James Ortiz, behind Rocky in ‘Project Hail Mary’ may be nominated at the Oscars and Critics Choice Award next year – Report |

‘Project Hail Mary’ has been on everybody’s mind ever since it was released in theatres worldwide. At the forefront was Ryan Gosling’s performance as Dr Ryland Grace, along with the alien Rocky that he befriends while heading to Tau Ceti. The puppeteer behind Rocky, James Ortiz, is, as per the latest reports, eligible for various award nominations going forward, including a nomination at the Oscars.

James Ortiz to be considered for awards and Oscar nominations

Variety recently reported that James Ortiz, the man who controlled the alien character Rocky on ‘Project Hail Mary’, is going to be considered for nominations at the award season going forward.As per the report, he is under consideration for an award nomination for the upcoming 2027 Oscars and 2027 Actor Awards. He may also be considered for a nomination at the 2027 Critics’ Choice Awards, as they do not have any set rules against his nomination and involvement in the film. As for the Golden Globe awards, due to the set rules, he will not be able to score any nominations there. Ortiz has garnered a lot of praise for puppeteering Rocky in ‘Project Hail Mary’, and has appeared in a couple of other projects as an actor. These include ‘Girls Against Boys’ and ‘The Woodsman’ to name a few. He was also in ‘The Skin of Our Teeth’, and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Puppet Design for it.

Plot of ‘Project Hail Mary’

The film is based on Andy Weir’s bestselling novel, and follows Dr Ryland Grace, who is sent light-years away from Earth in order to find the cure to save their sun. While dealing with being alone in space, he meets a multi-legged rock-like alien and names him Rocky. The two unlikely friends have to figure out a way to save their world from dying.