WHERE THE REAL ACTION IS — BACKSTAGE
Not all of the suspense plays out onstage at the Academy Awards. USA TODAY’s Bryan Alexander watched the evening unfold from the wings of the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, where Hollywood insiders soothed nerves and swapped congratulatory hugs.
LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED
Oscars co-producer Jennifer Todd walks past host Jimmy Kimmel’s dressing room backstage, pointing it out to a group that includes her husband, actor Chris Messina, and Captain Fan
tastic director/writer Matt Ross. “Is he nervous?” Ross asks. “He didn’t seem it,” Todd says. After a brief tour of the stage, they head out to the red carpet.
Minutes later, Kimmel strolls past in a blue fleece sweatshirt emblazoned with a tiny Oscar statue logo, a backpack strapped to his shoulders. Talking intently, he heads to his dressing room, accompanied by an entourage of writers.
LAST-MINUTE REHEARSAL
A calm Kimmel is in the orchestra pit, working on his opening with two actors on the stage above him who are pretending to be Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. He’s mock-conducting the orchestra as their speech drags on and plays them off the stage as Todd watches on a monitor.
“If you guys like that, I like that,” Kimmel says happily. “Break a leg tonight — break multiple legs.” He laughs. “OK, don’t literally break anything.”
He returns to his dressing room, beaming and giving goodluck high fives.
THE CHAMPAGNE IS FLOWING
Hailee Steinfeld walks past, holding her dress with one hand and swiping photos from the red carpet on her smartphone with the other. “She looks gorgeous,” she tells a companion of one shot.
As she waits for an elevator, John Legend walks by with Chrissy Teigen. “Can we go straight to the green room?” he asks an attendant. Hand in hand, they pass Michael J. Fox and his wife, Tracy Pollan. The sound of champagne corks popping can be heard as they enter.
A cart loaded with gleaming gold Oscars rolls by, accompanied by the sound of drilling as adjustments are made to the set.
EVEN THE OSCAR BATHROOM IS ICKY
Adam Carolla heads into Kimmel’s dressing room wearing a casual button-down shirt and re-emerges dressed for the show in a tux.
A resplendent Alicia Vikander swans past best-supporting-actor nominee Lucas Hedges (for
Manchester by the Sea) on her way to the green room. Her train is so long that one of two women accompanying her nearly walks on it but pulls back in time, sighing in relief.
It’s not all glamour backstage. Dakota Johnson heads into the unisex bathroom with a female friend.
“Phew!” Johnson says as she walks out in her beautiful yellow dress, passing Javier Bardem. “That is so gnarly. Can we get a candle in here?”
Steinfeld emerges from the same bathroom, laughing hysterically with a friend. Viggo Mortensen ( Captain
Fantastic) leans against the wall, surveying the scene with a glass of wine and a program for the show in hand. He looks calm. “Why not?” the best-actor nominee says. “I have nothing to worry about.”
LOTS OF LOVE FOR MERYL
Best-actress nominee Meryl Streep ( Florence Foster Jenkins) is parked by a wall with her husband, Don Gummer. They’re having a private conversation as a security guard has the sole job of guiding people away from stepping on her dress.
As they’re going through the program, Shirley MacLaine comes over to kiss them both. An assistant passes and asks people to take their seats. The show is about to start.
Streep is people-watching as Matt Damon heads to the green room.
Kate McKinnon walks by and calls out, “You are gorgeous” to Streep. Faye Dunaway stops by and introduces herself. “I so admire you,” Streep tells her. Dunaway summons a photographer to take a picture. “Send me a copy!” she says.
As Streep passes Kimmel’s dressing room on her way to her seat in the auditorium, the assembled writers burst into applause. She blushes and keeps walking.
‘BEST SHOW EVER!’
Justin Timberlake’s band walks by chanting, “We’re going to the Oscars! We’re going to the Oscars!”
“Yes, we are going to the Oscars!” Janelle Monáe says.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson joins the entire cast of writers as Kimmel emerges from his dressing room. They carry out their nightly
Jimmy Kimmel Live pre-show ritual, screaming, “Best show ever! Best show ever!” — with Johnson enthusiastically yelling along.
AND JUST LIKE THAT, MAHERSHALA ALI HAS AN OSCAR
Vikander, the first presenter of the night, rests on a chair backstage, bopping her head (and massive diamond necklace) to Timberlake’s Can’t Stop the Feel
ing! The staff confirms that she has the right envelope and she hits the stage.
Jason Bateman walks past and gives a loud “Shhhh ...” even though no one is talking. Kate McKinnon joins him and they prepare to present.
Newly annointed best supporting actor Mahershala Ali ( Moon
light) makes his way backstage, seemingly stunned. A hyper Timberlake gives him a big hug and a “Congratulations, man!”
Timberlake bounds over to the green room, saying out loud to no one in particular, “Just trying to have some fun here, people.”
“Man, you really killed it,” someone yells out as the singer heads back to his seat.
SHE’LL GO FAR
An exhuberant Auli’i Cravalho receives her first review for her performance of Moana’s How Far
I’ll Go from none other than Monáe, who beams and tells her “That was amazing” as Cravalho and Lin-Manuel Miranda leave the stage with huge grins.
“Wait, did I miss my moment?” Taraji P. Henson jokes, watching the dancers. “Did my stand-in make it?”
VIOLA DAVIS IS READY TO GET COMFY
Shirley MacLaine and Charlize Theron were quite the instant friends as they prepared to present best foreign language film. Theron was protective of the 82-year-old actress, asking her if she wanted to go over the script one more time, and MacLaine repeated the pronunciation of director/writer Asghar Farhadi’s name ( The Salesman).
When supporting-actress winner Viola Davis ( Fences) came backstage, Theron kept MacLaine out of the way of the crush and was the first to hug Davis, saying: “Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Seriously, oh, my God.”
After winning her first Oscar, Davis sat deep in the wings as a stylist pulled off her high heels and replaced them with an appropriately red pair of closed-toe shoes with Velcro straps. After Davis stood up, swept her dress down to cover the shoes and walked on, one of the show minders remarked, “That has to be an Oscar first.”
“She just wants to be comfortable,” the stylist said.
Heading into the green room, Teigen tells her husband, “Your best friend is behind you, John.” Legend looks back and sees his
La La Land co-stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. The two men exchange a power handshake.
“John drops your name any chance he gets,” Teigen tells Gosling.