Awards / Awards Shows

Hollywood's most famous faces are touching down at the Dolby Theater ahead of the 2023 Oscars -- and it looks like they decided to go traditional this year ... with some elegant 'fits.

Check out all the stars who have arrived in L.A. so far ... posing for the cameras as they head inside and grab their seat, and flexing their outfits. As you can see, just about all the hotshots -- namely, the actors who are nominated -- went with fairly classic looks.

Dudes in black and white tuxes ... and the ladies are in gorgeous gowns of varying color. Must say, everyone's dressed to impress -- and the aesthetic is certainly Oscar worthy.

As for who's made their showcase at this point ... Austin Butler, Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Ana de Armas, Kerry Condon, Stephanie Hsu, Jonathan Majors, Danai Gurira, Zendaya, Sandra Oh, Florence Pugh, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Mescal, Paul Dano, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sigourney Weaver, Halle Bailey, Idris Elba, Antonio Banderas and more.

Some of these folks are up for actual Oscars, but a vast majority of them are presenting tonight's awards. There are at least 40 A-listers who've been tapped to hit the stage and hand out statuettes ... so Dolby is going to be absolutely packed with talent everywhere.

The odds-on favorite to make a clean sweep in just about every category is 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' -- with Michelle Yeoh and Ke He Huy Quan leading the charge. They just got there in person ... but are quite clearly the beloved Oscar darlings this season.

There's a lot to look forward to, but the one thing that just about everyone is waiting to see is how host Jimmy Kimmel addresses last year's Oscars slap ... which he's said he'll do.

We're just under an hour out from showtime, and there's more celebs rolling in by the minute. The stage is set, and the champagne-colored carpet is rolled out/being trotted on.

The 2023 Oscars are underway, and so far -- everything's looking pretty kumbaya behind the scenes, with no signs of hostility and violence ... just the way it should be.

Check out all the hugging and embracing that's going on between the stars inside the Dolby Theater -- where it's all good vibes and lifted spirits ... a bit of a 180 compared to last year, when things ended on a sour note after Will Smith smacked Chris Rock.

That sort of dread that permeated in 2022 was no where to be found this time around. Instead we got celebs like Florence Pugh, Stephanie Hsu, The Rock, Austin Butler, James Hong, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keogan, Samuel L. Jackson and Sandra Oh bringing it in close and showing major love -- all while looking incredibly dapper and elegant, no less.

There's a lot of celebrating to be done ... stars like Jamie Lee Curtis, Ke Huy Quan and others have already walked away with statuettes -- and everyone seems to be stoked.

On the issue of the slap itself, host Jimmy Kimmel took some time to address it during the broadcast -- making some jokes about the ugly moment at the top of the show, which went down well with the crowd. His takeaway message was ... keep your hands to yourself!

Welp, it looks like people are certainly doing that -- and if they are making contact, it's the touchy-feely type ... and not the other way around. That's all you can ask for 365 days later.

It was the Lakers and Knicks who took priority for Denzel Washington and Spike Lee on Hollywood's biggest night -- the two A-listers skipped the Oscars to catch the NBA teams go at it in L.A.!!!

Washington and Lee ditched stage-side seats at the famed movie award ceremony for courtside ones at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday evening ... and didn't seem one bit displeased with their choice.

The guys were seen sharing a hug before the game ... clearly not stressing about missing the Oscars -- which were taking place at the same time less than 10 miles away at the Dolby Theatre.

Lee, of course, is a huge Knicks fan -- and Denzel is a big Lakers one ... and the two talked smack to each other about their teams throughout the contest.

Lee ended up getting the last laugh -- the Knicks beat the Lakers 112-108 ... though Washington didn't seem too beat up over it all.

The actors weren't the only celebs at the game ... star boxers Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia, plus Flea, were there too.

In fact, Washington and Davis had a moment with each other before the game, where Denzel voiced some big support for the fighter.

Jimmy Kimmel addressed last year's Oscars slap during his opening monologue -- and he did it just like most everyone thought he would ... with a joke and a jab, and a warning.

The 3-time host was back Sunday to take on MC duties, and his remarks at the top of show did not dodge the elephant in the room. It took a while for JK to get to the slap -- sprinkling in shots at A LOT of other stars beforehand -- but when he did ... he went in.

Watch ... Jimmy made fun of showrunners from 2022 -- saying they had a crisis team in place tonight, but noted that if anything did happen ... he expected them to do what they did last year ... absolutely nothing. He even joked that if anyone did assault someone else this time, they'd be awarded Best Actor, given a stage for a speech and a hug to boot.

He also made sure to mention that they want people to feel safe, and that no violence would be accepted ... then roping in a ton of stars into possible protection he might have to activate if anyone tried going after him for a joke they didn't like. He name-dropped Michelle Yeoh, Michael B. Jordan, Andrew Garfield, Pedro Pascal, Steven Spielberg and others as people any would-be assailant would have to get through if they want to rumble on stage.

A little earlier in the monologue, Kimmel appeared to again reference the slap while talking about all the Irish actors nominated this year ... joking there could be another fight.

The whole gag got a lot of laughs and seemed to be well-received. He never said Will or Chris' name -- but really didn't need to ... he made his point and did it in stride and comedy.

All things considered, it was a good bit ... and hopefully it puts the whole matter to bed.

Here's hoping everyone takes Jimmy up on his caution and keeps their hands to themselves for the rest of the night. The focus of the broadcast should be movies ... not battles.

In a not-so-surprising situation, Robert Blake, the late actor who was infamously charged with his second wife's shooting death, was left out of the Oscars "In Memoriam" tribute.

There were lots of names shown during Sunday's TV broadcast as part of the award show's annual segment intro'd by John Travolta with a song from Lenny Kravitz ... but noticeably absent was Robert's name and contribution to the industry.

Robert's career in Hollywood spanned more than 5 decades, acting in scores of films ... most notably his breakthrough starring role in "In Cold Blood," plus other flicks like "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" and "Lost Highway."

Earlier in the broadcast, Jimmy Kimmel joked that the audience could vote whether or not to include Blake in the tribute.

Kirstie Alley, Olivia Newton John and Robbie Coltrane were among some of the big names included in tribute ... but no dice for Robert.

We should say, there's also outrage actress Charlbi Dean -- who starred in "Triangle of Sadness" -- wasn't included in the broadcast tribute, though she is named in the online tributes.

Robert died Thursday from heart disease at age 89 ... so the award show's producers had time to work him into the show, if they wanted.

Of course, Robert's film career often took a back seat to his off-screen drama ... he was charged with the murder of his second wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, after she was found dead in 2001 outside Vitello's restaurant in Los Angeles. She was shot in the head while sitting in Robert's car.

Robert told police he'd gone back inside the eatery to get a pistol when Bonny was gunned down ... and it was later determined Blake's gun was not the murder weapon.

Maitland Ward says the adult film industry's awards show is far superior TV than anything the Academy Awards is offering ... and she thinks it boils down to who's doing the voting.

We got the former "Boy Meets World" actress-turned-porn star in Bev Hills and asked why she thinks traditional awards shows like the Oscars are losing interest and viewers.

Maitland says the folks voting for the Oscars are way too old and aren't in touch with the country ... and she thinks the nominations this year once again show a lack of diversity.

On the flip side, Maitland says porn is rife with female directors and performers from all walks of life ... and she thinks the AVN Awards does a better job reading the room and going with the most deserving candidates, with no politics involved.

While awards shows are mostly losing viewers year after year, Maitland has an idea for how the Academy Awards could get a shot in the arm and a ton more eyeballs with a new category ... yep, she wants to see someone win an Oscar for having sex on camera!!!

Maitland has won seven AVN awards since joining the porn industry in 2019, including Best Leading Actress this year.

Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh seem to have moved past their rumored movie set beef a year later -- 'cause they went to the same party this weekend ... but weren't together, per se.

The two actresses were among many celebs who attended CAA's pre-Oscars party Friday night in L.A. ... and while it's interesting to see them in the same space -- this after they reportedly squabbled while making "Don't Worry Darling" -- it's possible things are still icy.

Fact is, there isn't a photo of them posing together or even hanging around the same group of people at any given time during the shindig -- which was star-studded and packed. That kinda jibes with what they were doing at Venice last year ... namely, keeping distance.

It could mean nothing, of course. However, by the same token, it could also mean they're still not that cool with each other ... and choose not to fraternize, even now.

Not to kick up the Team Flo/Team Wilde camps again, but it was quite clear there was friction at the time.

In any case ... they seem to be able to play nice in the same building, which is all you can really ask for, we suppose. BTW, they were far from the only famous faces on the scene.

Other stars in attendance ... Pedro Pascal, Zoe Kravitz, Cate Blanchett, Allison Janney, Andrew Garfield, Halle Bailey, Rita Ora, Taika Waititi, Miles Teller, Chloe Grace Moretz, KiKi Layne, Elton John and husband David Furnish, Sandra Bullock and Brian Tyree Henry.

All the others ... Demi Moore, Antonio Banderas, Morgan Freeman, Maria Sharapova, Amy Adams, Vin Diesel, Hailee Steinfeld, James Corden, Richard Madden, Trevor Noah, Lily James, Paul Mescal, Jon Hamm, Zooey Deschanel, B.J. Novak, Danny DeVito, Simone Ashley, HAIM, Ana de Armas, DeWanda Wise, Eiza Gonzalez, Ariana DeBose and lots more.

Some of Hollywood's elite hit up a pre-Oscars party Friday night ... and they celebrated in old-world style at a Bev Hills mansion where an all-time classic movie was shot.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Adam Sandler, Austin Butler, Travis Kelce, Brooklyn Beckham and Nina Dobrev were just some of the celebs on hand at "The Beverly Estate", where director Francis Ford Coppola filmed the famous horse's head scene for "The Godfather."

Check out the video, obtained by TMZ, showing the celebs mingling and chatting with drinks in hand at the William Morris/Endeavor soiree.

Leo, of course, went incognito with his baseball cap pulled down over his face. No surprise there.

Adam and Travis had a little convo off to the side.

Brooklyn was hangin' out with some people and just chillin'.

Nina stood out from the pack, looking glamorous in her red dress.

Just as the theme song mentioned, your friends will be there for you, which is exactly why Courteney Cox had her closest gal pals from "Friends" by her side while getting honored in Hollywood.

Courteney was gifted her star on the Walk of Fame Monday, and costars Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow were in attendance for the big day -- gracing her and the audience with a fantastic joint speech all about Courteney.

The 2 compared their decades-long friendship to sisters, with Jennifer joking that 30 years since they first met must be a typo -- and no, it isn't.

Jennifer added Courteney has also been an "inclusive, warm, loving" person, noting she was pretty nervous when she first met her -- considering herself a "huge fan." Lisa even hilariously called Courteney the only person in the cast that was famous.

Lisa lovingly mentioned Courteney was the reason the ensemble was so tight all those years ... the star of honor also spoke about her time on the hit sitcom, saying everyone went through so much together -- adding there was no jealousy, only support.

Mark Wahlberg could've foreseen the awkward moment that unfolded live at the SAG Awards -- courtesy of his ugly criminal history with 2 Asian men -- so says one writer, who cringed upon seeing it.

We talked to Jeff Yang, an Asian-American WSJ columnist, who was one of many who commented on the Wahlberg moment Sunday -- and he told us MW was simply the wrong guy to present the cast of "Everything Everywhere All at Once" the final statuette of the night.

The reason ... back when Mark was a teenager in Boston, he pled guilty to assaulting 2 Vietnamese immigrants as he and others shouted racial epithets. He was convicted and served 45 days behind bars.

In light of that terrible stain, JY says Mark should've had better intuition and turned down the gig ... especially considering 'EEAAO' was considered a lock to win, and because it obviously wouldn't look good onstage -- which, according to the vast majority, it didn't.

Jeff does say it's possible Mark simply didn't know 'Everywhere' would win ... and if he did, perhaps he took the presenter job as an unspoken olive branch to the AAPI community.

While it's certainly plausible, Jeff tells us he truly doesn't think it's likely -- and that this was probably a tone-deaf decision on everyone's part ... especially because, in Jeff's mind, Mark hasn't really gone out of his way to correct the brutal wrong from his teen years.

Worth noting ... he has issued apologies, including back in 2014, when he unsuccessfully tried to get pardon.

Jennifer Coolidge gave a tearful speech accepting SAG's Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor award for "White Lotus," confessing a lie her otherwise honest father once told was the inspiration for her career.

JC is collecting more hardware than ACE this year, and each time she wins she gives a memorable speech, and this was no exception.

The 61-year-old explained how her parents were honest to a fault ... she was sobbing so hard, it was hard to know where the story was going. But she explained her dad told a lie that proved to be life-changing for her.

It was simple ... telling the school principal she was ill when she was not. The purpose ... her dad wanted Jen to experience the Charlie Chaplin film festival, and, as she said, "I swear to God, seeing Charlie Chaplin for the first time, and having that experience - it's my love of film, it's my love of actors, all of that came from my first grade."

Christina Applegate was a standout at the SAG Awards Sunday ... not because of her nomination --- but because of her courage.

The awesome actress -- if you have any doubts, watch "Dead to Me" -- is dealing with her multiple sclerosis diagnosis, and showed up with a cane with a powerful message.

As she entered the Fairmont Century Plaza in Century City, CA with her 12-year-old daughter Sadie, she was clutching a cane with the initials, "FU MS."

Christina was up for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series ... she said earlier this month it likely would be "my last awards show as an actor probably, so it's kind of a big deal."

As we reported, Christina revealed her multiple sclerosis diagnosis back in 2021 ... calling it a "strange journey," but one she's on with the support of others that share her condition.

She also dragged the disease late last year when she got her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame -- flashing her painted nails with "FU MS" emblazoned on them.

Unfortunately, Christina didn't take home gold at the SAG Awards, but the outpouring of support she's been receiving has been heartwarming.

This year's SAG Awards ceremony was big -- not just for the winners and, of course, movie and TV fans ... but for all the nominees and presenters who had the most fun away from the broadcast's cameras!

It was a who's who at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Century City, CA Sunday night ... with the likes of Brendan Fraser, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jennifer Coolidge and many more showing up for their nominations -- some of whom left with new hardware.

James Marsden was all smiles backstage at the prestigious event ... the "Dead to Me" actor presented the award with Jenny Slate for Drama Series Ensemble, going to "The White Lotus."

Cara Delevingne, Aubrey Plaza and Ariana DeBose were quite the gal pals during the commercial breaks -- and Aubrey joined her "White Lotus" cast later in the night, winning the Drama Series Ensemble award.

For celebs, the fun was just starting when the show ended -- a huge crowd stuck around for People's after-party Gala with big names like Tobey Maguire, Quinta Brunson, and Laura Linney hangin' out through the night.

Jamie Lee Curtis is among the many celebs lately who've caught flak for being a "nepo baby" -- but she said to hell with that after her big win ... one selected by actors for actors.

The legendary star got picked for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture at the SAG Awards Sunday ... which clearly took her by surprise, but which she handled with gusto and grace in her acceptance speech, coming straight from the heart and chock-full of emotion.

Check out the moment from start to finish, because it was something else. Jamie plants a kiss on her "Everything Everywhere All at Once" costar, Michelle Yeoh, and trotted onstage to a huge standing O.

Her speech itself was also pretty memorable ... with JLC invoking her parents' immigrant heritage and their rise in the Hollywood ranks as actors themselves -- which eventually led her to say, "I know you look at me and think 'Nepo baby,' and I totally get it!"

But she finished with a heartfelt sentiment, adding ... "But I'm 64 years old and this is just amazing." In other words, she's happy to be working as an actor and loves the job -- regardless of how she got there ... that seems to be her takeaway message here.

Say what you want about advantages, but Jamie is totally deserving in her own right. Yes, she's a Nepo Baby ... and no, we don't care. If it means more Jamie Lee -- so be it!

The folks over at the Oscars have gone all "Zero Dark Thirty" ... creating a "crisis team" in case someone goes all Will Smith during the ceremony. Thing is ... what the hell will they do?

According to Academy honchos, "We have a whole crisis team, something we've never had before, and many plans in place. We've run many scenarios. So it is our hope that we will be prepared for anything that we may not anticipate right now but that we’re planning for just in case it does happen."

The idea is that the crisis team can quickly assemble and decide what action they'll take if someone or something gets out of hand.

It seems the idea might be to yank someone off the stage or boot them from the auditorium if they do something really untoward. As a matter of fact, the Prez of the Academy recently expressed regret her org didn't take some sort of action when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock.

We're guessing the idea might be to order Will out of the building quickly ... it was super embarrassing the Academy let Will ride out the show, and accept an Oscar to the applause of many.

But here's the deal ... these moments happen quickly, and to expect a committee of any sort to reach a decision in minutes or, more appropriately, seconds during a live TV broadcast is a giant stretch.