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The Oscars took place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles yesterday and the world witnessed many emotional moments that many of us could relate to. From the announcement of an Asian winner to a special tribute performance to the late Chadwick Boseman and more, here are seven unforgettable moments that will go down in history.
1. Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh Became The First Asian To Be Named Best Actress
Millions of people the world over were anticipating this moment. The Ipoh-born Michelle, who is Malaysian by birth but spent many years rising to fame in Hong Kong, was the second Asian to be nominated in the Best Actress category. At 60, all eyes were on her when she was announced as the category winner for her role as Evelyn Wang in Everything Everywhere All At Once. Other nominees in this category included Ana de Armas, Andrea Riseborough, Cate Blanchett and Michelle Williams. In her acceptance speech, Michelle advised others who look like her to use her win as a beacon of hope and possibilities, and proof that dreams do come true. She also advised all women to never let anyone tell them that they are past their prime.
2. Ke Huy Quan Burst Into Tears During His Best Supporting Actor Acceptance Speech
Talk about having a rough childhood – from being a refugee to starting an acting career at the age of 12! Having moved from Vietnam to Hong Kong as a refugee before eventually settlling down in the US, Huy Quan spent most of his years working behind the scenes. However, at the age of 50, he decided to put his acting skills to the test again and that was when he accepted the offer to be part of the cast of Everything Everywhere All At Once. Upon winning the Best Supporting Actor award, Huy Quan dedicated his victory to his 84-year-old mum who had sacrificed a lot for him. He also told the crowd how everyone should believe in their dreams and to keep ’em alive.
3. Jamie Lee Curtis Walked Away With Her First Oscar
Filled with a joyful heart and pride, Jamie had the chance to take the stage at the Oscars after being announced as the winner for Best Supporting Actress in Everything Everywhere All At Once. To many millennials, Jamie is known as the spontaneous, adventurous and cool person after her debut in Freaky Friday, and at the age of 64, she proved to many out there that it does take a lot of hard work, dedication and passion to be where she is today. Ruling out speculations that she had won the award for being a ‘nepo baby’, Jamie thanked everyone who had helped her come this far before speaking of her late parents.
4. All Heads Turned Towards Deepika Padukone Through The Night
Dressed in a classic black Louis Vuitton gown and accessorised with a Cartier statement necklace, Deepika made a grand appearance at the 95th Academy Awards. As one of the presenters of the night, she was in full form when Naatu Naatu made history after becoming the first Telugu song to be nominated, won and performed at the Oscars. Upon its announcement, Deepika took to the stage and personally introduced the song to the excited audience before it was performed by singers, Kaala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj.
5. Jimmy Kimmel Introduced The ‘Crisis’ Team
It’s been a year since the incident between Will Smith and Chris Rock took place, and to many of us, it remains fresh in our memory. This year, host Jimmy went a step further to introduce the celebrity crisis team – made up of Andrew Garfield, Michael B. Jordan, Michelle Yeoh, Pedro Pascal and Steven Spielberg. “There’ll be no nonsense tonight and no time for shenanigans,” said Jimmy after announcing that anyone who creates any outburst will be awarded with the Oscar for Best Actor and given permission to give a 19-minute-long speech. True enough, nobody went overboard and there wasn’t any drama that took place this year.
6. Malala Yousafzai Voiced Out Her Take On Peace
At an event as big as the Oscars, many would assume that if a person is asked a question, he/she will answer it accordingly since it is being aired on the big screens. However, Malala stood her ground and answered Jimmy’s question by shooting him down instead. Taking questions from the fans, Jimmy asked the youngest Nobel Peace Prize Winner if she believed that Harry Styles spat on his co-star, Chris Pine at the Venice Film Festival last year. Malala’s response to the question was (not) surprisingly short, firm and sweet when she answered, “I only talk about peace.”
7. Rihanna Paid Tribute To Chadwick Boseman
If you thought that Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII halftime was a one-off performance and the rest will have to wait until she delivers her baby, then you’ve had it wrong! Dressed in black floral embroidered pants and a tulle top, RiRi proudly flaunted her baby bump on stage once again as she performed her award-nominated single for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Lift Me Up. While the song itself was nominated in the Best Original Song category, the award went to RRR for Naatu Naatu. Nevertheless, Rihanna still hit the stage and went all out to perform Lift Me Up, which was penned by Tems, Ludwig Goransson, Ryan Coogler and Rihanna herself herself as a tribute to Chadwick.
Featured image: Eric Ji@Unsplash
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