Unanswered Oscar questions: Did Murphy storm out?
Posted: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 2:30 PM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
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TV
Did Eddie Murphy storm out of the Oscars right after he lost? Why was Jack Nicholson bald? What was up with those dancers? Did an actor really admit to wanting his co-star to lose? Let's delve into a few of those unanswered Oscar questions before putting the show, and the new gold hardware, on the shelf for another year.
Q: Why was Jack Nicholson bald?
A: It's for his new film. Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play terminally ill cancer patients who flee the hospital for one last crazy ride in "The Bucket List." We hear it's due out in November.
Q: Was Meryl Streep, star of "The Devil Wears Prada," really wearing Prada?
A: She was. Her dress was by Prada, but you could barely see it under the clunky 1960s earth-mother beads. Fashionistas are still snarking about her look. But as this pre-awards article points out, Streep has too much movie-star cred to care what anyone else thinks.
Q: Is it true that Alan Arkin, co-star of young Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine," wanted the little girl to lose?
A: Yes. Arkin told "Access Hollywood" he thought enough was enough, and that Breslin needed to be left alone to have a real childhood. Perhaps he read child Oscar-winner Tatum O'Neal's book and doesn't want that kind of life for Breslin.
Q: Was Helen Mirren, star of "The Queen," really asked to have tea with the queen?
A: Not quite. A palace spokesperson says "it is speculation, but we are looking at a number of options." So: Maybe, but it's far from a sure thing. Reportedly, Queen Elizabeth II has said she is choosing never to watch the film.
Q: Was Eddie Murphy really a sore loser?
A: According to Us Magazine and other sources, Murphy left immediately after losing the best supporting actor award to Alan Arkin, and went home, not attending any Oscar parties. And the LA Times reports that Murphy's limo driver was called to pick him up mid-show, even before co-star Jennifer Hudson won her best supporting actress trophy. Draw your own conclusions.
Q: What was up with Jennifer Hudson's metallic jacket?
A: Hudson told TODAY's Matt Lauer that her outfit was her only Oscar regret. The New York Post claims that Vogue editor Andre Leon Talley "insisted" she wear it and "went ballistic" when she tried to substitute something else. Talley was also doing ABC's pre-show fashion coverage -- are we shocked that he loved Hudson's ensemble?
Q: Who were those dancers who acted out movie symbols behind a screen?
A: Pilobolus Dance Theater, a Connecticut-based dance company.
Q: How long do the winners get for speechifying?
A: Supposedly 45 seconds, but the orchestra was pretty gentle as far as playing them off this year. There was also a Thank-You Cam set up backstage, with the intent being that winners could recite their lists of names into the cam, which then broadcasts the messages on Oscar.com. See, Mom, I did mention you after all!
Q: Wasn't Sacha Baron Cohen going to present an award?
A: He reportedly would only agree if he could do it in character as Borat, and ABC said no. Because it's not like anyone went to see that massive blockbuster or anything.
Q: Who will host next year's Oscars?
A: Rumor has it that Jerry Seinfeld's little bit about movie-theater garbage was essentially his audition tape. (Seinfeld has said "no" to the job before, however.) He'd be the ideal host for an awards show about nothing.
Q: Was this the longest Oscar telecast ever?
A: No, though many agree it felt that way. This year's show clocked in at 3 hours, 29 minutes. Five years ago, in 2002, the show took 4 hours, 4 minutes (Much was made of the fact that both the 2002 and the 2007 telecasts were produced by the same person, Laura Ziskin.) But Ziskin may not have turned in the longest-ever Oscars. This Washington Post piece says the 2000 telecast ran 4 hours, 11 minutes
