Why Isn't Lin-Manuel Miranda at the 2022 Oscars?

(Image credit: Future)

published 28 March 2022

Being that it's Oscars night, there's a lot to talk about in the world of celebrities, film, and culture. But, without a doubt, one of the hottest topics of the moment is Lin Manuel Miranda's jarring absence from the ceremony, which creates a considerably gaping hole considering his nominations for Encanto, which he wrote, and tick, tick...Boom!, which he directed. It's an especially significant evening for the multi-talented artist, considering the tremendous popularity of Encanto and its music, including "Dos Oruguitas," which is nominated for Best Original Song and is Miranda's first all-Spanish song. Jonathan Larson biopic tick, tick...Boom!, meanwhile, is Miranda's directorial debut and has been highly successful, particularly among Broadway buffs and Rent die-hards like me.

Miranda was planning on attending the awards this weekend and even flew all the way to Hollywood, but he announced yesterday that he was unable to attend because his wife, Vanessa Nadal, tested positive for COVID-19.

"She's doing fine," he tweeted. "Kids & I have tested [negative], but out of caution, I won't be going to the Oscars tomorrow night. Cheering for my TickTickBoom & Encanto families w my own family, alongside all of you, ALL of you."

This year's Oscars ceremony has been the most "normal" (read: free of COVID) since 2019, but it's obvious that the threat of the illness still looms over Hollywood. Here's to a healthy crowd and a full house next year.

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Gabrielle Ulubay is a Beauty Writer at Marie Claire. She has also written about sexual wellness, politics, culture, and fashion at Marie Claire and at publications including The New York Times, HuffPost Personal, Bustle, Alma, Muskrat Magazine, O'Bheal, and elsewhere. Her personal essay in The New York Times' Modern Love column kickstarted her professional writing career in 2018, and that piece has since been printed in the 2019 revised edition of the Modern Love book. Having studied history, international relations, and film, she has made films on politics and gender equity in addition to writing about cinema for Film Ireland, University College Cork, and on her personal blog, gabrielleulubay.medium.com. Before working with Marie Claire, Gabrielle worked in local government, higher education, and sales, and has resided in four countries and counting. She has worked extensively in the e-commerce and sales spaces since 2020, and spent two years at Drizly, where she developed an expertise in finding the best, highest quality goods and experiences money can buy.

Deeply political, she believes that skincare, haircare, and sexual wellness are central tenets to one's overall health and fights for them to be taken seriously, especially for people of color. She also loves studying makeup as a means of artistic expression, drawing on her experience as an artist in her analysis of beauty trends. She's based in New York City, where she can be found watching movies or running her art business when she isn't writing. Find her on Twitter at @GabrielleUlubay or on Instagram at @gabrielle.ulubay, or follow her art at @suburban.graffiti.art

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