On Sunday, March 2, the Academy Awards took place in Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, and the feature film “Anora” swept the floor. The 2024 film, which showcased a forbidden romance between an escort from Brooklyn and a Russian oligarch, won five of the six awards it was nominated for, including Best Picture. Celebrating among the cast and crew as a supporting actress was Grand Valley State University alumna, Lindsey Normington.
Normington graduated from GVSU in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Theatre. She spent her time as a student involved in a number of campus theatre productions and projects. One of these programs was ReACT!, a peer education theatre group that provided support to sexual assault survivors and prevention programs at the University.
“Lindsey was a driving force as an actor and program creator for several years in ReACT!,” said Allison Metz, a GVSU professor in the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance. “(Lindsey joining the group) was my first opportunity to start to really get to know her on a personal level and I quickly realized she had the makings of a person who was destined to make an impact on our world.”
Since her graduation, Normington has made a career for herself in both the film and music video industries. Normington relocated to Los Angeles, California, and has notably worked for artists like Fall Out Boy, Tove Lo, Swae Lee and Girl in Red. She has also landed features in numerous television shows, such as Netflix’s “True Story” and “Blindspotting,” and HBO’s “The Idol.”
Additionally, Normington has been involved in labor activism, as she played a role in organizing the only unionized strip club in the United States.
“(Normington) was already a really good actor (at GVSU),” Metz said. “She also clearly understood the power of using performance beyond the stage to create positive social change, which showed a maturity and intelligence beyond her years.”
Normington’s success has become a beacon of inspiration among GVSU students with similar goals and aspirations. Film student Georgia Hessel shared her excitement over Normington’s involvement in the Oscar winning movie.
“I was surprised when I found out Lindsey went to GVSU after I saw ‘Anora’ for the first time,” Hessel said. “It made me feel a lot of pride and excitement toward being a GVSU student involved in collaborative arts.”
Hessel added that seeing a GVSU alumna on a stage as big as the Oscars left a vivid, inspirational picture for her. She feels that for any other theatre students who may have been watching, the moment was very impactful.
“It was really cool to see Lindsey on stage while watching the Oscars,” Hessel said. “I felt like, hey, if she could do it, why can’t I be up there too?”
The impact Normington continues to have on the University’s theatre community especially resonated with Metz.
“Seeing Lindsey on the Oscar stage with the ‘Anora’ team accepting the award for Best Picture (was) an incredible sight that continues to bring tears to my eyes,” Metz said. “It (Normington’s involvement in the film) feels unreal, (but to) anyone who has firsthand experience knowing what a special person Lindsey is, it makes perfect sense.”
