What's buzzing at the 2019 Oscars

Surprising win, endearing speech

Let's be honest — there was no shortage of drama surrounding the Academy Awards before the show even started. Let's recap: Kevin Hart was initially announced as the host, then dropped out after some of his old homophobic quotes resurfaced. For what seemed like months, several names were rumored to be replacing the comedian (Billy Crystal? The Rock? Whoopi Goldberg?). But in the end, the show went on without a host — for the first time in 30 years. That was also a move that was questioned. So what did a host-less Oscars look like? From red carpet news and trends to the most memorable, thrilling and uncomfortable moments onstage and off, Wonderwall.com is recapping all the buzz from the 91st Annual Academy Awards — which saw "Green Book" take home the coveted best picture prize — on Feb. 24, starting with… Olivia Colman's delightful reaction to winning. Talk about an upset! "The Favorite" star Olivia took home the Oscar for best actress, beating out the odds-on, er, favorite, Glenn Close for her work in "The Wife." "You are my idol, this is not how it was meant to be," the British actress — who will soon be seen as Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix's "The Crown" — told Glenn from the stage (always a good sport, Glenn laughed). Appearing genuinely shocked by the win, Olivia said it was "genuinely quite stressful" to be up there accepting the prize then said she'd give "a massive snog" (that's a kiss in Brit-speak) to anyone she forgot to mention. She went on to thank her parents and her children in the incredibly endearing and utterly lovely speech, indicating that she hoped they were watching "because this isn't going to happen again." In closing, Olivia — who noted she used to work as a cleaner — said she hoped she inspired others to keeping dreaming big: "To any little girl who's practicing her speech on the telly, you never know!"

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Wishful thinking

Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph and Amy Poehler weren't the night's emcees, but they sure acted like 'em. The women came onstage to present the award for best supporting actress near the top of the telecast but essentially delivered a short monologue. "There will be no hosts, there won't be a popular movie category and Mexico is not going to pay for the wall," Maya informed the audience. The "Saturday Night Live" alums also joked about Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's "A Star is Born" pipes and teased that a cheese sandwich from the ill-fated Fyre Festival would be provided for everyone under their seats. Why are these women not hosting?!

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A swoon-worthy ending to a beautiful speech

Months before "Bohemian Rhapsody" came out, Rami Malek said that he feared "career suicide" if he messed up his performance as Freddy Mercury, the late and legendary singer of Queen. There's no need to worry anymore. On Feb. 24, Rami took home the award for best actor. After hearing his name, he kissed girlfriend and co-star Lucy Boynton repeatedly before taking the stage where he thanked Queen, his co-stars and the filmmakers, joking, "I may not have been the obvious choice but I guess it worked out." He also got personal, mentioning his late father and family before talking about himself as a child: "I think about what it would have been like to tell little bubba Rami that one day this might happen to him, and I think his curly-haired mind would have been blown. That kid was struggling with his identity." He had a message for other children like him, saying, "We made a film about a gay man and an immigrant who was unapologetically himself." In closing, the usually private Rami thanked his girlfriend: "Lucy, you are the heart of this film. You are beyond immensely talented. You have captured my heart."

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Whoops!

Best actor winner Rami Malek and his Oscar fell off the stage at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre at the end of the Academy Awards telecast — photographers snapped a few photos following his unexpected tumble — and was briefly checked out by paramedics after being helped up to a seat in the front row, People magazine reported.

Gaga phone home

Lady Gaga has a "Telephone" call to make! The "A Star is Born" best actress and best original song nominee — who delivered an emotional speech about the importance of hard work and getting up when you've been knocked down as she accepted the music prize during the telecast — told E! News during its red carpet pre-show that she's going to call both of her grandmothers if she wins any awards. "I'd have to call both my grandmas at the same time, a conference call," she said. Keep the phone lines open, Grandmas Gaga!

Exsqueeze me?

We're not worthy! Mike Myers and Dana Carvey reunited onstage at the Oscars, and we couldn't handle it — and neither could the crowd or the band Queen, who gave the duo a standing ovation! The comedians, who starred in the comedy "Wayne's World" (after originating the characters Wayne and Garth on "Saturday Night Live"), naturally presented the vignette of the film "Bohemian Rhapsody" (the song "Bohemian Rhapsody" played a big part in "Wayne's World"). For old times' sake, the duo even joked about not "hurling." Probably safe to say that no other presenters will top that!

An icon's first Oscar win

Four words: Spike Lee, Oscar winner. The famed director finally won his first Academy Award, taking home the statue for best adapted screenplay for "BlacKkKlansman." It was his fifth nomination. Upon reaching the stage, he jumped up and hugged Samuel L. Jackson, who presented the award, wrapping his legs around the actor. During his acceptance speech, Spike spoke about the history of racism and slavery and the sacrificed his own family made to help him become a filmmaker. He then went political, telling the crowd to mobilize for the 2020 presidential election. "Let's make the morale choice between love vs hate. Let's do the right thing," he said, adding, "You know I had to get that [reference to my old movie] in there!"

Breathtaking, intimate performance

The performance of best original song nominee "Shallow" from "A Star Is Born" was one of the most anticipated moments of the show, and it delivered. Big time. While the music for the song began to play, Bradley Cooper took Lady Gaga's hand and they walked from their seats up the steps to the stage. Bradley took the microphone to sing the first verse. Gaga stared at him — the two never broke eye contact — before sitting down at the piano to play and sing her verse. Bradley eventually joined Gaga on the bench to sing the final chorus. The performance was gorgeous and understated and filmed in an incredibly intimate way, with the camera focused on the two with the audience in the background. Once it was over, the crowd gave them a standing ovation and Bradley and Gaga smiled at each other, embraced and took a bow. Bradley, who admitted to being "nervous" beforehand, then smiled and pretended to wipe sweat from his forehead in relief.

Baby news reveal

Surprise! Krysten Ritter chose the Oscars red carpet to debut her baby bump and reveal to the world that she's expecting her first baby. The "Jessica Jones" actress — whose show was just canceled — donned a red lace gown while proudly showing off her growing belly. Krysten has been dating War On Drugs guitarist Adam Granduciel for five years.

First Oscar win

Regina King is batting 1,000 at the Oscars. The "If Beale Street Could Talk" star won the best supporting actress Academy Award near the top of the telecast, earning a standing ovation from the audience. It's her first Oscar and her first nomination. The feeling, she said, "is a little surreal." She explained, "James Baldwin birthed this baby, Barry [Jenkins], you nurtured her, you surrounded her with so much love and support," she said upon accepting her award. Regina told her mother, "I'm an example of when support and love is poured into someone… Thank you for teaching me that God is leaning in my direction."

What a gentleman!

Chris Evans was the consummate gentleman at the Oscars — and viewers using social media were loving it, with many commenting on his sweet gesture. When Regina King got up from her seat to accept the best supporting actress Oscar and her dress appeared to snag on something, the Captain America actor, who was sitting next to her, got up, gave Regina his arm and escorted her up the first few steps to the stage so that she wouldn't pull a Jennifer Lawrence and trip in front of the cameras.

Well-deserved déjà vu

That's two for Mahershala Ali! He took home the best supporting actor Oscar in 2017 (for his work in "Moonlight") and he did the same on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, winning this time for his performance in "Green Book." It's the fastest an actor has won the same Oscar twice since Tom Hanks did it in 1993 and 1994. During his acceptance speech, Mahershala dedicated the award to his grandmother. "I would not be here without her," he said.

Goodbye…

While Gustavo Dudamel conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic, a somber mood hung over the Oscars. Of course, that was expected, as the musicians performed during the annual Academy Awards "In Memoriam" segment. Images of Stan Lee, Margot Kidder, Burt Reynolds, Penny Marshall, Albert Finney and many others flashed across the screen (though, according to some unhappy tweeters, other notable names we lost in the last year — including Verne Troyer, Sondra Locke, Carol Channing and Stanley Donen — were not included). These people are gone, but they left impressive legacies that won't be forgotten.

Where was would-be host Kevin Hart on Oscar night?

Kevin Hart was hoping to be a knockout as the Oscars host this year, but it turns out he took a beating instead of manning the stage. Kevin, you'll recall, was initially tapped to host the show but stepped down in December 2018 after some of his old homophobic tweets resurfaced. So what was he doing on Oscar night instead of hosting? He was boxing! Just after the Academy Awards started, Kevin posted a video of himself on Instagram getting in a boxing workout. "When you feel like u have nothing left is when you find a way to push & give more….Always grinding. #HustleHart …. Shoutout to @hollywoodhino for always pushing," he captioned the posted, tagging boxer Hino Ehikhamenor. Maybe he can fight to host next year's show?

Pink ladies

Lots of stars were thinking pink for the 2019 Oscars. Maya Rudolph wore a floral pink gown. Kacey Musgraves arrived in a tulle confession by Giambattista Valli. Angela Bassett struck a pose in hot pink Reem Acra. And Gemma Chan wore a voluminous dress by Valentino Haute Couture. But they weren't the only attendees in pink… Keep reading for more stars in the color of the night…

…and a pink gentleman!

Linda Cardellini, Helen Mirren and Jason Momoa and wife Lisa Bonet also arrived at the 2019 Oscars wearing various shades of pink.

We will rock you

The Academy Awards got off to a rocking start. As was announced a few days prior to the Oscars, Queen and Adam Lambert opened the telecast. Before the performance, Adam told E! News that it was "surreal" to play at the Oscars (they delivered a well-received medley of hits). "I lived in Los Angeles for 17 years and to open the Oscars, I never would have dreamed this is possible," he said. "Queen and I have been working together for six years and been traveling the world and we're performing this song in celebration of [the film] "Bohemian Rhapsody" — everybody worked hard and we're celebrating together."

A huge night for women

Just call the 2019 Oscars "ladies night"! The Wrap reported that a record was set on Feb. 24 as it was the winningest Oscars night ever for women. Females took home 15 awards when all was said and done, besting the previous record of 12 from both 2007 and 2015. Incidentally, the record year comes one year after only six women won Oscars compared with 33 male winners. Who run the world? Girls!

Parody pair

Melissa McCarthy and Brian Tyree Henry turned on the comedy while presenting the Academy Award for best costume design… with a hilarious parody of best picture nominee "The Favourite." Melissa in particular took it to another level, wearing a dress that was an homage to the outrageous costumes of the movie (the dress even had a train of bunnies). She also had a rabbit puppet front and center. Despite their outrageous looks, the duo never broke character while speaking of the "serious" nature of costume design. Well-done! (And by the way, "Black Panther" costume designer Ruth E. Carter took home the Oscar in the category.)

Historic piece of bling

Lady Gaga wore a piece of Hollywood history to the Oscars. The double nominee arrived in a black Alexander McQueen gown and the Tiffany Yellow Diamond around her neck. People magazine reported that the gem, which weighs a whopping 128.54 carats, was discovered in South Africa more than 140 years ago by Tiffany & Co. founder Charles Lewis Tiffany. Gaga, People further notes, is the first star to wear the priceless gem since Audrey Hepburn famously donned it in publicity photos for the 1961 classic "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

Best foreign language dig

You knew that someone was going to take a veiled dig at President Trump, right? Before presenting the best foreign language film Oscar alongside Angela Bassett, Javier Bardem said in Spanish, "There are no borders or walls that can restrain ingenuity and talent." The crowd clapped loudly, knowing that a real-life battle rages on over the president's unwavering desire to build a wall along the U.S./Mexico border. (By the way, "Roma" won the prize.)

Most talked-about red carpet look

Broadway and "Pose" star Billy Porter — who's been a champion of gender-fluid style both onscreen and off — delivered one of the most talked-about looks on the 2019 Oscars red carpet when he stepped out wearing a tailored black velvet tuxedo ballgown designed by Christian Siriano. "Shutting the carpet down In a Siriano velvet tuxedo gown!" the designer tweeted, adding, "what an honor it was to create this moment!"

Suited up

Trend alert! Several female stars ditched dresses in favor of menswear-inspired looks on the 2019 Oscars red carpet. Amy Poehler donned a black suit by Alberta Ferretti. "Crazy Rich Asians" actress Awkwafina arrived in a shimmering lavender suit from DSquared2. "Eighth Grade" star Elsie Fisher continued her award season suit run in a gorgeous Gucci ensemble. Melissa McCarthy arrived in tailored black trousers topped with a white bodice and a glamorous cape by Brandon Maxwell — epic!

Dropping in

Enter Keegan-Michael "Poppins" Key. The actor dropped into the show in the most literal way, descending from the ceiling while carrying an umbrella. He feigned having trouble putting his umbrella down. Naturally, he introduced Bette Midler's performance of "The Place Where Lost Things Go" from "Mary Poppins Returns." Bette announced on Twitter last week that she'd be performing. "So, (drum roll) ladies and gentlemen, I will be chanteusing (that's singing) on the Oscars on Feb 24… the nominated song from 'Mary Poppins'…'The Place Where Lost Things Go'…so excited!!" she wrote. Her delivery earned Bette a standing O.

Best accessory

And the best accessory of the night award goes to…. Diane Warren! While chatting with Ryan Seacrest during E! News's Oscars red carpet pre-show, the famed songwriter revealed that she's attending the Academy Awards with an action figure of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in her pocket. (Diane, by the way, wrote the Oscar-nominated song "I'll Fight" for the documentary "RBG," which chronicles the life of the great legal mind.) Journalist Amy O'Connor tweeted this photo of Diane showing off li'l Ruth.

A pointed dig

Hey, look, the best cinematography award was handed out during the actual Oscars telecast! Why is that a big deal? Well, earlier this month, the Academy announced that it would give away a few awards during commercial breaks, including the best cinematography prize. That decision was blasted by many in Hollywood as disrespectful to the talented nominees. Tyler Perry, who ultimately presented the Oscar to "Roma" cinematographer Alfonso Cuaron, delivered a little dig from the stage: "It is an honor for me to present this award live and not during commercial break." (We told you there was a lot of drama surrounding the lead-up to the show!)

Golden girl

We've heard of weighted vests, but this is ridiculous! Glenn Close attended the Oscars wearing a gold dress that weighed 42 pounds, she told Ryan Seacrest during the E! News red carpet pre-show. Let that sink in: a 42-pound dress! Many on Twitter, meanwhile, thought Glenn resembled an actual Oscar in the metallic look, which was designed by Wes Gordon at Carolina Herrera. "I see Glenn Close is trying to win the award for looking most like an Oscar statue," one person tweeted. Another wrote that she was "dressed as a statuette." The "The Wife" star was nominated for best actress, so maybe the dress was a sign of things to come? (It wasn't: Glenn was bested by Olivia Colman for best actress.)

Sustainable fashion

Laura Harrier made an earth-conscious statement on the 2019 Oscars red carpet: The "BlacKkKlansman" beauty wore a pale blue dress made entirely of sustainable materials, something she's doing as part of the Red Carpet Green Dress Challenge. The dress, by the way, is a custom Louis Vuitton gown (she's an ambassador for the brand). Her jewels are by Bulgari. According to the Red Carpet Green Dress Challenge, each piece of the dress must either made from sustainable materials including organic, recycled or repurposed fibers. "Sustainable living is important to me so it's very exciting that I'll be able to apply that sensibility to the dress that I'll wear to the Oscars this year for 'BlacKkKlansman,'" she told People magazine. Also wearing a sustainable dress to honor the challenge? "Dumplin'" and "Bird Box" actress Danielle Macdonald, who wore a stunning red gown by Christian Siriano.