OSCARS Most Memorable Moments On CityBuzz Extra
It’s the most important date in any Hollywood star’s diary – and Oscars night can be relied upon to provide us with some of the biggest celebrity moments of all time. 8">
Given the sheer amount of A listers packed into Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre – and the potential for things to go very wrong indeed – it’s no surprise that the annual awards ceremony is showbiz gold.
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As we cross our fingers for some similarly headline-grabbing antics at the 92nd annual show, we’ve looked back at some of the defining moments in Academy Awards history – from the inspiring to the downright cringe-inducing.
Jennifer Lawrence falls over (2013)
A Dior-clad Lawrence became a meme sensation when she tripped up as she made her way onto the stage to accept her Best Actress Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook.
With her trademark quick wit, she styled out the moment by telling the audience (who had got to their feet in a standing ovation): “You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell. That’s really embarrassing.”
She later explained that she took a tumble because she was thinking about – wait for it – cake while making her way up the stairs.
“I was at the Oscars, waiting to hear if my name was called, and I kept thinking, ‘Cakewalk, cakewalk, cakewalk,’” she told W magazine.
“And then, as I started to walk up the stairs and the fabric from my dress tucked under my feet, I realised my stylist had told me, ‘Kick, walk, kick, walk, kick, walk.’ You are supposed to kick the dress out while you walk, and I totally forgot because I was thinking about cake!”
La La Land is mistakenly announced as the Best Picture winner (2017)
“There’s been a mistake. Moonlight, you guys won Best Picture!”
Three years later, looking back at footage of the biggest Oscar mix-up of all time is like watching a tragi-comedy play out in slow motion.
First, there’s the meaningful look that presenter Warren Beatty gives Faye Dunaway after taking his time to look at the envelope, before his Bonnie and Clyde co-star announces “La La Land.”
Then there’s a series of emotional speeches from La La Land’s producers – as confusion gradually builds in the background – until one of them says “we lost, by the way,” leaving Jordan Horowitz to pick up the pieces and reveal that Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight was in fact the winner.
Horowitz, who remained commendably calm in what must have been an excruciating moment, told the crowd “This is not a joke” before holding up the contents of the Best Picture envelope for the camera (and sparking a major meme in the process).
As host Jimmy Kimmel cracked out an awkward line about wishing that both films could win, the producer shut him down, telling him: “I’m going to be really thrilled to hand this to my friends from Moonlight.”
Jenkins was then finally able to make his speech – though it has been pointed out that the circus surrounding the Best Picture gaffe slightly detracted from the director’s big moment. Reflecting on the incident one year on, he said that the win felt “bittersweet” because “when that switch happened, I didn’t enjoy it.”
“I’m never going to get the opportunity to enjoy that – because even if it happens again, it won’t be the same. Moonlight was a very special film for me. It was super personal.”
PWC, the accountancy firm in charge of vote counting, apologised to “Moonlight, La La Land, Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway and Oscar viewers” for the blunder.
Kathryn Bigelow makes history as the first female Best Director winner (2010)
Bigelow’s win for Iraq war drama The Hurt Locker was a milestone for women in film – though many of the headlines (and jokes during the ceremony) fixated upon the fact that she beat her ex-husband James Cameron, who was nominated for his mega-budget sci-fi fantasy Avatar, to the trophy. Her film was later named Best Picture.
Bigelow was just the fourth woman to be nominated for Best Director in the ceremony’s then 82-year history, following Sofia Coppola for Lost in Translation in 2003, Jane Campion for The Piano in 1993 and Lina Wertmuller for Seven Beauties in 1975.
Greta Gerwig has since received a nomination for her solo directorial debut Lady Bird (2018) but the Oscars are yet to crown another female winner.
Hattie McDaniel becomes the first black Oscar winner (1940)
McDaniel made history as the first ever black person to win an Academy Award when she received the Best Supporting Actress statuette for her role as Mammy in Gone With The Wind.
While this was undoubtedly a milestone moment for Hollywood, it should also be noted that McDaniel was the only African American person present at the ceremony in the segregated Ambassador Hotel, and was banned from sitting at a table with her white co-stars Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable.
