Jean Dujardin and Uggie the dog. photo credit: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S. BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW EXCERPT Jean Dujardin, winner of the Oscar for Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role The Artist Q. …with your great success in this silent movie, are you concerned with the effort to make a transition into talkies? A. In America? I’m not American actor. I’m a French actor, and I continue in France and but it’s possible.

Tom Cruise congratulates Meryl Streep. Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S. BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW EXCERPT  Meryl Streep, winner of the Oscar for Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role The Iron Lady Q. In your very moving speech this evening, you mentioned jokingly we might all be sick of you in the future. I hope that doesn’t happen, but it seems like you have the beginning of a second project in life with The Women’s Museum. Would you talk a little bit about that? A. Thank you for asking about that. There is no national women’s history museum, but there is a lot of history that is not written about the contributions of women in our country and around the world. And I think it would be really, really inspiring for people all around the world to have this fantastic center where you can learn the stuff that hasn’t been written about women, because for many, many centuries, history was not interested in us. And yet, and our history is invisible and I think it would be great for boys and girls to go to a place where they could learn about the contributions of their foremothers as well as their forefathers.

Christopher Plummer just after accepting his award. Photo credit: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S. BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW EXCERPT Christopher Plummer, winner of the Oscar for Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Beginners Q. I’m curious how you look back at awards of any kind, specifically, the two nominations and now the first Oscar win. In terms of a measure of a career, because it’s, obviously, not the reason you do things, but what kind of dessert topping does it put on a distinguished career? A. That’s absolutely a wonderful phrase. It is a le creme on top, and it’s lovely to be sort of accepted, because you know that beyond the pleasure of working in front of a live audience, particularly, it’s a general acceptance of your work. So it’s thrilling, and I don’t pretend not to poo poo awards, although there’s so many of them, I can’t keep up. I mean, they’re inventing a new one every day.

Christian Bale with Octavia Spencer after presenting her the Oscar for Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. photo credit: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S. BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW EXCERPT Octavia Spencer, winner of the Oscar for Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role The Help Q. Can you explain how did they help you to do that or you know what your cast really meant to you when you said your family really meant to you? A. Well, it’s very rare that you have the type of ensemble that we had. You know, you don’t get all the Academy Award nominee winners and Cecily Tyson, Mary Steenburgen, Sissy Spacek, Viola Davis coming together to do a project. And then you have the collaboration of Academy Award nominees behind the scenes. We just left our egos at the door and worked together as one beautiful unit from Emma, Viola, Bryce, Allison Janney. I mean, it was an award winning cast. So to be a part of that and to just sort of dissolve into the world that we were representing is something that we’re supposed to do as actors but it was rare that we did it without judgment with each other.

Oscar-winner for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, Asghar Farhadi. Darren Decker / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Hollywood‘s Power Couple, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, walk backstage. Darren Decker / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Morgan Freeman prepares… Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Brian Grazer and Penelope Cruz. credit: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

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Melissa Leo opened “Meet the Oscars / credit: Peter Dressel / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Okay, so where am I?


I wandered the plastic-covered red carpet at the Kodak Theatre on Wednesday looking for the story of the day. All of the good stuff was happening in Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal New York. There, Oscar fans were the first to see the actual Oscar statuettes that will be presented to the Best Actor and Best Actress winners at this Sunday. The 1987 Best Actor Oscar awarded to Michael Douglas for his Wall Street performance was there as well.

A few of my colleagues were there and they said it was a fabulous morning. I could wax poetic all day about New York, Grand Central and walking everywhere you go as I debate here, but then a little birdy dressed in a Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department uniform said these magic words:

“Jennifer Aniston is getting her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in forty-five minutes.”

Her bodyguard wouldn’t let her stop to talk to the Media Guy.

Faster than you can say “Free Starbucks” I was hoofing it to Hollywood and Vine, which at the time seemed like a good idea. However, with the wrong Ferragamos on my feet and thirty pounds of camera equipment in tow, the ten blocks seemed more like a trek through the unpaved roads of Sicily.

When I arrived to the ceremony which was directly across from the Pantages Theater and inform of the W Hotel, it was, needless to say, packed. At least 1,000 people, maybe more. I didn’t have a press pass and there was no place to camp out for the best shot.

Call it divine intervention.  Call it The Media Guy Timing. Call it whatever you like, but I lucked out standing in front of the Metro station entrance. This stumbled upon nook-and-cranny-of-space that the security guards left unfettered, would wind up being the catwalk area that hosted the celebs walking from the hotel to the microphones.

I was in the perfect spot to see everyone — Adam Sandler, Wanderlust co-star Malin Ackerman, John Aniston, Justin Theroux and the star of the day — walk in.

“Wait a minute…let me get my bearings…where’s Michael?” (…a boy can dream)

On this 75-degree, clear Los Angeles day, Aniston became the first of her “Friends” to be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her brief 2:10 speech was packed with humbleness and enthusiasm as she mused exclaiming that one of her “wildest dreams” had come true. “I was born in Sherman Oaks, CA. I am a California girl through and through. And I’m sure this has always sort of been in the back of my mind,” she said.

As she received the 2,462nd star Walk of Fame, she concluded with, “I am utterly humbled and grateful to all of the fans who have come out today and supported me throughout my career. … I love you!”

credit: TODD WAWRYCHUK / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Oscars Notes

The four Oscar-winning actors from the 83rd Academy Awards – Christian Bale (left), Colin Firth (right), Melissa Leo (right center) and Natalie Portman – will present at the 84th Academy Awards, telecast producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer announced today.

Meryl Streep, Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis will also present at the awards, while Tony Bennett will perform at the Governors Ball on Oscar® Sunday.

More Walk of Fame Photos

“I’m going to get on all fours, so this could get interesting…” – Jennifer Aniston

Malin Ackerman was the first celebrity on the scene.

Adam Sandler remarked that he “wore my best shirt for you today…”

“I was born in Sherman Oaks…it was always on my mind to get a star.”

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Score another round to social media.

photo credit Scott Garfield ©Disney Enterprises

Pictured: photographer Douglas Kirkland (left) and Actor in a Leading Role Nominee George Clooney.  credit: Matt Petit/©A.M.P.A.

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Since January 26^th my inbox has been gathering steam from the Academy Awards® telling me who is going to present at the 84^th annual event. 

credit: ©A.M.A.P.S.®

For those of you living in a cave away from anything remotely close to Awards Season, the Oscars will be handed out on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®. And guess what? I’ll be there. Yet I digress…

photo credit Bryan Crowe © A.M.P.A.S.

Mark Crawford (left), of the design firm Blood&Chocolate, Academy President Tom Sherak (center) and award-winning graphic designer Anthony Goldschmidt at the poster printing. photo credit: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.

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