Growing up in South Central, Joanne Tomita often dreamed of being a star. As a young girl, she was once cast on “Kids Say the Darndest Things,” and a limousine came to whisk her away from the home she shared with six siblings to the glitzy CBS studio lot.
The experience made her feel special, and she started imagining what it would be like to be famous.
Four decades later, her fantasy has become reality — well, in a way.
OSCARS 2016: Full coverage
This week, Tomita will stand onstage at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and accept an Academy Award. Except the actress has never appeared in an Oscar-nominated film. For more than 20 years, she’s worked as a professional rehearsal actor, standing in for awards show presenters and nominees as the program’s producers plot out the telecast.
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Scenic artist Rick Roberts touches up the Oscar statue props that are slated for placement on the red carpet and at the Dolby Theatre amid preparations for Sunday’s Academy Awards in Hollywood.
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Scenic artist Virginia Belloni puts the finishing touches on Oscar statues that will be placed on the red carpet and at the Dolby Theatre for Sunday’s Academy Awards.
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Arrivals team Frank Roach, right, hoists an Oscar statue while Kevin Crowley spots him during preparations for Sunday’s Oscars in Hollywood.
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Scenic artist Dena D’ Angelo, right, and Virginia Belloni touch up a giant Oscar statue on the Oscars red carpet in Hollywood on Tuesday.
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Pedestrians walk past crews working on the Oscars red carpet along Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Dolby Theatre.
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Scenic artist Derek Medevic gets one of the many Oscar statue props in top condition ahead of Sunday’s Academy Awards.
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Scenic artist Dena D’ Angelo, right, and Virginia Belloni work on a giant Oscar statue at the entrance to the Dolby Theatre amid preparations for Sunday’s Academy Awards.
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The Dolby Theatre is the site of the 88th Academy Awards coming up Sunday.
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Workers install signs in preparation for the Oscars in Hollywood.
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Workers set up the red carpet along Hollywood Boulevard in preparation for the Oscars in Hollywood.
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The Oscars red carpet is rolled out Wednesday morning in Hollywood as preparations continue for the 88th Academy Awards on Sunday.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) “There’s no other situation where you could be this close to A-list actors. I feel so lucky to have this job,” said Tomita, who on Wednesday portrayed Kate Winslet, Jennifer Lawrence, a sound mixer on “The Martian” and a “Star Wars” android.
Tomita is part of a community of a few dozen working actors who make their living as stand-ins, partaking in rehearsals for everything from the Emmys to the Grammy’s to “American Idol.” On Tuesday, she and four of her colleagues gathered at Hollywood & Highland — where Oscar preparations are well underway for Sunday’s big event — to share war stories and behind-the-scenes tidbits from their years in the business.
Veteran stage managers and awards show producers like Debbie Williams, Gary Natoli and Louis J. Horvitz know which stand-ins they like, and they’ll give a list of names to a show’s script department for hiring purposes. Typically, awards show gigs last three days, except for the Oscars, which rehearse for five days. (And come Oscar night, the stand-ins watch just like the rest of us plebes: At home, on the couch, with a big bowl o’ popcorn).
The five rehearsal actors — Larry Blum, Renee Gentry, Nicholas Shaffer, Mindy Brandt and Tomita — have worked on at least 10 Academy Awards. It’s not an especially high-paying job: Rehearsal actors make $25 per hour and are guaranteed five hours of work per day.
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Hollywood’s top players are usually flawless on screen, but at the Academy Awards, they’re bound to say or do the unexpected. We’ve compiled a list of squirm-in-your-seat uncomfortable moments from past Oscar ceremonies. (From left: Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times; Stan Honda / AFP / Getty Images; Sebastian Artz / Getty Images; Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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When Sean Penn opened the envelope to announce the best picture at the 87th Academy Awards, he asked, “Who gave this son of a ... his green card?” before revealing “Birdman” as the winner. In a year when the Oscars were being scrutinized for the lack of diversity among the nominees in the top categories, some felt Penn’s joke about director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s nationality fell flat.
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After hosting the Emmys and the Tonys, jack-of-all-trades Neil Patrick Harris took over Oscar duties in 2015 with mixed results. In addition to butchering actors’ names and making an ill-advised joke about Edward Snowden’s absence, Harris strained the patience of even the most faithful viewers with a running gag involving a magic box holding his winners predictions.
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During a red carpet interview actress Melanie Griffith admitted she had not yet seen daughter Dakota Johnson’s performance in “Fifty Shades of Grey,” implying she was uncomfortable with some of the scenes she would see. When Griffith continued to refuse even the possibility of watching the film, a flustered Johnson responded “All right! You don’t have to see it!”
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John Travolta was tasked with introducing Idina Menzel to perform the Oscar-nominated (and later Oscar-winning) song “Let It Go” from “Frozen” at the 86th Academy Awards. Unfortunately, he ended up introducing “Adele Dazeem” in what would become the flub of the night. Ever the professional, Menzel still nailed her performance.
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Host Ellen DeGeneres rounded up high-profile celebs for a selfie that set records for retweets. What fans missed was Minnelli joining from behind, too short to be seen. Later, Minnelli tried to hug winner Lupita Nyong’o before some of Nyong’o’s cast members could. (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
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The academy took a gamble by having Seth MacFarlane host the 85th awards. Some people thought the many moments that MacFarlane relied on jokes about race or women were inappropriate for the occasion, including his cringe-worthy opening number, “We Saw Your Boobs.” (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Jennifer Lawrence proved she is just as human as the rest of us when she tripped on the stairs on the way to accept her best actress Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards. After making it to the stage to a standing ovation, she confronted the situation head-on by saying, “You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell and that’s really embarrassing, but thank you.”
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Sacha Baron Cohen walked the red carpet of the 84th Academy Awards in character as General Aladeen from his film “The Dictator.” He also carried a gold urn he claimed contained the ashes of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, which he dumped over Ryan Seacrest. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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The 84th Academy Awards hit a hurdle when producer Brett Ratner resigned and his planned host, Eddie Murphy, stepped down too. Billy Crystal seemed like a safe choice to host. But Crystal fell back on an old bit impersonating Sammy Davis Jr. and later made racially charged joke. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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James Franco and Anne Hathaway were paired to host the 83rd Academy Awards. Unfortunately, most people agreed the show was a bust. Hathaway gave an honest effort, and even looked like she was trying to overcompensate for Franco, who at best could be described as not mentally present. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston ended their five-year marriage in 2005 amid reports that linked Pitt romantically to Angelina Jolie. The 81st Academy Awards was the first time all three were publicly present in the same room. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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When Glenn Hansard and Markéta Irglová won the award for original song for “Falling Slowly” at the 80th Academy Awards, both were overcome with emotions. Hansard took the mike first. When Irglová leaned in to give her own thanks, the show cut her off. Host Jon Stewart later called her back. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
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Ryan Seacrest wanted to interview Laura Linney and Jennifer Garner, but Gary Busey was not having it. Busey first called out to Seacrest, delaying the start of the interview. Later, Busey surprised Garner with a hug and a kiss on the neck. (Stan Honda / AFP / Getty Images)
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The 77th Academy Awards assigned stand-up comedian Chris Rock to the hosting post, foreshadowing a night of ruder-than-usual digs at celebrities for laughs. Take this for example: “Who is Jude Law?” Perhaps actor Sean Penn thought that Law forgot his armor, stepping onstage to defend his peer. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Apparently, when overcome with happiness, actor Adrien Brody’s primal instinct tells him to latch his lips onto the pretty lady who gave him the news. Brody took everyone by surprise (especially Berry) when he kissed her after winning a lead actor Oscar for “The Pianist.” (Brian vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Most winners don’t even have time to finish their thank-yous before the cut-off music switches on, but filmmaker Michael Moore managed to squeeze in a whole political rant after snagging a best documentary win for “Bowling for Columbine.” The boos and cheers were very, very audible. (Lee Celano / AFP / Getty Images)
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Gwyneth Paltrow’s skimpy 2002 Oscar outfit seemed to be missing some vital components. (Was she not cold? Look at how bundled up everyone else is outside the Vanity Fair after-party.) In later years, the actress admitted that she wished her bits were covered better, citing the mistake as one of her worst red carpet looks. (Sebastian Artz / Getty Images)
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That Oscar trophy wasn’t the only one smooched by Angelina Jolie’s famous lips at the 72nd Academy Awards. The actress planted a kiss on older brother James Haven with a force that set rumor-mongers atwitter with word of an incestuous relationship. It didn’t help that the excited Jolie launched into her acceptance speech for lead role in “Girl, Interrupted” with an ode to the sibling: “I’m in shock, and I’m so in love with my brother right now,” she giggled. “He just held me and said he loved me and I know he’s so happy for me.” (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)
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To open the 1989 Academy Awards, an off-key Rob Lowe sang a duet with actress Eileen Bowman as Snow White as part of an elaborately hokey musical medley that lasted more than 10 minutes and left seated stars such as Dustin Hoffman, Robert Downey Jr. and Sigourney Weaver scratching their heads in confusion. How bad was it? Disney filed a lawsuit against the academy for unauthorized use of its character.
(Randy Leffingwell / Los Angeles Times) It can also be quite stressful. It’s only when they show up for Oscar rehearsals that they learn whom they are standing in for. And because the film academy is so worried about spoilers leaking out from the rehearsals, no one is allowed to use a phone inside the Dolby.
Which means that during breaks, the majority of the 31 stand-ins will rush outside to start googling information about the people they’re playing.
Let’s take Tomita, for example. She might know enough about Winslet or Lawrence to give a believable fake acceptance speech, but that sound mixer from “The Martian”? He’ll likely require a bit of rushed research.
“If we have an assignment to win an award, it’s always better if we can thank the actual production company, or what have you, because it’s more believable,” says Brandt, the only one of the five who also does nonacting work, running a property tax consulting business. “They love when we refer to the others who were nominated in the category, so the cameramen can cut to them.”
See what goes into catering the 2016 Oscars Governors Ball with Wolfgang Puck.
“The director will call out from the booth, ‘Great job, stand-in!’” added Blum, who is working on his 26th Oscars telecast this month.
“I’ll often write down notes, but I don’t read them,” said Tomita, who added that she is sometimes asked to drag out her speeches so the producers can practice playing off verbose winners with music.
“You can take inspiration from the introduction too. If they say ‘This is your 10th nomination and first win,’ you’re like, ‘I’m gonna talk about that. Do you know how many dresses I had to buy? All for nothing?’ You pull that information in.”
While there’s room for play, the stand-ins know never to take it too far. Once, they saw a colleague pretend to be overcome with emotion and fall down on the floor while accepting a faux prize; she was promptly fired. And accents? Those are a no-no. Keep your Alejandro G. Iñárritu impressions to yourself, thank you very much.
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Writer-actor Sylvester Stallone, star of the Oscar-winning film “Rocky,” congratulates Peter Finch’s widow, Eletha, center, after Finch was posthumously awarded the lead actor award at the 1977 Academy Awards. Faye Dunaway, right, won for lead actress. (Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times)
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Jack Palance uses molar power to pull Oscar onstage at the 65th Academy Awards, as Billy Crystal enjoys the ride. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
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Oscar winners Tom Hanks and Jessica Lange at the Governors Ball in 1995. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
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David Letterman with Oscar dog in 1995. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
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Susan Sarandon accepts her lead actress Oscar for “Dead Man Walking” in 1996. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Björk on the red carpet at the 73rd Academy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium.
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Julia Roberts wins lead actress for “Erin Brockovich,” at the 73rd Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Adrien Brody surprises presenter Halle Berry with a kiss after he wins lead actor for “The Pianist” at the 75th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
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Charlize Theron wins lead actress for “Monster,” at the 76th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Jamie Foxx hugs Halle Berry as daughter Corinne looks on, after winning lead actor for “Ray,” during the 77th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Presenter Julia Roberts wipes her lipstick kiss off Clint Eastwood’s face as he accepts his Oscar for director for “Million Dollar Baby,” during the 77th Academy Awards.
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Jamie Foxx, who won lead actor for “Ray,” is congratulated by Charlize Theron onstage at the 77th Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Ben Stiller reads the winner of the visual effects award during the 78th Academy Awards show at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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Actors Will Ferrell, left and Steve Carell present the Oscar for makeup during the 78th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre.
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Reese Witherspoon kisses her then-husband, Ryan Phillippe, after hearing her name announced as the lead actress winner for “Walk the Line,” during the 78th Academy Awards.
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Steven Spielberg snaps a photo of Ellen DeGeneres and Clint Eastwood while Beyoncé looks on during the 79th Academy Awards.
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Leonardo DiCaprio congratulates Helen Mirren at the 79th Academy Awards. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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Javier Bardem is embraced by his mother, Pilar, after winning supporting actor at the 80th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Presenter Helen Mirren and Daniel Day-Lewis onstage after he won lead actor at the 80th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Forest Whitaker escorts Marion Cotillard off the stage after presenting her the Oscar for lead actress at the 80th Academy Awards.
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Hugh Jackman opens the show at the 81st Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Ben Stiller and Natalie Portman present at the 81st Academy Awards. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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Phillipe Petit balances the Oscar after winning for documentary feature for “Man on Wire” as James Marsh looks on at the 81st Academy Awards. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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Seal, left, and Mickey Rourke during the 81st Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Actor Ben Stiller, as an Avatar blue man, backstage before an award presentation at the 82nd Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Kathryn Bigelow backstage at the 82nd Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Mauro Flore is congratualated for winning for cinematography for “Avatar” at the 82nd Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Jeremy Renner, from left, Brian Geraghty and Anthony Mackie of “The Hurt Locker” rejoice after the film in which they co-starred won best picture at the 82nd Academy Awards. Screenwriter Mark Boal is at lower right. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Natalie Portman after winning lead actress for “Black Swan” at the 83rd Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Actor Colin Firth and his wife, Livia Giuggioli, react after Tom Hooper wins best director for “The King’s Speech,” at the 83rd Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Jean Dujardin, after winning lead actor for “The Artist,” walks off the stage with Uggie the dog at the 84th Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Muppet characters Kermit and Miss Piggy at the 84th Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Presenters Rose Byrne, left, and Melissa McCarthy at the 84th Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Sandra Bullock at the 84th Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Sacha Baron Cohen and entourage on the red carpet at the 84th Academy Awards. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Jennifer Lawrence slips on the stairs when going up to the stage to receive her lead actress Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Channing Tatum dances with actress Charlize Theron as host Seth MacFarlane looks on during the 85th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Anne Hathaway watches as her Oscar for supporting actress is engraved at the 85th Academy Awards the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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The cast and crew of best picture “Argo” at the 85th Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Legendary actor Sidney Poitier and actress Angelina Jolie chat backstage. Jolie was the recipient of the 2014 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
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Actors Liam Neeson and J.K. Simmons, right, chat backstage at the 87th Academy Awards after Simmons won a supporting actor prize for “Whiplash” in 2015.
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With “Star Wars” reintroduced to a new generation by “The Force Awakens” film, it seemed only fitting to have droids R2D2 and C3PO grace the Academy Awards stage once again.
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Brie Larson is ecstatic as she walks off the stage with the lead actress Oscar for her role in “Room.”
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In a “Titanic” meetup, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet kiss backstage at the Oscars. DiCaprio won the lead actor Oscar for his role in “The Revenant.”
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Still, the actors say, the perks are plentiful. All of those nerve-racking auditions and callbacks? Not a necessity once you’re a trusted stand-in. And in
an industry where everyone’s fighting for their next gig, a steady paycheck carries with it serious peace of mind.
“At first, this was almost like supplementary money,” admitted Shaffer, an Indiana native. “But when I got into it, it was so enjoyable, and it was steady work — so I started to let the other work go. I see the young’uns coming in and I tell them, ‘Don’t get trapped doing this if you really have another dream just because it’s constant work.’ To be honest, I’ve given up my dream — but I still feel so blessed to do this.”
Despite their proximity to Hollywood’s biggest names, all five actors still get giddy recounting their brushes with celebrity. While none would dare walk up to a star — or, shudder, ask for a selfie — they all love engaging in conversations with presenters and nominees if they’re approached.
Once, Blum got to play with Suri Cruise backstage as her famous father cradled her in his arms. Dustin Hoffman insisted on tying Gentry’s shoelace. And Brandt got a “great hug” from Brad Pitt.
“During the 75th anniversary of the Oscars, they brought out 59 past winners,” recalled Shaffer. “I was playing Cliff Robertson, and in front of me were Mickey Rooney and Olivia de Havilland, who had done ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ together but hadn’t seen
one another in years. And when their eyes met, he started reciting the lines from the movie. They hugged and there were tears in their eyes, and for me as a movie buff, getting to see these legends? It was overwhelming.”
These kinds of stories, not surprisingly, mean the rehearsal actors are often popular guests at Oscar viewing parties. They often possess juicy, behind-the-scenes gossip. Like when John Travolta infamously mispronounced Idina Menzel’s name as “Adele Dazeem” on the Oscars in 2014? Blum, who’d served as his stand-in during early rehearsals, wasn’t altogether surprised.
Blum recalled that when he went onstage to read from the teleprompter, he was distracted by a light shining on the screen. Blum said he told the stage managers about the problem, but still wonders if the bright light caused Travolta’s gaffe during the telecast.
So, yes, while being a stand-in means you get to avoid the public humiliation that Travolta experienced, you also don’t get to bask in the actual glory of being on television. Privately, all five stand-ins said, they wonder what it would be like to really win an award — to do more than just pretend.
“But, you know, when you’re up there pretending to win and you hold a real Emmy or SAG Award — it’s got some energy in that thing,” said Brandt. “It kind of heightens your feeling. It puts you into the place.”
“I would like to win one of each — I want an Oscar, I want a SAG Award, an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a People’s Choice Award,” Gentry said with a laugh.
“But we know how wonderful it is,” said Brandt. “Just holding that thing is amazing.”
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