Five things you probably didn’t know about the Oscars ceremony – secrets from backstage
From seat fillers to hunger pangs to scripted ‘saver’ lines for the host to get over a joke that bombs, the behind-the-scenes moments viewers of the annual Academy Awards ceremony don’t see
You have a firm grip on this year’s Oscar nominees, last year’s winners and what host Jimmy Kimmel will undoubtedly joke about (and the best picture award goes to … oops).
But there are aspects of Hollywood’s stellar night that may be a surprise. Let’s pull the curtain back a bit on a ceremony that strives for effortless glamour but, like any machine, is made up of nuts and bolts and simple human need.
Besides stars, designer duds and lots of close-ups, here’s what else the March 4 telecast will include:
1. Stand-ins, aka sit-downs
Cameras never find an empty seat at the Academy Awards, with a troop of seat fillers at the ready to occupy any chair vacated by a bathroom- or bar-bound guest. A parade of extras in tuxedos and gowns arrive hours before the show begins and are ready to swoop in and sit once the cameras start rolling.
Getting the gig, like so much in Hollywood, depends on who you know: seat fillers are family and friends of movie academy staff and accounting firm. Are there polite tussles to sub for Streep, Hanks or other A-listers, earning bragging rights? We can only hope.
