Brendan Fraser accepted the Oscar for Best Actor at the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday night. The honor came for his performance in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale. On stage, he broke down into tears while thanking the director, his family, and his other colleagues.
“Gentlemen, you laid your whale-sized hearts to bare so we could see into your souls like no one else could do,” he said. “It is my honor to be named alongside you in this category.” From there, he reflected on the ups and downs of his 30-year career. “I want to tell you that only whales can swim at the depth of the talent of Hong Chau,” Fraser said, before adding, “I started in this business 30 years ago, and things didn’t come easily to me, but there was a facility that I didn’t appreciate at the time until it stopped. I just want to say thank you for this acknowledgment because it couldn’t be done without my cast.”
Brendan Fraser On Stage
TOPSHOT – US actor Brendan Fraser accepts the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for “The Whale” onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 12, 2023. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
“It’s been like a bit of a diving expedition at the bottom of the ocean and the air on the line to the surface is … being watched over by some people in my life,” he added. Fraser also thanked his fellow Best Actor nominees, who included Austin Butler for Elvis, Colin Farrell for The Banshees of Inisherin, Paul Mescal for Aftersun, and Bill Nighy for Living.
Elsewhere in the night, Michelle Yeoh took home the award for Best Actress, while her Everything Everywhere All at Once collaborators Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert won Best Director. Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis also won for their supporting roles. The film as a whole also notched the award for Best Picture. Check out the full list of winners and nominees from last night’s 95th Academy Awards here.
Tems attended the Oscars with a nomination in the Best Original Song category for co-writing “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther. The song, performed by Rihanna during the broadcast, lost to “Naatu Naatu” (by Kala Bhairava, M. M. Keeravani, and Rahul Sipligunj) from RRR. Yet Tems — as with fellow nominee Lady Gaga (who performed “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick) — also made headlines for what materialized on the red carpet.
Actually, Tems’ red carpet look overflowed into the semi-stratosphere of the Dolby Theatre. The “Essence” collaborator (who nabbed a spot on our the Most Anticipated R&B Albums Of 2023 list) attended the awards ceremony in a Lever Spring/Summer Couture dress. The gown burst out of all structural confines on the red carpet, and that includes the dramatic headpiece, which remained in place when she took her seat.
As a result, several people who were seated behind and surrounding Tems ended up not being able to see the show. The “stratus cloud” effect was real:
Imagine waiting your whole life to be at the Oscars and you end up sitting behind a stratus cloud. pic.twitter.com/HQ8lSYQBUV
Still, the debate raged between people who found Tems’ strategy to be less than polite at a seated event (the headdress could have been adjustable, at least?)…
Tems outfit at the Oscar is really condemnable, rude and selfish. You blocked fellow attendees; they struggled to see what’s happening. I pity guest craning their necks around Tems’ puffy garment in order to see the stage. pic.twitter.com/nL20vcXjio
— President Eniola Daniel (@UnlimitedEniola) March 13, 2023
… and those who offered plentiful support for the aforementioned “taking up space” concept.
Tems and that her dress is the definition of “taking up space”.
Tems was taking up space and idk, something about a stunning dark skinned Black woman in a gorgeous dress just unapologetically taking up space and absorbing the moment, I stan. sns
Pedro Pascal had a big day yesterday (March 12). Aside from the Season 1 finale of The Last Of Us debuting last night, the actor was also a presenter at the Academy Awards, where his sister Javiera Balmaceda (Amazon’s head of Originals, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Chile for Prime Video) was on hand to represent the Oscar-nominated Argentina, 1985. There were a ton of stars on hand for both the actual Oscars ceremony and for the Vanity Fair afterparty, and at the latter, Pascal was momentarily immobilized when he thought he saw Rihanna.
Towards the start of a red-carpet interview with Chicken Shop Date host Amelia Dimoldenberg, as the two exchanged opening pleasantries, Dimoldenberg asked Pascal how he’s doing. As she asked the question, though, Pascal’s demeanor became more serious and distant as he looked off behind Dimoldenberg. After pausing for a few seconds, he asked, “Is that Rihanna?”
(It was not Rihanna he saw from behind, but rather, Saweetie.)
Dimoldenberg quipped that if it was Rihanna, Pascal should abandon the interview and go introduce himself. Pascal responded, “I will literally shove you out of the way.” Dimoldenberg said she’d do the same thing in his shoes and he replied, “If you didn’t do it, I wouldn’t understand.”
Pascal very clearly had Rihanna on the brain all night: In an earlier red-carpet interview at the actual Oscars with Ashley Graham, Pascal spoke about what he was looking forward to that night. He said he was happy to support his sister and to just watch the show before asking, “Is Rihanna performing?”
What better way to prepare for the Oscars than to create a pre-show party with all the biggest stars? On Friday, a handful of screen favs and big shots partied chic in what seemed like a meetup prep for the Oscars on Sunday. The party was held at the glamorous William Randolph Hearst’s mansion in Beverly Hills. Courtesy of the CAA, renowned for hosting road-to-the-Oscars parties yearly. This year was no exception at the Hearst mansion, renowned for being used in the filming of The Godfather, was the merry shelter for the stars.
The highly coveted architecture of the 20s was also featured in the unbeknownst Black is King Disney film. The more than $100 million worth of lavish space opened her 18-rooms for different side activities like disco, jazz, and more. Some faces at the party are Travis Kelce, Leonardo DiCaprio, Nina Dobrev, Adam Sandler, Pedro Pascal, Austin Butler, and Brooklyn Beckham.
Moments At The Pre-Oscars Party
Florence Pugh at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
It was no surprise that despite the jolly moment of wine and elite meet and greet, Leonardo still found a way to stick with the shadows. The Titanic sensation complimented his black attire with a black baseball cap which he tilted low. While the occasion was not without the hottest food hubs of LA: The Nice Guy and Slab Barbecue mounting the frontiers, some partiers like Lily James kept to simple classy outfits. The Disney actress chose a white three-piece flora-knit suit with highlighted roses.
Florence Pugh lit up in a green fin-inspired sequin flared dress with her septum piercing to stand out and Sandra Bullock stuck with blacks like Zoe Kravitz and many others. The X-Men star adorned her lace strap dress with a mixed set from Tiffany & Co. Her pose showcased her tiny fleets of tattoos on her right arm. Including the “Mississippi Goddamn” pledging her fanship to Nina. Sandra on the other hand leaves folks wondering why she decided to sneak a peak despite her party hiatus nature. It was a time to catch up before the big Sunday night. As it turns out, the likes of Brooklyn Beckham took advantage of the occasion. Overall, the agency party has offered a generous glimpse into attendees of the 95th Oscars this weekend. What’s your take on the pre-Oscars party? You can discuss it below.
Denzel Washington is someone who typically finds themselves at the Oscars around this time of year. Overall, Washington is one of the best actors in Hollywood. Moreover, his performances are typically good enough to get him nominated. The same can be said of director Spike Lee. Lee is a legend of Hollywood, and he has won some massive awards throughout his career. Last night, one would have expected these two to be at The Oscars. Although, they opted to take their talents somewhere else, understandably so.
Neither Denzel nor Lee were nominated for anything. That said, why bother attending the ceremony? Instead, they decided to combine their interests and head to the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Of course, Spike Lee loves his New York Knicks. Additionally, Denzel Washington is a big Lakers fan. Both of those teams were playing each other last night, so it only makes sense that they would link up. As you can see below, both sat next to each other courtside, and they were all smiles for the cameras.
Overall, it feels as though Denzel Washington and Spike Lee made the right choice. The Lakers and the Knicks ultimately engaged in a fantastic game. In the end, the Knicks won by four points in a final score of 112-108. Although it was a rough night for Washington, it was a joyous night for Spike Lee. His Knicks are currently on a roll, and they seem to have a shot at a playoff run. Moreover, the Oscars were dominated by Everything Everywhere All At Once and bad Will Smith jokes. Simply put, these two men did not miss a single thing.
As for the Lakers, they are still trying to secure a playoff spot right now. Overall, they have been fantastic over the last 10 games. However, they are still in a play-in position which means the postseason is not guaranteed. That said, if LeBron can come back soon, then their fortunes will be overturned. Meanwhile, the Knicks are having a season to remember, and it will be interesting to see how everything plays out.
Jimmy Kimmel joked about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at last year’s Oscars ceremony while hosting this year’s 95th Academy Awards on Sunday night. Smith was not present in the audience as the Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences banned him from all Academy events for the next 10 years. Kimmel also poked fun at Tom Cruise and James Cameron for not being present at the event, Steven Spielberg for allegedly never smoking weed, and many more nominees as well as attendees.
“We want you to have fun, feel safe and, most importantly, we want me feel safe,” Kimmel told the audience. “So, we have strict policies in pace. If anyone in this theater commits an act of violence at any point during the show, you will be awarded the Oscar for best actor and permitted to give a 19-minute long speech. But seriously, the academy has a crisis team in place. If anything unpredictable or violent happens during the show, sit there and do absolutely nothing. Maybe even give the assailant a hug.”
Jimmy Kimmel At The Oscars
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: Host Jimmy Kimmel speaks onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Later in the night, Kimmel warned that anyone who wanted to “get jiggy with it” would have to go through the Oscars’ new crisis team. The remark was a reference to Smith’s 1997 single, “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It.” Kimmel also said that the show would go off without a “Hitch,” referencing Smith’s 2005 romantic comedy. Lastly, after noting the high number of Irish actors nominated for awards, he joked that the “odds of another fight on stage just went way up.”
The host’s jabs come less than a month after Chris Rock finally addressed the infamous incident in his Netflix special, Selective Outrage. “Everybody fuckin’ knows. Yes, it happened, like a year ago, I got smacked at the fucking Oscars by this motherfucker. People are like, ‘Did it hurt? It still hurts! I’ve got ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears,” he said. Rock also joked about Smith’s wife, Jada, and her “entanglement” with August Alsina.
Jimmy Kimmel’s Jokes On Will Smith
Here’s the portion of Jimmy Kimmel’s opening monologue where he referenced Will Smith’s slap from last year’s show! #Oscarspic.twitter.com/2ksrwAnRJa
Give A$AP Rocky the boyfriend of the year award. Rihanna took the stage at the 2023 Academy Awards to perform “Lift Me Up.” During the performance, Rocky was spotted in a cream tuxedo jacket in the crowd, cheering on his lover.
Rocky was first spotted during the telecast as Jimmy Kimmel stood next to him before moving through the crowd in the introduction of Rihanna’s segment. After the performance, the camera cut back to Rocky, who cheered on the singer and was all smiles, while raising a glass of champagne to the moment.
While, the Fenty Queen was preparing for her Oscars performance, she took some time out to show that her son is a little jealous that his sibling is headed to the Academy Awards and not him.
“my son when he found out his sibling is going to the Oscars and not him,” Rihanna wrote.
Rihanna would also share images of what is happening in her son’s life.
The 95th Academy Awards has officially concluded with Everything Everywhere All at Once taking home the highly-coveted award for Best Picture. The ceremony aired live on ABC from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles with Jimmy Kimmel hosting.
In winning Best Picture, Everything Everywhere All at Once beat out All Quiet on the Western Front, Avatar: The Way of Water, The Banshees of Inisherin, Elvis, The Fabelmans, Tár, Top Gun: Maverick, Triangle of Sadness, and Women Talking.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” Wins Best Picture
US director Daniel Scheinert (L) and US director Daniel Kwan (R) speak after winning the Oscar for Best Picture for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 12, 2023. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
Everything Everywhere All at Once ended up taking home much more than just Best Picture as well. The movie also won Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, and more.
Other noteworthy award winners included Michelle Yeoh, who took home Best Actress, Brendan Fraser, who won Best Actor, and Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who both won Best Director. Earlier in the night, Rihanna took the stage to perform her song, “Lift Me Up,” off the soundtrack for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Lady Gaga also performed “Hold My Hand.” Check out the full list of winners and nominees from the 95th Academy Awards below.
Best Picture
All Quiet on the Western Front Avatar: The Way of Water The Banshees of Inisherin Elvis WINNER: Everything Everywhere All at Once The Fabelmans Tár Top Gun: Maverick Triangle of Sadness Women Talking
Best Director
Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin WINNER: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans Todd Field, Tár Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness
Best Actor
Austin Butler, Elvis Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin WINNER: Brendan Fraser, The Whale Paul Mescal, Aftersun Bill Nighy, Living
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, Tár Ana de Armas, Blonde Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans WINNER: Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Supporting Actor
Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin WINNER: Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Supporting Actress
Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Hong Chau, The Whale Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin WINNER: Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin WINNER: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, The Fabelmans Todd Field, TÁR Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness
Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, and Ian Stokell, All Quiet on the Western Front Rian Johnson, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Kazuo Ishiguro, Living Screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie, story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks, Top Gun: Maverick WINNER: Sarah Polley, Women Talking
Best Animated Feature Film
WINNER: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio Marcel the Shell With Shoes On Puss In Boots: The Last Wish The Sea Beast Turning Red
Best International Feature Film
WINNER: All Quiet on the Western Front Argentina, 1985 Close EO The Quiet Girl
Best Documentary Feature
All That Breathes All the Beauty and the Bloodshed Fire of Love A House Made of Splinters WINNER: Navalny
Best Film Editing
Mikkel E.G. Nielsen, The Banshees of Inisherin Matt Villa and Jonathan Redmond, Elvis WINNER: Paul Rogers, Everything Everywhere All at Once Monika Willi, TÁR Eddie Hamilton, Top Gun: Maverick
Best Production Design
WINNER: Christian M. Goldbeck and Ernestine Hipper, All Quiet on the Western Front Dylan Cole, Ben Procter, and Vanessa Cole, Avatar: The Way of Water Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino, Babylon Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy, and Bev Dunn, Elvis Rick Carter and Karen O’Hara, The Fabelmans
Best Sound
Viktor Prášil, Frank Kruse, Markus Stemler, Lars Ginzel, and Stefan Korte, All Quiet on the Western Front Julian Howarth, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Dick Bernstein, Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, and Michael Hedges, Avatar: The Way of Water Stuart Wilson, William Files, Douglas Murray, and Andy Nelson, The Batman David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson, and Michael Keller, Elvis WINNER: Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon, and Mark Taylor, Top Gun: Maverick
Best Visual Effects
Frank Petzold, Viktor Müller, Markus Frank, and Kamil Jafar, All Quiet on the Western Front WINNER: Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett, Avatar: The Way of Water Dan Lemmon, Russell Earl, Anders Langlands, and Dominic Tuohy, The Batman Geoffrey Baumann, Craig Hammack, R. Christopher White, and Dan Sudick, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Ryan Tudhope, Seth Hill, Bryan Litson, and Scott R. Fisher, Top Gun: Maverick
Best Cinematography
WINNER: James Friend, All Quiet on the Western Front Darius Khondji, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths Mandy Walker, Elvis Roger Deakins, Empire of Light Florian Hoffmeister, TÁR
Best Music (Original Song)
“Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman, music and lyrics by Dianne Warren “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick, music and lyrics by Lady Gaga and BloodPop “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, music and lyrics by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler, and Ludwig Goransson WINNER: “Naatu Naatu” from RRR, music by M.M. Keeravaani, lyrics by Chandrabose “This Is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once, music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne, and Mitski, lyrics by Ryan Lott
Best Music (Original Score)
WINNER: Volker Bertelmann, All Quiet on the Western Front Justin Hurwitz, Babylon Carter Burwell, The Banshees of Inisherin Son Lux, Everything Everywhere All at Once John Williams, The Fabelmans
Best Costume Design
Mary Zophres, Babylon WINNER: Ruth E. Carter, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Catherine Martin, Elvis Shirley Kurata, Everything Everywhere All at Once Jenny Beavan, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Heike Merker and Linda Eisenhamerová, All Quiet on the Western Front Naomi Donne, Mike Marino, and Mike Fontaine, The Batman Camille Friend and Joel Harlow, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Mark Coulier, Jason Baird, and Aldo Signoretti, Elvis WINNER: Adrien Morot, Judy Chin, and Anne Marie Bradley, The Whale
Best Live Action Short Film
WINNER: An Irish Goodbye Ivalu Le Pupille Night Ride The Red Suitcase
Best Animated Short Film
WINNER: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse The Flying Sailor Ice Merchants My Year of Dicks An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake, and I Think I Believe It
Best Documentary Short Film
WINNER: The Elephant Whisperers Haulout How Do You Measure a Year? The Martha Mitchell Effect Stranger at the Gate
Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII performance may have sparked quite a few (unjustifiable) compliments to the FCC, there’s no one complaining about her performance during tonight’s (March 12) 2023 Oscars ceremony. Gleaming with immaculately jeweled costuming and pregnancy bliss, performed “Lift Me Up” from Wakanda 2: Wakanda Forever.
The moving tribute track to the late actor Chadwick Boseman brought the entertainer out of musical retirement. With her baby bump on full display, Rihanna took the stage built out to resemble the breathtaking nature shots shown in the film. Backed by a full orchestra and a host of background singers, the singer belted out the emotional lyrics to the song, which was rewarded with a standing ovation after her conclusion.
When asked about what went into creating the tribute track, co-writer Tems said, “After speaking with [director Ryan Coogler] and hearing his direction for the film and the song, I wanted to write something that portrays a warm embrace from all the people that I’ve lost in my life. I tried to imagine what it would feel like if I could sing to them now and express how much I miss them. Rihanna has been an inspiration to me so hearing her convey this song is a great honor.”
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