Animal Oscar Contenders: Roma

Writer-director Alfonso Cuaron was meticulous in re-creating his experience as a child in Mexico City, from the furniture designed to look like viewers stepped into his family home down to casting every last role in the film — including the dog who doesn’t quite seem to have a handle on his bowel movements.

“He had to look like the original dog, so we looked at dogs like crazy,” Cuaron says.

The production team eventually found a puppy on the street that was identical to the dog of Cuaron’s upbringing. “It was months before we started shooting, so it was enough time for the dog to get used to the set and be trained,” he adds.

Marina de Tavira, who plays matriarch Sofia, jokes that the screen novice was not always the most cooperative co-star. “There was lots of fake dog poo all over the place, and he would try to eat it because it was made of chocolate and sugar,” she says. “They had to find another way to create that material so it wouldn’t be appealing for him.”

Castmembers easily bonded with the pup, as he brought out lots of laughter behind the scenes. “I know now that he’s really happy,” says de Tavira. “He lives with the family of one of the girls, and he has lots of land to run. I don’t know if he’s going to be an actor again, but he has a good life.”