Zoe Zeigler, 13, of Harrington was up for a Critics Choice Award as Best Young Actress/Actor in an awards ceremony originally scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 12. However, the devastating wildfires in and around Los Angeles mean the young star will need to wait a bit for her red carpet moment.
The Delaware teen filmed “Janet Planet” in Amherst, Massachusetts, over two months in 2022. The movie, released on June 28, 2024, stars Julianne Nicholson and is about “the ineffability of a daughter falling out of love with her mother,” according to A24, an independent film company behind other coming-of-age and critically acclaimed movies such as “Lady Bird,” “Aftersun,” “Moonlight” and “Eighth Grade.”
Zoe plays the role of Lacy, the daughter of Nicholson’s character, Janet. The movie is the first feature film directed by Annie Baker, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright.
The film, which debuted at the 50th Telluride Film Festival was also shown at the 2023 New York Film Festival and 74th Berlin International Film Festival. It has racked up 15 nominations across 13 organizations, two of which it won.
On Dec. 12, the Critics Choice Association announced that Zoe is among five other young talent nominated for the “best young actor/actress” at the 30th annual Critics Choice Awards.
Also nominated in the same category is Maisy Stella, who starred in the coming-of-age comedy “My Old Ass” starring Aubrey Plaza. “My Old Ass” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 20, 2024.
Zoe’s nomination is the only Critics Choice Awards nomination for “Janet Planet.”
Carla Mansour, Zoe’s mother, said Baker texted her to congratulate Zoe on the nomination, and A24 reached out by email, which they have done for the film and Zoe’s other accolades.
“We didn’t even know what it meant, and then that’s when A24 sent the email and we’re like, ‘Holy cow!’ And I don’t really know what a Critics Choice Award is anyway, so I looked it up and I’m like, ‘Zoe, this is really big,’ and she’s just like, “Oh, OK. Cool,’” Mansour joked. “Zoe’s just so funny about this whole thing.”
Since “Janet Planet” debuted, Zoe has worked hard on her next moves as a movie star.
With an agent now on board, she has a couple more short films under her belt and auditioned for some “pretty big” roles from which she is still waiting to hear back. On top of that, she’s had Zoom meetings with Disney, Paramount Network and Steven Spielberg’s team.
Julianne Nicholson, left, and Zoe Ziegler of Delaware in A24’s “Janet Planet.”
Along with the support from her family and agent, Zoe has received congratulations from friends and Sussex County, where the family used to live in Selbyville. Her daughter’s acting career is also helping “put Delaware on the map,” Mansour said.
“Everyone’s beyond, like, blown away. I think a lot of people are still like, ‘Is this legit?’ … It’s nuts. I don’t really kind of believe it all yet,” she said. “If you do the math, there’s a lot of movies that came out this year, and that’s just crazy.”
The family has been dealing with stressful home renovations recently that have taken a toll on their holiday season. Mansour said her daughter’s nomination and looking forward to the event is the perfect distraction to help “brighten up this time.”
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The Critics Choice Awards, originally scheduled for Jan. 12, have been rescheduled for Sunday, Jan. 26, in Los Angeles because of the fires in Southern California. Mansour and Zoe will attend. While Zoe initially voiced her plans to wear jeans and a T-shirt to the ceremony, Mansour informed her daughter that her choice of attire might not be allowed and that she would probably have some help getting glammed up on the big day, she joked.
To make the moment even sweeter, Zoe turned 13 on Saturday, Jan. 11, the day before the original date of the ceremony. Before the awards were postponed, Mansour said the pair would most likely already be in the city, meaning Zoe would get to celebrate her 13th birthday like a true Hollywood star – with a red carpet to follow.
To see Zoe’s critically acclaimed performance ahead of the Critics Choice Awards, “Janet Planet” can be watched on Max.
Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys’tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Janet Planet star from Delaware up for delayed Critics Choice Award
