The Golden Raspberry Awards, aka the Razzies, which shame actors and filmmakers with an annual “worst of,” are coming under fire for including 12-year-old “Firestarter” actress Ryan Kiera Armstrong in their nominations. for 2023, which were revealed on Monday.
Among those who jumped in to defend Armstrong was 11-year-old actor Julian Hilliard, who plays Billy Maximoff in “WandaVision.”
“The Razzies are already mean and classless, but nominating a child is just repulsive and wrong. Why put a child at risk of further bullying or worse? Be better”, Hilliard tweeted. When someone suggested that the Razzies are just a “joke,” he replied: “No, not when it involves a child. That ‘joke’ can have a very negative impact. They crossed a line.”
Another Twitter user agreed: “If you’re under 18 you should be off limits to #Razzies. I never blame the kid for a performance, I blame the adults who said yes.”
“I don’t know, I find it a bit screwed nominating a 12 year old for worst actress but I guess that’s just the way Razzies do it,” wrote @Greatcheshire.
“I’m sure this isn’t the first time the #Razzies have nominated a kid, but this year it feels meaner, even by their low standards,” he tweeted. Ben Deutsch.
“If you want to know how disgusting the Razzie Awards are, look no further than the fact that they nominated a 12-year-old girl for worst actress,” Reece Beaumont criticized.
Dave Lee responded: “The Razzies are the scum of the movie world. I spoke to Ryan Keira Armstrong on the Firestarter trip; she was delighted to hear me say how wonderful his performance was (and it really is). This must be devastating for any upcoming artist.”
Child actors who have been nominated in the past include Gary Coleman, who was nominated just before his 13th birthday, and Macaulay Culkin, who was nominated for three movies, including “Richie Rich” in 1994 at age 13.
Last year, the awards came under fire for giving Bruce Willis its own “worst” category and ultimately rescinded the award after it was revealed the “Pulp Fiction” star suffers from aphasia. “If someone’s medical condition is a factor in your decision-making and/or their performance, we recognize that it is inappropriate to give them a Razzie,” they said in a statement.
In 2022, they also rescinded Shelley Duvall’s 1980 Worst Actress award for “The Shining.”
