Academy Awards 2014 red carpet: Jennifer Lawrence hopes not to fall
“I’m still hungry,” Jennifer Lawrence said on the Academy Awards red carpet, “because I still have to fit into my corset.”
The “American Hustle” supporting actress nominee, dressed in a red Dior gown, referred to her sartorial selection as a “little baby” she picked out 30 minutes prior to appearing on the carpet.
“I’m hoping I won’t have to deal with that again,” she said, now referring to her infamous stumble up the stairs last year when she accepted her lead actress Oscar for “Silver Linings Playbook.” (Incidentally, the 23-year-old reportedly tripped up again upon arriving on the red carpet Sunday and was called out for it by Oscars host Ellen DeGeneres during the show’s opening monologue.)
As for this year’s dress? It has no train.
Even though she’s been in Hollywood for years, “Harry Potter” alum Emma Watson was majorly star-struck on the Oscars red carpet.
“I just met Julia Roberts,” the 23-year-old gushed. “She’s basically the reason I’m an actress. And Cate Blanchett! I said hi to her, too. So the night is off to a great start.”
Watson has spent the last few months back at her university, but says even though her star continues to rise, fellow students treat her respectfully.
LIVE UPDATES: Academy Awards 2014
“Everyone is surprisingly kind and protective,” she said. “I love being able to hop back and forth.”
4:55: Sunday morning, before the Academy Awards ceremony and before styling his lovely ombre locks, “Dallas Buyers Club” actor Jared Leto lay in bed and contemplated the day ahead.
“I thought about what I would say if I won,” the supporting actor nominee said, “and then panicked, thinking about what I’d do if I forgot.”
OSCARS 2014: Complete list of nominees and winners
4:47 p.m.: Academy Awards supporting actress nominee Lupita Nyong’o has turned into a fashion icon this award season -- a role the “12 Years a Slave” actress didn’t envision a few months ago.
“I always cared about the way I looked,” said the 31-year-old, dressed in a light blue Prada gown. “It wasn’t always good, but it was always mine. So this is very cool now. I enjoy playing dress up.”
Independent Spirit Awards host Patton Oswalt went after “Nebraska” star Bruce Dern pretty aggressively on Saturday, joking about the veteran actor’s old age repeatedly. But the 77-year-old lead actor Oscar nominee isn’t sweating it.
“I didn’t want to tell him I didn’t know who he was before he began the show,” Dern said of the stand-up comic with a smile.
“This has all been such a treat,” the actor added, squeezing his daughter Laura Dern’s hand, who was standing alongside him. “She’s been there since Day 1, too. She’s been a star.”
When Bette Midler found out she’d be performing at the Oscars, she knew where to turn: Twitter.
PHOTOS: Oscars 2014 red carpet arrivals
The two-time Oscar nominee asked her followers what she should sing, “which was very amusing,” the singer said. “I don’t really know what I’m doing on Twitter, but it’s an amusing distraction.”
Singing at the Dolby Theatre will also be new territory for the legend.
“The band isn’t even nearby,” she said. “They’re somewhere down the block, and there are teleprompters.”
Then she threw her hands in the air, and her publicist whisked her away.
4:26 p.m.: Idina Menzel is a Broadway veteran, so we’d assume singing at the Academy Awards would be a piece of cake. Well, not quite.
In fact, Menzel, who will perform “Frozen” original song nominee “Let It Go” during the ceremony, said she’s trembling in her heels.
“Once I’m on the stage, it’ll all click,” she said. “But right now, it’s a little overwhelming.”
Meanwhile, the actress said she’s been starting each day with email from friends and strangers waxing poetic about her “Frozen” performance.
“I get a LOT of videos of little kids singing the song,” she said with a laugh.
4:06 p.m.: Barkhad Abdi is on the Academy Awards red carpet. But being a newcomer during awards season means stepping on virtually every red carpet to get the word out there about yourself.
Needless to say, Abdi is exhausted after months of promoting his turn as a Somali pirate in “Captain Phillips.”
“I’m relieved and I’m happy,” the supporting actor nominee said. “It’s been a long journey.”
PHOTOS: Oscar quotes from the stars
Along the way, he has learned how to talk to reporters and feels less nervous attending big parties.
Still, he says, “I’m not big with glamour. I’m just a simple guy.”
Next month, he’ll make the move from Minnesota to Los Angeles to dive fully into the acting world and show off his acting range.
“Right now, a lot of people are just surprised I don’t talk how I talk in the movie,” he said.
PHOTOS: Oscars 2014 red carpet arrivals
4:06 p.m.: Even though Thomas Vinterberg, director of “The Hunt,” has been in Hollywood promoting his film for months, he was still in awe as he walked down the Academy Awards red carpet on Sunday.
“We’re very far from home,” the Danish director said, looking around at the fanfare.
“It was difficult to contain my aggression in this film,” added his star Mads Mikkelsen, who plays Lucas in the Oscar-nominated foreign film. “I got myself isolated, but it was hard.”
PHOTOS: Oscars 2014 top nominees
The payoff, they said, would be celebrating with a “hell of a lot of Danes” who are in town Sunday night.
“Dead arms and beer,” the actor said. “That’s what we do to celebrate.”
The past few months have been a whirlwind for Philomena Lee, the 80-year-old who inspired the eponymous Oscar-nominated film “Philomena” starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan. Lee has met the pope and former President Clinton and was honored by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
PHOTOS: Oscars 2014 red carpet arrivals
“Being here is my final excitement,” she said. “Going home is going to be a real anti-climax.”
People in England -- where she lives -- haven’t been as excited about the film as in the States.
“Here they’re warm, but in England, they’re more reserved. They don’t get that excited,” Lee said.
If the film takes home best picture, adapted screenplay or original score, Lee said, she has modest plans: “Oh, I’ll just have one gin and tonic,” she said with a laugh.
3:38 p.m.: On the same day as the Academy Awards, animated feature nominee “Frozen” crossed the $1-billion mark at the global box office. And nobody can accuse Pixar chief creative officer John Lasseter of not helping propel the film past the milestone.
During the Disney film’s recent singalong release, he and wife Nancy headed to their local theater in Sonoma -- with snacks in tow.
“Not only did we sing, but I brought carrots to throw out like it was the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show,’” Lasseter said.
“I had mini chocolates and a beach ball to throw around, too,” Nancy added.
So will the couple be singing along when Idina Menzel performs the film’s hit, “Let It Go,” during the show Sunday night?
“We’ll be lipping,” he said. “We wouldn’t want to ruin it.”
PHOTOS: Oscars 2014 top nominees | Nominee reactions | Snubs and surprises3:09 p.m.: As activity heated up on the Academy Awards red carpet, Ushio Shinohara talked about Oscar-nominated “Cutie and the Boxer.” The 82-year-old star of the documentary says the film has been bringing much-needed attention to his artwork. But the famed boxing painter didn’t spend any new earnings on his Academy Awards outfit.
“This is 48 years old,” he said, flanked by his wife, Noriko. “My body is the same.”
“I got ready in one hour,” his wife added. “But I could get the fountain of youth by being here tonight.”
OSCARS: Complete list of nominees | Play-at-home ballot
Zachary Heinzerling, the first-time filmmaker who directed the movie, said he feels like his subjects are now his “family for life.”
“Nobody could have anticipated this response for them -- it’s been particularly big in Japan,” he said.
Another bonus?
“Prada gave me a tux, which I know is rare for a documentarian,” he said, showing off his outfit. “Look, I even have a pocket square.”
TIMELINE: Academy Awards through the years | Awkward Oscar moments
2:57 p.m.: The red carpet at the Academy Awards officially opened at 2:30 p.m. PST. Until then, “celebhosts” included Mario Lopez and Maria Menounos posed for the cameras to fill time. Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck was also here, throwing mini chocolate Oscars to the fans seated in the bleachers.
Dressed in white chef jackets, Puck and about half a dozen of his staffers were rolling a massive tray of food down the carpet to show off what the celebs would be eating at the Governors Ball post-telecast.
OSCARS: Complete list of nominees | Play-at-home ballot
Lobster, chicken pot pie, sushi and caviar are on the menu, but the mini chocolate Oscars look the best -- I even stole one. I have Puck’s 8-year-old son, Oliver, to thank for that. Dressed in his own professional jacket, he’s showing off the menu. “He is helping with the chicken pot pie,” the elder Puck explained, pointing to some yellow spots on his son’s outfit. “You can see it on his jacket.”
Chris Connelly, the official red carpet emcee, had started to rile up the crowd. Some folks had traveled from the East Coast. One girl got a seat as a 13th birthday gift from her mother. But judging by the screams, most folks won tickets through “People” magazine. Take note for next year, movie fans.
2:15 p.m.: We have arrived on the red carpet, umbrella and rain boots in tow. Late last night, the academy decided to take down the tents protecting the arrival area from rain. That means the carpet is very soggy, and publicists, journalists and photographers are sporting slickers over ball gowns and tuxedos.
2 p.m.: While there’s still a drizzle falling from the gray sky, it seems most of the stars set to arrive about 3 p.m. may not end up drenched. However, the trains of the ladies’ fancy gowns will likely be in rough shape by the end of the 600-foot-plus carpet.
The theater is ready, the media is in place and the stars are trickling down the somewhat soggy red carpet for the 86th Academy Awards hosted by Ellen DeGeneres.
The 600-foot regal runner not only hosts nominees, celebrities and their handlers on Oscar day but also 289 media outlets from all over the world who are there to cover the glitzy event and jockey for A-list interviews or a shot of an ethereal, hot-off-the-runway dress or two.
PHOTOS: Oscars 2014 top nominees | Nominee reactions | Snubs and surprises
The carpet itself begins after the stars exit their limos at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue and travel all the way up the staircase to the Dolby Theatre entrance. And preparations for the internationally watched walk of fame start months in advance.
The arrivals for the 5:30 p.m. show are set to begin at 3 p.m. PST.
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