by The Oscars never disappoint: the biggest awards night of the year dominates the airwaves, serving up Hollywood glamor in abundance.
Here are some of the best moments from the 2023 ceremony.
The best speeches
Were there tears? Of course there was. Ke Huy Quan, who has had quite the awards journey this year, cried on stage as he won the Best Supporting Actor award. “My journey began on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp. And somehow I ended up here on Hollywood’s biggest stage,” the actor (who was born in Vietnam) told the crowd.
“They say stories like this only come out in the cinema. I can’t believe it’s happening to me. The the! — is the American Dream.” Michelle Yeoh’s speech trod similar paths: “This is proof that … dreams do come true,” she said. “And ladies, don’t let anyone tell you that [that] you are past your prime.”
Brendan Fraser also got emotional when he accepted the Best Actor award and thanked director Darren Aronofsky for “throwing me a creative lifeline and dragging me aboard the good ship The Whale.”
Animals galore
If anything remembers the 2023 Oscars, it’s the bizarre and diverse array of animals featured at this year’s awards. Jenny the Donkey from The Banshees of Inisherin performed on stage with Kimmel – “she’s a certified emotional support donkey. At least that’s what we told the airline to get them on the plane from Ireland,” he joked. Colin Farrell was seen blowing the donkey a kiss from the audience, which was wonderful – but the standout has to be the cocaine bear, or at least a person in a bear costume.
Initially, the bear appeared on stage with the film’s director, Elizabeth Banks, but later gained his own mind and went into the audience to harass the stars. Targeted dead was activist Malala Yousafzai, prompting Kimmel to utter the immortal line: “Cocaine bear, leave Malala alone!”
Hugh Grant needs a moisturizer
Hugh Grant had a few memorable moments last night, starting with one of the most awkward red carpet interactions you’ll ever see. In an interview with host Ashley Graham, he referred to the crowd as “Vanity Fair,” seemingly referring to the 1848 book. Graham took him at his word and thought he was referring to the Vanity Fair afterparty, and the interview picked up from there a spiral.
He later joined his Four Weddings and a Funeral co-star, Andie MacDowell, on stage to present an award – and, in his words, “to emphasize the vital importance of a good moisturizer. Andie used one every day of her life, I didn’t.” Referring to himself as “basically a scrotum”: Could this be an academy first?
The punch is back
Jimmy Kimmel shone at his third Academy Awards, firing off jokes at the speed of knots. Needless to say, Will Smith’s slap (has it really been a year since it happened?) played a big part in his material.
“If someone commits an act of violence in this theater at any point during the show, you’ll be awarded the Academy Award for Best Actor and get to give a 19-minute speech,” he joked.
However, not all were true: when he tried to ask Malala for her thoughts on whether Harry Styles spat on Chris Pine at the press conference for Don’t Worry Darling, she cut him to death. “I’m just talking about peace,” she replied. Ouch.
Going gaga for makeup
Don’t forget Lady Gaga’s makeup artist. The star appeared on the red carpet dressed head-to-toe in Versace, only to emerge a few hours later completely makeup-free and clad in a t-shirt for a surprise performance of her song Hold My Hand.
Alongside Gaga, a pregnant Rihanna – fresh from her Super Bowl performance – also showed up to sing “Lift Me Up” from the Wakanda Forever soundtrack. Our favorite moment? She watched as her boyfriend A$AP Rocky jumped out of his chair to applaud her when she was done.
Academy Awards | Oscars 2023 | Red carpet
hopelessly devoted to you
The Oscars are an emotional ceremony at the best of times, but it peaked during the annual In Memoriam section. This time, a tear-stained John Travolta presented himself, and he took the opportunity to pay tribute to his Grease co-star Olivia Newton-John.
“We remain hopelessly devoted to you,” he said, referring to the iconic song. All together now: aww.
