It’s been a 12 months since Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on the 2022 Oscars — and the banned actor’s award still doesn’t have his name on it.
Janet Yang, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, told The Hollywood Reporter’s “Awards Chatter” podcast that Smith, 54, could also be prohibited from the show or any Academy events for nine more years, but he’s still welcome to get his nameplate engraved onto his Best Actor trophy.
“He earned the Oscar. He must have his name engraved on it,” Yang said on the podcast, released Saturday.
“I don’t know if he should personally come. But, yeah, we will arrange,” she added.
The Post has contacted representatives for Smith for comment.
Academy Award winners are handed a blank Oscar once they accept their award.
They typically get the statue engraved on the Governor’s Ball party, which takes place right after the ceremony, but Smith didn’t attend last 12 months’s event.
He did, nevertheless, sing along to his own songs on the Vanity Fair afterparty along with his trophy in hand.
The “King Richard” star showed off his blank award in a TikTok video last month in response to a different user urging others to ask an inanimate object what it thinks of you — though he cut the clip before making the query to the golden statue.
“The slap heard all over the world” was a well-liked punchline for 2023 Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel on Sunday night, explaining to the star-studded audience how the show’s crisis team would react should any more funny business go down.
“So, we’ve got strict policies in place, if anyone on this theater commits an act of violence at any point throughout the show, you will probably be awarded the Oscar for Best Actor and permitted to offer a 19-minute long speech.” Kimmel joked.
“Seriously, the Academy has a crisis team in place. If anything unpredictable or violent happens throughout the ceremony, just do what you probably did last 12 months. Nothing,” Kimmel continued. “Sit there and do absolutely nothing — perhaps even give the assailant a hug.
“And if any of you get mad at a joke and choose you need to come up here and get jiggy with it, it’s not gonna be easy,” he added.