Julia Louis-Dreyfus & Will Ferrell Crack Up at Oscars Rehearsals, Timothée Chalamet Gets Starstruck
With just one day to go before the 92nd Academy Awards, Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre was abuzz with last-minute Oscars prep. Orange hazard-cones flanked the side-stage as production staff and crew whispered cues into head-sets, adjusted lighting, hauled trash and touched up the bold and elegant set that features 40,000 Swarovski crystals. All the while, a dazzling succession of A-list stars rehearsed lines and mastered blocking in anticipation of Hollywood’s biggest night.
“Oh s—!” said a relaxed Julia Louis-Dreyfus from center stage after being nudged by co-presenter Will Ferrell, who was casual in a Seattle Seahawks sweatshirt and sneakers, to start her line. Ferrell and Dreyfus, dressed down in jeans (but wearing heels so the mic’s height can be pre-programmed for show day), joked around, linked arms and high-fived as they walked off-stage in high spirits. At one point, Dreyfus comedically bobbled the faux-Oscar statuette she was meant to practice presenting to a “winner” stand-in actor.
Saturday featured a steady stream of stars and low-key hijinx: 1917 actor George MacKay stood in the nosebleed balcony hundreds of feet above the stage going over lines. “You guys having a good time here?!” he riffed into a mic while gesturing to an empty balcony.
Two-time Oscar winner Jane Fonda, rocking flared jeans and heels, scanned the orchestra section and marveled at the “famous names” and photos — Leo! Brad! Charlize! – emblazoned on cardboard placards demarcating who will grace those seats on Oscar night. With her rehearsal done, Fonda good-naturedly confided in a production staffer, “I’m hungover so I made a few mistakes”, before heading out and declaring, “C’est fini!”
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Unsurprisingly, it was Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig who brought the most levity, often dissolving into giggles together on stage. “Oh my gosh, this is an epic thing to see!” said a starstruck Timothée Chalamet after spotting Wiig and Rudolph as he waited to rehearse. Hearing him fanboy in the front row, Rudolph joked self-deprecatingly, “Save that for after you see it!”
Of course, they nailed their bit, leaving the first-time presenter in hysterics and just a tad concerned that he and co-presenter Natalie Portman were set to follow them on-stage. “They’re right before us?! Oh God!” Chalamet said to an unruffled and smiling Portman, who was low-key in jeans and her hair pulled up in a messy bun.
Checking out the orchestra seat assignments and decked out in Balenciaga track pants and a fitted long sleeve tee, Salma Hayek spied her name and photo at a prime spot. “I got a great seat!“ she said giddily, noticing Penelope Cruz’s name nearby. “All my friends are around!”
The parade of stars — Tom Hanks, Cruz, Mahershala Ali, Idina Menzel, Mindy Kaling, Mark Ruffalo and Regina King among them — brought their game and star power throughout the fast-paced few days.
Friday saw most of the show’s musical acts run through their performances and finesse stage directions and timing. Eimear Noone, the show’s first female composer-conductor, rehearsed this year’s Best Original Scores. At one point, Chrissy Metz took the stage to belt out “I’m Standing With You”, her Oscar-nominated song from the drama “Breakthrough”. “Look at all the famous people that are going to be in the audience!” said a wide-eyed Metz, as she scanned the orchestra.
Before the This is Us star ran through the song a second time, 11-time nominee Diane Warren gestured to the orchestra tucked under the stage and took the whole scene in from the front row. After snapping an iPhone selfie beside a seat-placard displaying her own headshot, Warren perfectly summed up the pre-Oscar mood, saying: ”This is f—ing awesome!”
The 92nd Annual Academy Awards will air live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Feb. 9 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
