The Oscars are the Super Bowl of Hollywood. The yearly presentation is the most significant night in entertainment, while occasionally coming across as overly self-congratulatory. The program not only honours a kind of communication that fosters global understanding but also offers professional opportunities.
The following Oscars Most Memorable Moments and the narratives that surround them—define the Oscars’ history:
1. Hattie McDaniel wins the first black Academy Award in 1940
Due to segregation, McDaniel had to take a seat in the back of the theatre when she received the supporting actress award for her role of Mammy, a slave on the Georgia plantation Tara, in Gone With the Wind. In her victory speech, McDaniel said, “I sincerely hope I shall always be a credit to my race and to the motion picture industry.” After 51 years, Whoopi Goldberg won the Oscar for best supporting actress in Ghost, the first African American to do so.
2. Sidney Poitier is the first black man to win Best Actor at the Oscars in 1964
Anne Bancroft offered Poitier a short kiss on the cheek as he accepted the prize. Interracial marriage was still illegal in all 50 states at the time, and the Civil Rights Act had not yet been established, thus racial conservatives found the kiss insulting. Before another black man—Denzel Washington—won the award, it would be 38 years.
When asked about the night in 2002 when he earned an honorary Oscar, Poitier remarked, “It was a special occasion. “It symbolized advancement. It implied accepting a democracy that had taken a very long time to develop.
3. Marlon Brando turned down his Oscar in 1973
The first person to use the most prestigious awards ceremony in Hollywood as a political platform was Brando. The Godfather actor, who took home the Best Actor award, skipped the ceremony. Instead, he sent Sacheen Littlefeather, a Native American activist, to the podium to speak in his place.
Littlefeather, who was dressed in traditional Apache garb, stated, “He very sadly cannot take this very generous award. And the current treatment of American Indians in the film business is one of the causes of this.
4. 1974: A real freak on stage!
It takes a rare kind of person to outshine Elizabeth Taylor, but activist, artist, and streaker Robert Opel did it. Opel ran across the stage with only his mustache as English actor David Niven was ready to introduce Taylor, who would reveal The Sting had won the Oscar for Best Picture.
Surprisingly, Opel, who was 33 at the time, wasn’t detained or even asked to leave the gathering. As with the evening’s winners, he was given a post-telecast press conference instead. He told reporters, “You know, people shouldn’t feel ashamed of being nude in public. Additionally, it is a terrible way to start a profession.
5. Halle Berry creates history in 2002
Although Berry gave a remarkable performance in Monster’s Ball, her award acceptance statement will live in infamy. She is still the only black woman to have won the Best Actress award.
Berry said, weeping, “This moment is so much bigger than me.” “This door tonight has been opened for every nameless, faceless woman of color who now has a chance,”
6. Heath Ledger receives a posthumous Oscar in 2009
Hollywood was completely startled by Ledger’s overdose in 2008. When The Dark Knight was released seven months later, the actor once more surprised audiences with his outstanding portrayal of the Joker. The Best Supporting Actor statuette was presented by Ledger’s family on behalf of his then three-year-old daughter Matilda, whose mother is Michelle Williams.
His sister Kate Ledger stated, “Heath, we both understood what you had created in the Joker was very special and had even talked about being here on this very day. We sincerely wish you were, but we proudly accept this award on Matilda’s behalf.
7. The Finest selfie ever was taken in 2014 by Ellen DeGeneres
There will be controversy when Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Jared Leto, and Angelina Jolie all appear in the same photo. That is likely the intention of the host Ellen DeGeneres herding the A-listers into the same picture. 37 million individuals visited from all around the world, according to Twitter statistics, causing the website to crash.
8. Leo ultimately triumphs in 2016 and uses his platform to advance a cause
After 27 years in Hollywood and six nominations, including one for Titanic, Leonardo DiCaprio finally gave up his role as the always-bridesmaid and took home a small gold man for his performance in The Revenant. He spoke on global warming during his turn on stage, saying, “Our production had to go to the southernmost point of the world just to be able to get snow. Climate change is actual and is now taking place. It is the most pressing threat to our entire species, so we must band together and stop putting it off. Don’t let’s take our earth for granted.
9. 2017: Announced the wrong winner
What a night it was. Presenters Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty announced the incorrect winner of the Best Picture award due to an error made by Price water house Coopers accountant Brian Cullinan. Jordan Horowitz, Marc Platt, and Fred Berger, the film’s producers, presented their victory speeches for La La Land for two minutes and 23 seconds before Horowitz announced Moonlight as the winner. The expressions of disbelief on the Moonlight cast and crew’s faces as they took the stage said it all—it was a bizarre, completely unexpected moment.
10. 2022: Will Smith Slaps Chris Rock
In 2022, the night came to an end when Will Smith stormed onstage and struck Chris Rock for making a G.I. Jane 2 joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.
In his emotional winning speech, Will—who went on to win Best Actor for his performance in King Richard in 2021—addressed the incident and expressed an apology to the Academy, his fellow nominees, and not to Rock.
Many people thought the moment was a skit because it was so stunning, but it wasn’t, and Chris had to move the show onward while looking shocked and probably hurting!
After that, Will tendered his resignation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the organization banned him from attending any of its events—including the Oscars—for ten years.
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