‘Good Boy’ Dog Actor Wins Best Horror Performance, Beating Ethan Hawke and Sally Hawkins!

An unprecedented event has occurred in Hollywood's horror film industry. The dog actor Indy, who starred in the horror film 〈Good Boy〉, has proudly won an acting award, marking a new page in the history of film awards by defeating human superstars.

On the 9th, local time, at the 9th Astra Film Awards held in Los Angeles, Indy won the ‘Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller’ award. This win is particularly remarkable as it was achieved after competing against world-renowned actors such as Ethan Hawke from 〈The Black Phone 2〉, Sally Hawkins from 〈Bring Her Back〉, and Alfie Williams from 〈28 Days Later〉.

Horror Captured Through a Dog's Eyes... “Performed Without Knowing He Was Acting”

Indy, who is also the real pet of director Ben Leonberg, uniquely expressed the horror unfolding from the perspective of the protagonist dog in the film 〈Good Boy〉. The Astra Film Awards recognized Indy’s overwhelming presence, stating, “For the first time in major acting awards that have only acknowledged human actors, an animal has won.”

Director Ben Leonberg shared in a video message, “Indy completed the horror scenes through his usual habits, simple training, and appropriate treat rewards, without even knowing he was in a movie,” revealing the behind-the-scenes. Indy’s pure instincts were perfectly transformed into the emotion of horror through the camera.

“This Year’s Best Horror Performance” Global SNS is Buzzing with ‘Indy’ Memes

Major media outlets in the English-speaking world have covered this news extensively, praising that “the most chilling performance of the year came not from a human, but from a dog.” On social media (SNS), memes celebrating Indy’s win, such as “The dog that beat Ethan Hawke and Sally Hawkins” and “Acting majors’ unexpected defeat,” are rapidly spreading.

This award, which officially recognized the acting ability of animal actors, is being evaluated as broadening the diversity of the film industry and the scope of acting. The film 〈Good Boy〉, featuring the performance of the ‘acting genius’ Indy, who even made human actors nervous, is receiving renewed interest from genre film fans worldwide following this award.