Good Boy Indy The Dog Asks Oscars To Consider Animal Actors Too!

In what can be definitely called one of the most unexpected turns this awards season, indie studio IFC has released an open letter to the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences – written by, none other

than, Indy, the breakout canine star of Ben Leonberg’s Good Boy. The humorous, yet heartfelt letter, urged the Academy to open its acting categories to animal performers. “Despite my critically acclaimed role in the recent film Good Boy, I have been deemed ineligible for the Best Actor category,” Indy wrote in the letter, which was obtained exclusively by Variety and distributed by IFC. “Apparently, I am not a good enough boy for you.”

What began as a clever publicity stunt has since then grown into one of the season’s most talked about moments. Good Boy has become IFC Entertainment Group’s third-largest opening overall, following this year’s record-breaking release of Clown in a Cornfield under the RLJE Films banner.The studio is using that momentum to push for a larger conversation — about recognition, artistry, and what it means to deliver a performance. “How many great performances must go overlooked before the Academy throws us a bone?” the letter asks, name-dropping a few icons along the way — Jed the wolf-dog from White Fang, the whale from Free Willy, and of course, Babe, the titular pig whose film was nominated for Best Picture.Good Boy’s awards-season push comes after an already remarkable run of viral success. The film’s trailer and poster, released in July, exploded online with over 100 million views across platforms, marking the largest digital reach in IFC’s history.Initially envisioned as a modest, limited release, Good Boy was expanded to a nationwide rollout after early buzz — giving it IFC’s second-largest theater count to date.The letter is actually a poignant reflection on how much animal actors have contributed to cinema. From Lassie and Toto to Hachiko and Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, animals have often carried emotional weight, shaped narratives, and anchored some of film’s most beloved moments — yet their work is rarely acknowledged as “acting.” “We ask that you stop lifting your leg on the contribution of myself and the many great animal actors whose work continues to go unrecognised,” the letter stated.