Tributes pour in for superstar dog Uggie

Tributes pour in for superstar dog Uggie - star of The Artist - after he died aged 13

The Jack Russell terrier was put down on Friday after suffering from a prostate tumour

 

Put down: Tributes have poured in for Uggie the dog

Tributes have poured in to Uggie, the dog who shot to fame in 2011 Oscar-winning film The Artist, has died at the age of 13.
The Jack Russell terrier was put down on Friday after suffering from a prostate tumour.
Starting out, as so many dog stars before him in commercials, Uggie’s breakout role came as “The Dog” – loyal companion to George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) – in silent movie The Artist.
The film won five Academy awards, including best picture in 2012, and Uggie himself was photographed with a replica Oscar in his mouth like a bone.
Uggie also appeared with Robert Pattinson in 2011’s Water for Elephants.

Superstar: Uggie the dog in The Artist

The talented terrier then “retired” in 2012 but went on to make sporadic television appearances.
His most recent credit, according to movie site IMDB, was 2013 TV movie Holiday Road Trip, in which he played a dog called Scoots.

 

Job well done: Uggie, the dog who starred in the The Artist, holds up his paw after pressing it into cement as he is honored with a hand and paw print ceremony outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood

Uggie won the tongue-in-cheek Palm Dog award for best canine actor at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, and was the first dog to leave his paw prints on the cement outside Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
The organisers of the Palm Dog prize have paid tribute to the much-loved mutt, calling him “a special little Jack Russell who gave pleasure to millions”.

Uggie - whose owner was Omar Von Muller, “dog trainer to the stars” - also published an autobiography, ghost-written by Wendy Holden.
Omar previously said: “Everybody thinks I am a great trainer. I don’t think so. I think he is just a great dog.”
Sarah Clifford, who trained Uggie, described him as a "perfect terrier".
“I will forever hold him dearly in my heart and never forget his infinite love for chicken and hotdogs,” she said.

Uggie the dog - by Clemmie Moodie

Coleman-Rayner

Clemmie Moodie: Canine star of the Oscar winning film The Artist Uggie is one of Clemmie's favourite interviews

As the journalist who knew him best, I can tell you that, like so many of the great stars, Uggie had an ego.
It took weeks of wrangling before I was granted an audience. And Uggie – well, maybe his owner – demanded a not-insignificant fee.
But then, would Meryl Streep work for free? No, she would not.
Yet beneath the ruthless businessman exterior, Uggie was wonderful: charming, well-mannered, intelligent, affectionate, and ruggedly handsome.
His range of tricks knew no bounds. He revolutionised canine acting.
To this day, he remains one of my favourite interviewees of all time. Actually, no, Uggie was undoubtedly my favourite.