Uggie retires: The adorable dog from “The Artist”, a film which everybody and their nearsighted grandmother fell in love with last year, has decided that he’s done with filmmaking. After appearing in a handful of motion pictures, including “Wassup Rockers”, “Water for Elephants”, and, yes, “The Artist”, Uggie is ready to call it quits. In true Hollywood fashion, the dog has received a star on the Walk of Fame outside of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, making him the first canine in history to have his paws next to his on-screen human counterparts.
For those who decided to skip “The Artist”, Uggie portrayed star Jean Dujardin’s lovable sidekick in the film, a performance which won the pooch the Palm Dog award at the Cannes Film Festival. In fact, Uggie even appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to help promote the feature, a video from which you can find nestled below.
The dog’s turn in “The Artist” prompted some folks to push for a “Best Supporting Actor” nod from the Academy Awards, though, not surprisingly, such an honor can only go to humans.
“Everybody thinks I am great trainer. I don’t think so. I think he is just a great dog,” his owner, Omar von Muller, explained at the event. Although Uggie’s days as an actor may be over, Omar revealed that he will still be available for charity work.
Uggie’s retirement is well-earned. After being rejected by a number of owners, the canine found himself at a pound. Since his temperament was considered problematic, hope that someone would rescue him was starting to fade. Enter Omar von Muller, who took the pooch home as a foster dog. That is, of course, until Uggie won the man over his intelligence and fearlessness.
“He was a crazy, very energetic puppy, and who knows what would have happened to him if he [had] gone to the dog pound. But he was very smart and very willing to work,” von Muller said of his talented four-legged companion. “One of the most important thing[s] is that he was not afraid of things. That is what makes or breaks a dog in the movies, whether they are afraid of lights, and noises and being on sets. He gets rewards, like sausages, to encourage him to perform, but that is only a part of it. He works hard.”
Here’s hoping the little guy gets to enjoy his retirement. I just hope Benji isn’t reading this right now, because, you know, that would be kind of awkward.