The Shape of Water star Michael Shannon watched the Oscars on mute in a Chicago dive bar

Guillermo del Toro's film won four awards on Sunday night, including Best Picture

There was a beloved half-smirk, half-scowl missing from the Academy stage Sunday night: Michael Shannon, star of Best Picture winner The Shape of Water.

Our loss was Chicago's gain, as he instead opted to watch the ceremony from local dive bar Old Town Ale House. Current owner Bruce Elliott caught a snap of Shannon watching the win and posted it on Twitter, where it soon went viral.

He added in a caption: "No sound on the TV, just subtitles. Of course the jukebox was rocking, and the beer flowing. Where else would you want to spend Oscar night?"

Shannon was in Chicago as the play he directed, Brett Neveu's Traitor, had its final performance at A Red Orchid Theatre on Sunday night. The actor's been a member of A Red Orchid since its establishment in 1993, regularly returning to either act in or direct plays.

Old Town Ale House has a long history with the theatre community, placed perfectly between both the esteemed Steppenwolf Theatre and Second City, home of one of America's most famous improv troupes.

The Shape of Water picked up four awards on the night: Best Picture, Best Director for Guillermo del Toro, Best Score, and Best Production Design.

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