USA TODAY International Edition
Oscar moments we’ll never forget
Gaffes and unscripted stunts often become the highlights
“There’s been a mistake.” Those four words changed the course of Academy Awards history last year, when 21⁄2 minutes into Team La
La Land‘s best-picture acceptance speeches, producer Jordan Horowitz informed the crowd that Moonlight had actually won.
The jaw-dropping gaffe — which was met with stunned disbelief by those in the room and at home — was the result of a mix-up by accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, who mistakenly handed presenters Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty the wrong category envelope.
It also was a reminder of the unpredictability of Hollywood’s biggest awards, which celebrate their 90th year March 4 (ABC, 8 p.m. ET/5 PT). Here are some of other talked-about moments:
1. Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African American to win an Oscar (1940) She was the first black actor to ever be nominated or win, for best supporting actress for Gone With the
Wind. The next to earn the prize wouldn’t be until 1964, when Sidney Poitier took best actor for Lilies of the Field. 2. Marlon Brando refuses to accept his Oscar (1973)
Instead of walking to the stage when he won best actor for The Godfather, Brando sent Native American activist Sacheen Littlefeather up to protest the misrepresentation of American Indians in Hollywood. 3. A streaker crashes the awards (1974)
Shortly before Elizabeth Taylor was set to announce best picture, gay rights activist Robert Opel stripped naked and ran across the stage behind Oscar co-host David Niven. He was not arrested, and merely explained that it was “one of those one-time things.” 4. Sally Field exclaims, “You like me!” (1985)
Accepting her second best-actress Oscar for Places in the Heart,
Field gushed, “I can’t deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!” The giddy declaration has been misquoted as “You really like me!” over the years. 5. Jack Palance does push-ups (1992)
Then 73, the supporting-actor winner for City Slickers used his time at the podium to bemoan how producers favor young actors. He then proved his vigor by getting down and doing three one-armed push-ups mid-speech. 6. Roberto Benigni jumps for joy (1999) When Sophia Loren announced Life Is Beautiful as best foreign-language film, its Italian director/actor walked atop seats on his way to the stage.
“This is the moment of joy, and I want to kiss everybody because you are the major of the joy,” Benigni said.
7. Angelina Jolie shares an uncomfortable moment with her brother (2000)
Taking the supporting-actress award for Girl, Interrupted, Jolie thanked her older brother James Haven, saying, “I’m in shock and I’m so in love with my brother right now.” They were later photographed briefly locking lips at the event, fueling speculation about their curiously close relationship. 8. Halle Berry makes history with Oscar win (2002)
As the first and only black woman to win best actress, the Monster’s Ball star emphasized the award’s significance, proclaiming, “This moment is so much bigger than me.” She dedicated the honor of color to “every that nameless, now has a faceless chance because woman this 9. door Adrien tonight Brody has kisses been opened.” Halle Berry onstage (2003)
In a move that’s become more cringeworthy to watch in light of the sexual harassment allegations that have rocked Hollywood, Brody brings Berry in for a long kiss when he takes the podium to accept best actor for The Pianist. 10. Crash takes best picture over Brokeback Mountain (2006)
In one of the greatest upsets in Oscar history, Paul Haggis’ race drama beat Ang Lee’s critically favored front-runner, making it only the second film ever to win the top prize without a Golden Globes picture nomination. 11. Heath Ledger wins posthumous Oscar (2009)
After his sudden death at 28 from an accidental overdose of prescription medications, his family accepted his supporting actor award, for his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight. 12. Jennifer Lawrence trips (2013)
The then-22-year-old fell as she climbed the steps to accept her best actress trophy for Silver Linings Playbook, cementing her status as America’s most relatable (and clumsiest) star. 13. Ellen DeGeneres takes the most star-studded selfie (2014) The Oscar host had the most retweeted tweet of the year for her A-list group shot with Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Julia Roberts, Angelina Jolie and Lupita Nyong’o. “If only Bradley’s arm was longer,” she captioned the snap. “Best photo ever.” 14. John Travolta butchers Idina Menzel’s name (2014) The Grease actor launched a thousand memes when he introduced the Frozen star’s performance of Let It Go, pronouncing her name “Adele Dazeem.” 15. Patricia Arquette calls for pay equity in impassioned speech (2015)
The Boyhood supporting-actress winner’s acceptance speech singled out the wage gap between men and women. “It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America,” Arquette said, earning huge cheers.