It was a night to remember at the 96th Academy Awards as a glittering guest list gathered to toast this year’s Hollywood heroes
WORDS: LESLEY JONES PHOTOS: GETTY
THE REEL DEAL
It was a night of high emotion, ultimate glamour and more than a few belly laughs as the 96th Academy Awards at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre took place last week.
The event was undoubtedly dominated by Oppenheimer, as Christopher Nolan’s movie about the dawn of the atomic bomb took home Oscars for Best Picture and Director as well as Lead and Supporting Actor awards for Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr.
“I’m in a little bit of a daze,” Peaky Blinders star Cillian, 47, told reporters after the ceremony. The Irish actor, who giggled in disbelief as he took to the stage to accept the famous golden statuette said, “I’m very overwhelmed, I’m very humbled and very grateful. And you know, very proud to be Irish standing here today.” While former Hollywood tearaway Robert, 58, drily commented that he’d like to thank “my terrible childhood and the Academy… in that order” for his win.
An emotional Da’Vine Joy Randolph won Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of a grieving mother in The Holdovers. She had audience members in tears as the former Broadway star and singer explained, “I always wanted to be different, but now I realise that I just need to be myself. And I thank you for seeing me.”
Talking later about her unexpected journey through the movie awards season, the 37-year-old admitted, “The camaraderie… I didn’t know if it was going to be a dog-eat-dog thing, if it would be, like, you know, really aggressive. And what’s been so beautiful is having this relationship with people that are going through the same thing with you, a support system that you can rely on and the friends that I’ve made because of it.”
Emma Stone took the Actress in a Leading Role prize, with her outstanding portrayal of Bella Baxter in multi-Oscar winner Poor Things. Lily Gladstone, 37, had been hotly tipped as favourite to win for her role in Killers Of The Flower Moon, and the Academy’s shock choice drew gasps from the crowd – and an unguarded jaw drop from Emma’s best friend Jennifer Lawrence – when her name was announced by last year’s winner, Michelle Yeoh.
Also thrown by the fact her Louis Vuitton gown had come undone at the back, a flustered Emma, 35, took to the stage and blamed earlier excitement from a former co-star for the fashion mishap.
“My dress is broken
