Messi the dog — handsome canine star of Anatomy of a Fall and a good little boy — was so well-behaved on this year's awards circuit that he got his own seat at the Oscars.

The seven-year-old border collie, who played a supporting role in director Justine Triet's Best Picture-nominated French drama, took his perch on a chair inside the Dolby Theatre on Sunday as he patiently awaited the start of the show.

Though Triet and star Sandra Hüller received standout praise — and Oscar nominations — for their work on the Cannes Palme d'Or-winning film, Messi's piercing blue eyes captured Hollywood's attention across the last year, and he unexpectedly became the film's mascot on the awards trail.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Messi's appearance at the Oscars came after false reports circulated over the weekend, indicating that Messi might not show up after stealing the spotlight at key awards season events — including the Academy's nominees luncheon earlier this year.

"The big moment was with Billie Eilish, who bonded with Messi for almost 10 minutes,” said Laura Martin, Messi's trainer and owner, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “They were hugging and petting and they really had a vibe. Then Bradley Cooper bumped into him in the hallway. The dog went right to him, so they also had a connection."

Neon

Martin previously told IndieWire that Messi had to train for two months straight to be able to complete a scene that sees his character, Snoop, keel over after being poisoned.

“Even the simplest things take a lot of work,” she revealed. “It had to happen in steps. First, the simple laying down and having his head kind of immobile. [I] started there and then [we worked on] lifting the head and just letting it fall back without resistance."

See Messi sitting inside the Oscars ceremony above.

Check out more from EW's The Awardist, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, and our podcast diving into all the highlights from the year's best in TV.

Related content: