Episode 42: Oprah’s Annual After-Oscar Party 2010
For 8 months she turned down the role of her life. Last night she won an Oscar for her role in that performance. Watch this. Sandra Bullock accepts the Oscar. Please welcome, this years Academy Award Winner for Best Actress, Sandra Bullock. She says she never left the theater, she stayed here and drank then changed her clothes. Really she went and slept for 2 hours. Oprah asks if she was prepared to win this, even though she was favorite and has won other awards. No, says Sandra, up until that point, nothing in her career has led to this moment, all her films have been good personal choices but nothing like this. Oprah says she liked Sandra’s comment do I really deserve this or did I just wear you all down? Sandra says that you feel that you don’t know if you are worthy of it. Oprah asks about the kiss with Meryl Streep. Sandra says that they have a thing and why is it so hard to believe that Meryl may be attracted to her? In this business, they pit women against each other all the time, they don’t do that to the men, and Sandra wondered how do they diffuse this? She decided to kiss her- take the humor. Oprah says that’s so interesting and that speaking to Meryl last night, she said some of the same things, her love for the others and the camaraderie. Sandra says that they became a sorority this last few months. They are all so different, how do you pick one? So she is just the representative for all five of them. Look at Gaby and Kerry who just started out. Oprah says she loved when Sandra pointed at her husband and said I have that. He has stood behind her through all this. Sandra says that he does manual labor all day and if he stops working then 80 people stop and a lot of things fall apart. So for him to come to award ceremonies is huge, to get him out of bed and dress him in a suit. Her words of wisdom about her mom, Oprah loved. Sandra says that the good mommas are the tough mommas. Her mom said to Sandra if she ever won an award not to cry, but as Sandra says she’s dead so she doesn’t know. They talk of her floating around up there, guiding you through it says Oprah. Oprah asks her what she’ll do with the rest of the day. It hasn’t yet sunk in. She has her Oscar with her in a bag. What do you carry an Oscar in? Sandra hopes that Louis Vuitton will make her something for Oscar. Sandra hasn’t decided yet what to do today. She’ll have lunch with the husband, the burger she’s been wanting for 3 months, a juicy burger with fries, a saucer of ice cream. The dress was special, just gorgeous with vintage beading. Congratulations says Oprah.
Nate Berkus was backstage last night. He asked Sarah Jessica Parker how the children are- they’re wonderful, they’re sleeping soundly. Sh will fly back after the ceremony, get a very early flight to be back in time to feed them. Nate says that’s so cute. Sarah says that they are worth flying home for.
Ante asks Steve Carell how he is. Steve asks how Nate is, They continue.
Thanks to the Academy for allowing them to be the only show ever to broadcast from the Oscar’s stage. The next guest swept all the awards for her soul-stirring performance in Precious, and it was no surprise last night when she became Oscar-ified. Welcome the Academy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress, Mo’Nique. They hug, Oprah nearly cries. Oprah loved when the audience stood up last night when she accepted the award, Mo’Nique loved it too. Oprah thought that Mo’Nique would stand up and thank God but she instead thanked the Academy for rewarding a performance, not politics. Oprah says that lots of people didn’t know what she was taking about. Oprah called her and she said that she’d be with her kids. She says it wasn’t so much that she wasn’t going to campaign- she was on Oprah. Its just that she is a talk show host, actress, comedian, wife and mother. When she got called on a Sunday morning, she was in bed with her man and her babies watching Curious George.
Oprah says Mo’Nique’s style last night was channeling Hattie McDaniel. Mo’Nique says that she carries her. Last night was really special because she could hear her whispering in her ear. As she was going through makeup, something strange happened, she got a letter and a gardenia flower from a family member of Hattie McDaniel. (The first african American to win an Academy Award in 1939) Sitting there waiting for the nominees to be called, she thought about what Hattie went through. Mo’Nique says. “Because of her, it’s why you sit where you sit. I sit where I sit. Sandra sits where she sits. She did so much for all of us. So I’m very proud.”
Oprah asks in that moment when her name was called- Spielberg once said to Oprah that there is a moment when you hear your name and say please- did she expect her name to be called? Mo’Nique says that is so vain and she won’t be part of it. Because if she’d had that attitude, the universe would have turned it around. Oprah says Mo’Nique was so inside herself when she went to the stage, she did not waver. Mo’Nique doesn’t want to take all of that credit. Her husband and her have the best conversations in the bathroom. When they read the script he said Momma, people get Oscar’s for this if they play it right, and then she played it right. They had that conversation again yesterday. She celebrated with barbeque chicken, Uncle Anrdre’s is the best in LA. She and her husband went home and giggled. Well deserved.
Nate asks Rachel McAdams, about her dress, She says that Jake Gyllenhaal is mad at her, Jake says he was nervous that she’d fall and he wouldn’t be able to catch her. Nate has to untangle her from the microphone.
The Awards last night went out to 200 countries, where they appreciated the best of the best. Jeff Bridges’ roll as a washed-up cowboy has been called career crowning. Welcome the Academy Award WInner for Best Actor, Jeff Bridges. They all hug. Oprah asks how the last 12 hours have felt. Jeff says its like a magic slate toy, everything is clear. He felt his folks in the air, Jeff says that they are still hanging out in the theater. He says all your preconceptions go out of the window, you can never prepare for these things. Oprah says that his performance felt effortless, like it flowed from him. He says that acting is like a magic trick; it’s an illusion. He let it rip and there it was. He had such fun playing with all his buddies. He thanked his daughters and said that he wouldn’t be here without them. He says that goes in part with his wife, his family. He heard from Francis Coppola that getting married is the best thing for an actor to do- all the films are about love, and supporting a family gives a reason to do it. It gets you involved in what life’s all about. Oprah says that you can feel the love, with all of them on the stage, that their spouses are their fuel. None of these 3 on stage have the perfunctory thanking of spouses of years past. Oprah asks how he celebrated- he says delicately, he had a flush cycle and then he blew it with champagne at the hotel. He’s had about 4 hours sleep. From here he will go to a play with the Cohen Brothers, and then they’ll fly to Santa Fe and start the movie. He is done celebrating, he has work to do.
Nate asks Cameron Diaz how she doesn’t look tired, and she says red lipstick is the key so that people don’t look anywhere else.
The next winner went toe to toe with Brad Pitt in Inglorious Basterds. Please welcome Christoph Waltz, Academy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor. He toasted his big win with Quentin, who he loves. Quentin is a tough strict director. He is known for his crazy antics but there is another side to him sensitive and polite. Immensely polite says Oprah. She asks him how it is to become an overnight sensation at 53. It was still overnight, it just took longer. His phone is ringing off the hook, he wanted to get his 1 1/2 hours of sleep. Oprah asks if it felt different to get an Academy Award- yes, he was more nervous than ever before, for good reason, he blanked out completely and barely recognized his name. He was told afterwards that he was in shock and wouldn’t remember in the morning, like he was in a hospital, which he was grateful for because it is true.
Orphan hears that his 5 year old has been dressing his Awards- she makes installations with each one and he photographs them. He always thinks what’s next, but not in connection with this. Last night he thought he’d never be on this stage again in his life, and here he is with Oprah, so what does he know? Oprah asks if he’s thought about this in his life- a long time ago, when you start out you think of it. 3 weeks after you start you are faced with reality and forget about this. So if it does happen, it is a shock. He studied opera for a while and decided acting was the easy way out. Oprah asks for a note, he says that it has been 30 years so he gives her a note-A he says. Oprah asks if he has any words for those struggling wondering where the next job will come from. He says that general advice is misplaced, someone could take you seriously. He never would have believed that he would end up on this stage. He found being the mean guy infinitely more fun than being good.
Nate Berkhus is finally standing in the Architectural Digest Green Room where all the celebrities had been all night. Pretty nice, huh? It’s beautiful, he say. Barbara Streisand tells him that she looks for the time when the best director award is not about gender.
For the first time in 82 years, a woman won Best Director, says Oprah. Congratulations to Katherine Bigelow, and to The Hurt Locker team. There was another history-making moment that the LA Times called an upset. Oprah was so happy for Geoffrey Fletcher who was the first African American man to win Best Screenwriter for Precious. Clearly overwhelmed, take a look. When he accepted his award he said that he was drawing a blank but thanked everyone. Oprah says that she was willing him to speak because he had someone to thank, she calls him up to the stage for a Do-Over. He says that he was overcome and it was unexpected. He has some of his wits about him, so he thanks Saphire for writing the brilliant book, Lee Daniels for the life-changing opportunity, Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry and the entire cast and crew. The cast showed him how much actors can elevate the spoken word. It is an honor for any screenwriter to have their pages populated by such fine actors.
Oprah thanks all the guests. Here is Matt Damon when Nate asks his favorite moment so far. Matt says when Geoffrey won. Matt says that they were in the same Freshman dorm at Harvard, and all of a sudden he’s won an Oscar, and that’s amazing. Nate tells Zoe Saldana that she’ll be on the best dressed list because she looks amazing. She thanks him and says her mom will be delighted and that she has a great stylist who got her this wonderful Givenchy dress. She was speechless when she saw it.
Stylemaker to the stars, Carsson Kressley, is here. Oprah asks him how he summed up last night? He says that last night was a great vigorous wow, with wow dresses. His top 5’s.
5. Anna Kendrick from Up in the Air. It was pretty and floaty and her character in the movie was so harsh that this was a nice change of pace for her.
4. Queen Latifah who has never looked better than in this blush pinky orchard color mermaid dress, one shoulder, flattering and perfect hair, perfect accessory and worked well for her shape.
3. Vera Farmiga in a love or hate dress; he loved it. This was a powerful standout dress. Vera said that she loved the dress and doesn’t care what anyone thought. Carsson agrees, he says that the Oscars are like your wedding and so you should wear what you love. He says that is his advice for everyone when dressing.
2. His wow dress, Jennifer Lopez was unbelievable, she looked amazing. Architectural shapes were a trend on the runway. It was pale pink, and she knows how to rock it; Jenny from the Block.
1. Sandra Bullock, and not just because she was here. It is a fitted liquid metallic with heavy vintage beading, and it looked like she was here to collect her Oscar. She was so modest saying that she didn’t know if she would win. Her stylist knew she’d win, says Carsson, and dressed her to match it. The cameras show her leaving, gesticulating call me to Oprah.
For more reviews by Carsson, check out Oprah.com. He had fun out there.
Oprah asks Nate if he had a good time, he did. She says he did a great job out there and it’s a hard job. Special thanks to all of their friends at Sprint and to the Academy allowing them to come back year after year. She thanks the team. You can see more of Nate’s exclusive backstage action on Oprah.com. While you are there, take the pledge; all of tonight’s guests have. If they can do it, you should too.
WHAT WE LEARNED TODAY:
Sandra Bullock hopes that Louis Vuitton will make her a little something to carry her Oscar.
Mo’Nique and her husband and have their best conversations in the bathroom. He calls her Momma.
It is a little-known fact that Quentin Tarantino is immensely polite.
Cameron Diaz recommends red lipstick to take attention away from tired faces.
Carsson Kressley says that dressing fro the Oscars is like dressing for your wedding day; wear what you love.
A VERY QUICK SUMMARY:
At the Oscars, Sandra Bullock felt the presence of her deceased mother, Jeff Bridges felt his parents and Mo’Nique felt Hattie McDaniels.