The 90th Academy Awards ceremony, known as the Oscars, will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California on Monday morning. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel will host the event for a second year in a row, he is the only host to do so since Billy Crystal in 1997 and 1998.
Revolting Rhymes, an animated production involving Cape Town animation studio Triggerfish, has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film – we’re holding thumbs!
While most are hooked on the big screen beauties and their designer clothing, there is so much about the ceremony most don’t know. Check out these 7 lesser known facts…
1. Famous people first
There are two separate lines to walk down on the red carpet at the Oscars, one is for the stars and one for non-famous people.
2. Streaker crosses the stage
In 1974 an English teacher named Robert Opel made history when he stripped totally naked and ran across the stage while actor David Niven was about to introduce Elizabeth Taylor. “Well, ladies and gentlemen, that was almost bound to happen… But isn’t it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?” said Niven.
3. No food once the show starts
Guests are often starving during the glitzy event. There is only a pre-show cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres trays and if guests skip this, they can only eat after the three hour show at the after-party called the Governors Ball. Unfortunately, not everyone makes the list for the ball, so they have to battle traffic to get home for a meal.
4. Stars go straight to a press conference after their win
Winners leave the stage and are quickly moved backstage for pictures, videos and interviews. They face a high-energy Q&A session with room full of journalists. It takes a while to get through it all for them to stop and realise their achievement.
5. An Oscar statue is heavy
It is 35cm high and weighs 4kg. It is plated in 24-carat gold and made from a metal alloy. Each statue costs about $696.
6. South Africa has won two Oscars
Charlize Theron won one for Best Actress for Monster in 2003 and the movie Tsotsi won in 2005 for Best Foreign Language Film.
7. The wrong winner is announced
In 2017, a mistake by PricewaterhouseCoopers accountant Brian Cullinan led to Best Picture presenters Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty announcing the wrong winner. They announced La La Land as the 2017 Oscar Best Picture winner, and after acceptance speeches they announced that in fact Moonlight had won. The shock on the Moonlight cast taking the stage and the La La Land cast leaving, said it all.
