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Belfast's Jude Hill Just Stole Our Hearts at the 2022 Oscars

Jude Hill, the breakout star of Kenneth Branagh's Belfast, proved that he's an industry veteran in the making at the 2022 Oscars. See his adorable red carpet moment here.

By Alyssa Ray Mar 27, 2022 10:14 PMTags
Watch: Belfast Star Jude Hill Talks Whoopee Cushion Pranks at Oscars 2022

The Oscars is already a "pinch me" moment for most actors. 

So, it isn't surprising that the 2022 awards show has Belfast's 11-year-old star Jude Hill "feeling very nervous and excited," which he revealed to Laverne Cox during Live From E!: Oscars. "Every single morning I'm pinching myself," he added. "I'm like, 'There's no way I'm going to the Oscars.' But here I am, an 11-year-old."

Despite his nerves, Hill proved himself to be a red carpet pro, posing adorably in his dark, dapper tuxedo and spilling secrets about co-star Dame Judi Dench. Specifically, Hill revealed that Dench, who played his on-screen grandmother in Belfast, was quite the prankster on set.

"Well, there were a lot of whoopee cushions," he dished to Cox. "That's what I'm going to say."

Apparently, whoopee cushions popped up in scenes thanks to Dench, and it was no secret that it was her. Hill continued, "By the end of it, if someone sat down on a whoopee cushion, we all just turned heads to Judi Dench."

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2022 Oscars Red Carpet Fashion

Who says Hollywood legends can't have fun on set?

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

The 94th Academy Awards is certainly a big night for Dench, who is nominated for her eighth Oscar. She previously won a Best Supporting Actress award for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love. She's nominated in the same category this year thanks to her work in Belfast, which is a semi-autobiographical take on director and screenwriter Kenneth Branagh's childhood in the Northern Ireland capital.

In addition to Dench and Hill, Belfast stars Caitríona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Morgan and Josie Walker.

Head to E! Online's Oscars page for a full recap of the 2024 Academy Awards.