Yahoo Movies Naked John Cena and I’m Just Ken the biggest moments from this year’s Oscars
The Academy Awards gave us some truly memorable sights. We got a terrific Barbie musical number and more of a WWE star than we ever imagined.
After nearly four hours of celebrating cinema, the Oscars 2024 is now in the books, bringing down the curtain on another seemingly endless awards season. But with dependable host Jimmy Kimmel at the helm, this was a fun ceremony with some big wins and memorable moments.
The stars of Barbenheimer were among those who walked the Oscars red carpet, but of the two, it was Christopher Nolan's bomb biopic that left victorious. Oppenheimer won seven awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, while Barbie was forced to settle for a sole win in the Best Original Song category.
But elsewhere, there were plenty of things that made this a memorable Oscar night. And best of all? Nobody got slapped. At least not while the cameras were pointed at them. Here are the biggest moments you missed if you were all tucked up in bed...
🍿 Oscars 2024 recap
Ryan Gosling steals the show
For weeks leading up to the Oscars, we weren't quite sure whether Ryan Gosling would treat us all to a live performance of the Best Original Song nominee I'm Just Ken. We needn't have worried because what we ultimately got was one of the most memorable musical moments in the history of the Academy Awards.
Gosling gave the song both barrels with an impressive vocal, accompanied by many of his fellow Kens from the movie and the small matter of iconic Guns N Roses guitarist Slash. He even encouraged many of the A-listers assembled in the Dolby Theater to join him in a karaoke sing-along. The man himself loved every moment, letting his cool guy facade drop for a handful of goofy smiles.
He also provided one of the best presenter moments, engaging in some barbed (or Barbied?) banter with Oppenheimer star Emily Blunt — they're about to appear together in The Fall Guy — as they introduced a segment honouring the stunt profession. Gosling lost out to Robert Downey Jr for Best Supporting Actor, but he was the true star of the night.
John Cena bares all
50 years ago, Oscars host David Niven got an almighty shock when a naked man ran on to the stage midway through the show. His cool response, quipping "isn't it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?", has entered the annals of Oscar history.
In homage to that famous moment, Kimmel and John Cena put together an outrageous skit as the latter presented the award for Best Costume Design.
Kimmel cued up a naked Cena to run on, only for the former WWE Champion to feign nerves about the whole thing. He later shuffled out on to the stage with only the award envelope there to spare his blushes.
Nobody who watched the show will forget this one in a hurry. And less than a month from WrestleMania, Cena is certainly in fighting shape.
Emma Stone gives emotional speech after surprise win
In a rather predictable year for the big awards, the race for Best Actress has been a fascinating one. Lily Gladstone was the frontrunner for her sensitive, poignant performance in Martin Scorsese's crime epic Killers of the Flower Moon, but she ultimately missed out to Emma Stone for her work in the oddball comedy Poor Things.
Stone was visibly shocked when she took to the stage, as if she too had Gladstone on her predictions sheet. She gave an emotional speech — in a broken dress, no less — in which she tearfully spoke of being in awe of her fellow nominees, as well as thanking director Yorgos Lanthimos.
Eagle-eyed Taylor Swift fans have even noticed that Stone — a friend of the singer — smuggled in a reference to the song Bigger Than the Whole Sky as she professed her love for her three-year-old daughter. It was an adorable moment.
Al Pacino evokes Moonlight memories
The first time Jimmy Kimmel hosted the Oscars, in 2017, he had to handle one of the biggest mishaps in the ceremony's history. Presenting duo Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway mistakenly announced La La Land as the winner of Best Picture, when it was actually Moonlight that had won the prize. For a moment at this ceremony, he must have felt like history was repeating itself.
Hollywood legend Al Pacino was given the task of dishing out Best Picture, emerging on stage to a standing ovation from his peers. He then abruptly skipped the process of reading out the nominees, tearing straight into the envelope and declaring: "Here it comes... and my eyes see Oppenheimer".
Watch: Al Pacino fumbles the Best Oscar winner announcement
Time seemed to stop. Nobody knew what to do. Somewhere in the wings, Kimmel's heart must have skipped a beat. Eventually, it became clear that Pacino had got to the right result, albeit in an unorthodox way. Perhaps the octogenarian star was just having a laugh at all of our expenses.
Schwarzenegger and DeVito reunite to take on Batman
Hollywood royalty always shows up for the Oscars and we got a real hit of nostalgia when Twins co-stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito arrived on stage together to present the awards for visual effects and editing. But it wasn't their 1988 cult classic they chose to talk about; it was their shared history as Batman villains.
Schwarzenegger and DeVito turned their attention to Batman star Michael Keaton, riffing on the fact that they "both tried to kill Batman" before exchanging notes on how their respective baddies met their end. DeVito played The Penguin in Batman Returns, while Schwarzenegger was Mr Freeze in the much maligned Batman & Robin.
The skit was a great nostalgia ride for those of us who remember the less glossy and expensive superhero adventures of the 90s. Keaton was a good sport too, really vamping for the camera. This sort of silliness is what the Oscars should be all about.
The Oscars ceremony is available to stream in the UK now via ITVX.
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