According to US Weekly, Michelle Williams is engaged to Andrew Youmans, the man she’s been seen with in various places, while working and on holiday, around the world over the last year. There’s not much out there about their relationship. She’s always been low-key about her love life. Jason Segel (remember that?!?) was probably her most high profile boyfriend after Heath Ledger and since then she’s kept her sh-t even tighter than it was before.
Michelle was one of the most visible stars in support of Time’s Up at the Golden Globes. It was apparently her idea for so many of the actresses to walk the carpet with activists who’ve long been fighting inequality and discrimination. She was there with Tarana Burke, the founder of the #MeToo movement and, as Duana noted, deftly navigated the press line to make sure that Tarana was given a platform.
Michelle is not nominated for a SAG Award on Sunday for her work in All The Money In The World even though many consider her performance to be one of the finest of the year. The reason is because of the reshoots to replace Kevin Spacey. Since Ridley Scott had to recut the film on such a tight deadline, screeners weren’t sent out in time for SAG consideration. SAG is usually a good predictor for Oscar and the Oscar nominations come out on Tuesday. Which is why most experts don’t think that Michelle, a 4-time nominee (that’s 4 in 12 years, by the way, which I don’t think anyone talks about enough – the fact that she is consistently delivering top level performances), will be included.
But that was before it went wide that she was basically paid nothing for those reshoots while Mark Wahlberg got $1.5 million. On the last episode of Show Your Work, Duana and I broke down the situation and I wondered how the story came out at all. I also offered up a conspiracy theory:
The pay discrepancy story broke during Oscar nomination week, it was prime timing. What if Michelle Williams found out about how much Marky Mark was making, while working on Time’s Up and speaking to leaders in the movement, and decided to, well, take matters into her own hands in a way that would most benefit her…because what the f-ck shouldn’t she benefit?
Mark and WME have since pledged donations to Time’s Up (please note that Mark had not donated to Time’s Up before this or really even mentioned it) and Michelle withheld reaction to the story until that resolution was announced. When she did respond, it was the most perfect response possible – she was gracious and she stayed on message, bringing it all back to Anthony Rapp in the end.
Those were the headlines Michelle Williams was making when the actors branch of the Academy – many of whom are her colleagues – was deliberating on Oscar nominations. And, let’s be clear, once again, beyond campaign strategies and boss moves, Michelle’s performance in All The Money In The World is OUTSTANDING. But f-ck I hope that, even though we’ll never really know one way or the other, this is actually what went down. Like in 40 years when someone decides to write a tell-all about this period in Hollywood, this is one of the stories that comes out of it. And God it would so great if her name gets called on Tuesday.
If not though, remember, 4 nominations in 12 years. It won’t be long for Michelle Williams.
