The 97th annual Oscars paid tribute to the classic James Bond with a dance — led by “The Substance” star Margaret Qualley.
Qualley danced alongside a handful of male dancers in tuxes while she donned a red gown, but why was she on stage during the tribute?
While Qualley might be known for her performances in “The Substance” alongside Demi Moore, as well as “Maid,” “Kinds of Kindness,” “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” and “Poor Things,” she was a trained dance before pivoting into the world of acting.
Qualley, who is the daughter of Andie MacDowell and Paul J. Qualley, grew up dancing, and eventually studied dance at the North Carolina School of the Arts, where she trained as a ballet dancer. She also was an apprentice at the American Ballet Theatre while she attended the New York’s Professional Children’s School.
It was at 16, however, that Qualley pivoted into acting when she earned an apprenticeship at the North Carolina Dance Theater company, and she decided to put a pause on dancing.
Qualley also appeared as a dancer in the 2020 music video for Sam Spiegel & Ape Drums’ “Mutant Brain” ft. Assassin, which you can watch here.
Qualley showed off her dancing skills at Sunday’s Academy Awards set to Monty Norman’s iconic “Dr. No” theme. After Qualley’s performance, Blackpink’s Lisa performed Paul McCartney’s theme from “Live and Let Die” before Doja Cat followed up with her rendition of Shirley Bassey’s “Diamonds Are Forever” from Sean Connery’s final film as Bond. To close out the segment, Raye performed Adele’s theme from “Skyfall.”
