The 82nd Academy Awards: Live from the red carpet
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The Ministry of Gossip is coming to you live from the red carpet at the Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
5:00: Power players were everywhere. Spotted inside the Kodak Theatre was ABC President and Chief Executive Bob Iger and wife Willow Bay with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and his wife, Laurene Powell. Also, Miramax honcho Harvey Weinstein, in search of his missing wife, near the bar.
4:50: Robert Downey Jr. and his wife,Susan Downey, waved to the fans, drawing a big roar from the crowd -- louder than most -- as he passed without stopping.
4:39: ‘You come here and there’s every reason you are intimidated,’ said Sarah Jessica Parker, who is presenting the award for, naturally, costume design. ‘It’s a great treat.’
4:31: ‘Everyone looks at it as the final destination on an e-ticket ride,’ nominee Sandra Bullock said of the Oscars.
4:30: ‘We love Jake! We love Jake! We love Jake!’ the fans chanted as Jake Gyllenhaal stopped for photographers.
4:24: The mere appearance of Morgan Freeman, nominated for’Invictus,’ sent a wave through the bleachers, but those fickle fans quickly turned their attention to celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe, who blew kisses their way.
4:19: When you’ve been nominated 10 times like James Horner, this year nominated for ‘Avatar’s’ original score, you tend to have a grounded attitude toward the activities: ‘You get to a certain point where you just come to have fun and to get through it.’
3:42: Always the politician, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa proclaimed: ‘What’s so important today is not just the folks in front of the camera but all the folks working behind the camera’
3:28: ‘Up in the Air’ supporting actress nominee Anna Kendrick, who will be presenting the sound editing award with Zac Efron, told Osbourne she was more anxious about presenting than she was about being nominated.
3:24: In her thick Southern accent, real life ‘Blind Side’ inspiration Leanne Tuohy reiterated to Osbourne just how well she thought Sandra Bullock portrayed her in the hit film. ‘My kids call her the shadow,’ she said. ‘She hung out a lot and she wanted to get it right and she did.’
3:20: Sam Worthington, the star of ‘Avatar,’ shared some choice words with Osbourne about his thoughts on the day: ‘We’re on TV and you probably can’t say this, but this is ... unbelievable!’ Cue gasps from the stuffy academy escorts and cheers from the bleachers at Worthington’s word choice, which, sorry, we can’t print.
As for the surreal setting of the day, Worthington shrugged. ‘I never thought I’d be here, but today is about Jim Cameron and what he’s accomplished with this amazing team of people. If I don’t fall off the stage I’ve done a good job.’ And what about the sequel to the space epic? ‘When Jim calls, I’ll answer, I promise you that.’
3:17: The envelopes are here! The accountants have walked the carpet, dutifully presenting two black briefcases for cursory inspection. The night can proceed!
3:08: Sarah Siegel-Magness and husband Gary Magness, the producers of ‘Precious,’ told Osbourne they were surprised by the success of the film. ‘You make a film with heart and you hope and you dream, but you never expect them to embrace it like they have,’ Sarah said.
3:04 p.m.: Host Robert Osbourne‘s voice finally came over the speakers to first welcome Paula Patton from ‘Precious’ and her husband, Robin Thicke. He then began talking to the press bleachers as they screamed in excitement as he teased who would be attending the Oscars.
As the rain began to fall, those in the press bleachers were safe, but some celebrities were not. There was a brief gap between where the tented red carpet ended and where the entrance to the Kodak began. Weary of getting their designer gowns wet, early arrival celebrities like Virginia Madsen huddled under the tent, waiting for the rain to cease. But even parts of the plastic tent begun to spring leaks, dripping tiny streams of water onto unhappy attendees.
With no Brangelina to be seen, lesser-known personalities walked the carpet early Sunday afternoon hoping to be noticed. First to grace the carpet? Former Sports Illustrated model Kathy Ireland showing off her own jewelry line, which she was wearing. While she looked beautiful, journalists in the press bleachers were overheard questioning why she was attending the Oscars.
-- Amy Kaufman, Christie D’Zurilla, Geoff Boucher and Sallie Hofmeister
Check out the fashions of the red carpet on our sister blog All the Rage
Print your own Oscar ballot here
Top photo: Supporting actress nominee Anna Kendrick of ‘Up in the Air.’ Credit: Jason Merritt / Getty Images. Middle photo: Sarah Jessica Parker. Credit: Jason Merritt / Getty Images. Bottom photo: Sam Worthington of ‘Avatar.’ Credit: Amy Sancetta / Associated Press.
A new Times database puts readers on the sidewalks of Hollywood, using more than a century of archives to track the lives of the stars, including current Oscar nominees Jeff Bridges, James Cameron, Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman, Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep.
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