Emma Stone, a two-time Oscar winner, is taking on a new role at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles this year. Instead of being a nominee, she will be presenting an award during the live broadcast on Sunday. The specific category she will be announcing has been kept a secret for added suspense.
During a rehearsal the day before the Oscars ceremony, Emma Stone was spotted in a laid-back outfit of a brown shirt jacket, white T-shirt, and jeans. While on stage at the Oscars rehearsal, she pretended to walk up to the microphone in high heels but stumbled over her lines, providing a humorous moment for the busy production team present.
“Oh God,” she said. “This is going to go great.”
Despite the initial stumble, Emma Stone managed to deliver her lines successfully. During the rehearsal, real golden statuettes are used, but the winners are just stand-ins for the practice run. Various professional actors fill in for nominees across different categories, from short film directors to best actress contenders. The specifics of who will present each award and what they will say remain a secret until the actual live broadcast.
Many stars cycled in and out of the show venue Saturday morning. Andrew Garfield, Whoopi Goldberg, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Miley Cyrus, Oprah Winfrey, Sterling K. Brown, Ana de Armas, Goldie Hawn and Miles Teller all made their way to Hollywood to practice their lines, walk in their show heels and find their marks.
After Stone, Winfrey made her way to the stage wearing sky high heels — presumably to practice navigating the long stage in the heels she’s wearing to the show. She and her presenting partner, who will remain a surprise until show day, elicited a rare standing ovation from the people in the room — an array of production staff, camera people and publicists.
Later, Garfield took Hawn’s arm on the walk to the stage, where they’d be running through the two awards they’re set to hand out: Animated feature and animated short.
Garfield, in glasses, light chinos, button up and sweater draped over his shoulder, fanned himself with the winner’s envelope. He and Hawn, in a loose black pantsuit, chatted and laughed together waiting for the go-ahead. On the next run-through, he took her hand on the walk and draped his arm around her shoulder when they got to the microphone. Their fun chemistry got laughs in the room.
“Ok here we go,” Hawn said, after a brief flub and re-set. Garfield let out a hearty laugh.
Randolph, who won the supporting actress award last year for her performance in “The Holdovers” wore a floral jumpsuit and looked out into the audience below, full of oversized pictures of stars and nominees where they’ll be seated.
The men were even more casually dressed — Teller wore a baseball cap, jeans and a “Late Show with David Lettermen” T-shirt. Brown looked like he was either coming from or going to the gym, in athletic shorts and a back sweatshirt. He’ll be presenting the live action shorts prize with de Armas. Both were delighted by their fake winner’s well-researched speech. Brown even made a joking “wrap it up” gesture.
But soon it was time for the crew and everyone to break for lunch — they’re in the final stretch before the 97th Academy Awards, airing live around the world Sunday on ABC and streaming on Hulu starting at 7 p.m. EST.
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