Deandre Arnold is now hitting the real big time with an invite to Hollywood’s biggest night – the Academy Awards.
Matthew A. Cherry, director and writer of the animated short film, “Hair Love,” along with its producers, former NBA player Dwyane Wade and actress Gabrielle Union, gave a video invite to Arnold on the CBS Morning Show program.
“We love the way that you carry yourself, and we wanted to do something special for you,” Wade said to Arnold via video. “You and your mother, Sandy, are the official guests of the Oscar-nominated team behind ‘Hair Love’ at the 2020 Academy Awards.”
Arnold found out the news sitting next to his mother, Sandy.
“It’s crazy,” he said. “I never thought people like DWade and Gabrielle Union would be on my side. The film is about hair love. Me and my hair kind of grew up together in a way, it is like we’re best friends. It really is means so much that we get an invite like this. It means the world to us, honestly.”
The animated short film is up for an Oscar in the Best Animated Short Film category at the 92nd Academy Awards. It is a five-minute movie about how an African-American father has to do his daughter’s hair when the mother is unavailable right before a big event. The father has to figure out how to do his daughter’s hair on his own and finds out it is not as easy as he thought.
Arnold already made a splash when he appeared on the “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” Wednesday talking about his refusal to cut his dreadlocks because Barbers Hill ISD officials say it is too long. The district has said if Arnold does not cut his hair, he has to attend school an in-suspension student and/or attend alternative school. This means the high school senior cannot walk across the stage at graduation this spring. On the show, Grammy Award-winning singer Alicia Keys gave Arnold a $20,000 check to be used for his college education.
Arnold left Barbers Hill ISD over the district’s stance and is now enrolled in Goose Creek CISD, where he intends to finish his senior year without restraints on the length of his hair.
The 92nd Oscars airs live Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. on ABC Channel 13.
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