Oscars 2024: Anatomy of a Fall DOG Messi earns viral fame after he's seen 'clapping' in the audience - as viewers go wild over Ryan Gosling's delighted reaction to the canine star

There were plenty of A-list celebrities in attendance at this year's Oscars - but one unlikely movie star stole the show from them all, at least for one brief moment: Anatomy of a Fall's canine actor, Messi. 

The talented pooch made a surprise appearance in the audience of the 2024 Academy Awards, where he quickly became a firm favorite among guests and spectators alike, even earning a delighted nod of approval from Barbie star Ryan Gosling, when the pup was seen 'clapping' for Robert Downey Jr. 

In a now-viral moment during the ceremony, the cameras were seen cutting away to the celebrity pooch, who appeared to be 'clapping' the Iron Man star after his Best Supporting Actor win for Oppenheimer. 

While behind-the-scenes images revealed the moment to have been cleverly engineered with the use of two fake paws, that didn't stop social media users from voicing their delight over the French dog's appearance, with one hailing the pup as the 'true star' of this year's ceremony. 

Anatomy of a Fall's canine star Messi earned viral fame at the Oscars after he was seen 'clapping' for Robert Downey Jr as he won Best Supporting Actor 

Barbie star Ryan Gosling was seen breaking into a wild grin as he spotted Border Collie Messi in the audience

Viewers gushed over 43-year-old Ryan's response to the pup, while crowning Messi 'the best boi' at the Oscars 

Behind-the-scenes images reveal the moment was carefully crafted using fake dog legs 

It had been reported just days before the Oscars that Messi would not be in attendance - however he managed to score a plum seat at the ceremony 

Other behind-the-scenes clips shared to social media that Messi's 'clapping' moment had in fact been pre-recorded and was not part of the live Oscars broadcast, that didn't stop the dog from becoming one of the most talked-about stars of the night. 

Some couldn't help but gush over a clip that appears to show Ryan, 43, breaking into a huge grin at seeing the dog perched in his very own seat at the ceremony, looking incredibly dapper in a bow tie. 

Adding to seven-year-old Messi's rising profile was a mention by host Jimmy Kimmel in his opening monologue, with the comedian joking that Messi 'gave the performance of the year'. 

'Messi, who even though he’s a dog, may have given the performance of the year in Anatomy of a Fall,' Kimmel joked. 'Messi has an overdose scene, if you’ve seen it you’ve known it. It’s incredible.

'Honestly I haven’t seen a French actor eat his own vomit like that since Gérard Depardieu.'

Messi's attendance at the ceremony came as a surprise to fans - after it was reported just days before the awards show that the French-based pooch would not travel to Los Angeles for the Oscars, despite already earning himself a reputation as one of this season's most beloved guests. 

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, a source from Anatomy of a Fall claimed that Border Collie Messi would not travel from his native France to California for the awards show. 

Oscars viewers went wild over the pup's appearance in the Oscars broadcast 

Many also called out Ryan's sweet reaction to the adorable pooch 

But as the ceremony began to kick off, Messi was seen making his way to a reserved seat alongside his trainer and owner Laura Martin, who sat beside the pup throughout the awards show. 

Needless to say, his surprise attendance quickly caught the attention of viewers at home, with many taking to social media to voice their delight at seeing the pup - as well as gushing over Ryan's reaction to him. 

'Messi was robbed for supporting actor!' one person wrote on X, which was formerly known as Twitter. 

'This is so cute,' another chimed in, as one wrote: 'He has the spotlight.' 

'Messi the dog wins Best Boi at the Oscars,' a delighted fan gushed. 

Some focused more on Ryan's reaction to the pup, sharing a short clip of the Barbie star smiling happily upon seeing the dog sitting with his trainer and owner. 

'Ryan Gosling's face lighting up when he sees Messi, the dog applauding at the Oscars,' one wrote. 

'Ryan Gosling smiling when he notices Messi clapping I'm not okay!' another shared. 

In Anatomy of a Fall, Messi plays a guide dog named Snoop, who is owned by blind character Daniel, played by actor Milo Machado-Graner

Earlier this year, Messi's trainer Laura (left) opened up about his sudden fame, explaining that the attention on her pup began at Cannes - but quickly skyrocketed in the US

Messi's role sees him forced to play dead for several minutes, a feat that his trainer Laura admitted was no small feat

Hours before the ceremony kicked off, Messi appeared in an Instagram video posted by Jimmy, in which the host was seen running several jokes from his opening monologue past the pup for his approval, with the canine barking his delight at an anecdote in which he was mentioned. 

Earlier this year, Messi's trainer Laura opened up about his sudden fame, explaining that the attention on her pup began at Cannes - but quickly skyrocketed in the US. 

'All of this attention began at Cannes,' she told The Hollywood Reporter. 

'There were a few interviews in France but what we’ve been experiencing here in America — with the attention to this dog and his acting — it’s beyond anything we anticipated. It’s probably the maximum that you can accomplish in this field.'

In Anatomy of a Fall, Messi plays a guide dog named Snoop, who is owned by blind character Daniel, played by actor Milo Machado-Graner. 

Messi's role sees him forced to play dead for several minutes, a feat that his trainer Laura admitted was no small feat, explaining to IndieWire that the pup had gone through rigorous preparation for the role. 

Hours before the ceremony, Messi appeared in a video posted to host Jimmy Kimmel's Instagram account, in which the comedian was seen running jokes past the pup 

The pooch also got up close and personal with Olivia Wilde at the Film Independent Live Read of Anatomy of a Fall back in February 

'Even the simplest things take a lot of work,' she said. 'It had to happen in steps. First, the simple laying down and having his head kind of immobile. [I] started there and then [we worked on] lifting the head and just letting it fall back without resistance.'

After proving his acting chops in the five-time Oscar-nominated movie, Messi earned a place among some of this year's biggest stars when he was invited to the annual nominees' luncheon in Los Angeles - earning some one-on-one time with several A-list stars. 

'The big moment was with Billie Eilish, who bonded with Messi for almost 10 minutes,' trainer Laura told The Hollywood Reporter. 

'They were hugging and petting and they really had a vibe. Then Bradley Cooper bumped into him in the hallway. The dog went right to him, so they also had a connection.'

At that same event, Ryan was once again filmed having a heartwarming interaction with the pup, putting his hand over his chest with emotion when he was introduced to Messi for the first time. 

Although Messi was not nominated for an Oscar, much to the upset of his biggest fans, he did walk away from this year's Cannes Film Festival with an unofficial trophy: the Palm Dog.