hemmings. The film stars George Clooney in the mai ...
''. However, a precedent was set for the Oscars
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
in 1929 at the 1st Academy Awards
The 1st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and hosted by AMPAS president Douglas Fairbanks, honored the best films from 1 August 1927 to 31 July 1928 and took place on May 1 ...
when German Shepherd
The German Shepherd or Alsatian is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various traditional German herding dogs from 1899.
It was originally bred as a herding dog, for h ...
dog actor Rin Tin Tin
Rin Tin Tin or Rin-Tin-Tin (September 1918 – August 10, 1932) was a male German Shepherd born in Flirey, France, who became an international star in motion pictures. He was rescued from a World War I battlefield by an American soldier, L ...
, according to legend, gained the most votes for the Award for Best Actor. Actor Emil Jannings
Emil Jannings (born Theodor Friedrich Emil Janenz, 23 July 1884 – 2 January 1950) was a Swiss born German actor, popular in the 1920s in Hollywood. He was the first recipient of the Academy Award for Best Actor for his roles in '' The L ...
was actually presented with the award on the night.
Cast and crew on ''The Artist'' responded to the campaign, with James Cromwell
James Oliver Cromwell (born January 27, 1940) is an American actor and activist. Some of his best-known films include ''Babe'' (1995), '' Star Trek: First Contact'' (1996), '' L.A. Confidential'' (1997), '' The Green Mile'' (1999), '' The Queen' ...
supporting the move to ensure Uggie was recognized, saying he was "wonderfully trained and talented" and supporting the move to install a special Oscar for animals in film.[ '']The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
'' endorsed the campaign, believing that a win for Uggie at the Oscars would be a win for all canine film stars, such as Fox Terrier
Fox Terriers are two different breeds of the terrier dog type: the Smooth Fox Terrier and the Wire Fox Terrier. Both of these breeds originated in the 19th century from a handful of dogs who are descended from earlier varieties of British ter ...
Asta
The General Students' Committee (German: Allgemeiner Studierendenausschuss) or AStA, is the acting executive board and the external representing agency of the (constituted) student body at universities in most German states. It is therefore consid ...
, and Terry
Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine).
People
Male
* Terry Albritton (1955–2005), ...
, the Cairn Terrier
The Cairn Terrier is a terrier breed originating in the Scottish Highlands and recognized as one of Scotland's earliest working dogs. The breed was given the name Cairn because the breed's function was to hunt and chase quarry between the c ...
who portrayed Toto in '' The Wizard of Oz''.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
responded: "Regretfully, we must advise that as he is not a human being and as his unique motivation as an actor was sausages, Uggie is not qualified to compete for the BAFTA in this category."[ This was after a number of members had contacted BAFTA to inquire if they were allowed to vote for Uggie for Best Actor.
]
Awards
Uggie won the Palm Dog Award
The Palm Dog Award is a yearly alternative award presented by the international film critics during the Cannes Film Festival. Begun in 2001 by Toby Rose, it is awarded to the best performance by a canine (live or animated) or group of canines dur ...
for best performance by a canine at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival
The 64th Cannes Film Festival was held from 11 to 22 May 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition and French filmmaker Michel Gondry headed the jury for the short film competition. South Ko ...
, for his role as "Jack" in ''The Artist.'' It was the 11th year in which the award was handed out and goes to the best canine performance.[ Following the "Consider Uggie" campaign, Jone Bauman of the ]American Humane Association
American Humane (AH) is an organization founded in 1877 committed to ensuring the safety, welfare, and well-being of animals. It was previously called the International Humane Association before changing its name in 1878. In 1940, it became t ...
said Uggie was in line for a Pawscar, the association's awards for animals in films.
He has also received a special mention at the Prix Lumière Awards, the French equivalent of the Golden Globes
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
. Uggie and Cosmo shared the prize for "Best performance by an animal", awarded by ''The Seattle Times
''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington s ...
'' movie critic Moira Macdonald.
On February 13, 2012, Uggie was named Best Dog in a Theatrical Film at the first Golden Collar Awards, awarded by ''Dog News Daily.'' The awards were only launched a couple of months previously due to the attention Uggie was getting for his performance in ''The Artist''.
On June 25, 2012, he had his paw prints placed in cement at Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre (branded as TCL Chinese Theatre for naming rights reasons) is a movie palace on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States.
The original Chinese ...
.
Death
Uggie was euthanized at the age of 13 on August 7, 2015, after developing a prostate tumor.
Filmography
See also
* List of individual dogs
This is a list of individual famous actual dogs; for famous dogs from fiction, see List of fictional dogs.
Actors
Advertising
* Axelrod, Basset Hound, appeared in commercials and print ads for Flying "A" Service Station advertisements in ...
References
External links
*
Uggie's Twitter
{{Authority control
2002 animal births
2015 animal deaths
Dog actors