Zoe Saldaña wins first Oscar, sweeping awards season as best supporting actress in ‘Emilia Pérez’

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Zoe Saldaña earned her first Academy Award for best supporting actress in “Emilia Pérez,” capping an already accomplished awards season Sunday.

“Mami! Mami!” a tearful Saldaña said. “My mom is here. My whole family is here. I am floored by this honor. Thank you to the academy for recognizing the quiet heroism and the power in a woman like Rita and talking about powerful women. My fellow nominees, the love and community that you have offered to me is a true gift, and I will pay it forward.”

Saldaña accepted the award from the reigning winner in the category, Da’Vine Joy Randolph.

The win adds to a collection of successes for the star on the awards circuit: Saldaña won her first Golden Globe in January, and notched wins at the British Academy Film Awards, the Critics Choice Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

“My grandmother came to this country in 1961. I am a proud child of immigrant parents. With dreams and dignity and hard working hands,” Saldaña said. “And I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award. And I know I will not be the last.”

Saldaña, a front-runner in the category, was among a roster of actors also nominated for the first time, including Monica Barbaro in “A Complete Unknown,” Ariana Grande in “Wicked,” and Isabella Rossellini in “Conclave.” Felicity Jones, nominated for her role in “The Brutalist,” was previously nominated in 2015.

In “Emilia Pérez,” Saldaña played the down-on-her-luck lawyer Rita Castro, hired by a Mexican drug lord to help facilitate gender-affirming surgery. That drug lord becomes Emilia Pérez, played by best actress nominee Karla Sofía Gascón, the first openly transgender actor nominated for an Oscar.

“The fact that I am getting an award for a role where I got to sing and speak in Spanish, my grandmother, if she were here, she would be so delighted,” Saldaña noted.

Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language narco-musical had a leading 13 nominations heading into the Oscars, but an already contentious film generated even more controversy after old offensive tweets by Gascón surfaced. The film also received backlash for its depiction of Mexican culture.

Saldaña, whose role highlights her range through song and dance, was not spared from critique as some claimed she was in the wrong category, with more screen time than Gascón.

An emotional Saldaña last week, and in previous acceptance speeches, credited “Emilia Pérez” with being a film about identity and love.

“I’ve never been questioned about where I come from or judged by how I speak or what my pronouns are. I believe that everybody has the right to be who they are and ‘Emilia Perez’ is about truth and is about love,” she said in accepting the award for best actress in a supporting role at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. “I think that us as actors, now more than ever before, we really have to tell stories that are beautiful and thought-provoking and live within the spectrum of artistic freedom.”

Saldaña, whose career spans nearly 25 years, is known for her roles in major franchises such as “Star Trek” as Uhura, “Avatar” as Na’vi princess Neytiri, and in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Gamora, the green-complexioned alien assassin-turned-Guardian of the Galaxy.

Kieran Culkin wins best supporting actor at the Oscars, completing his sweep

LOS ANGELES — Kieran Culkin won the Oscar for best supporting actor Sunday at the 97th Academy Awards, completing a sweep of the category that followed his dominance in television awards last season.

The award, for portraying the chaotic but endearing Benji in Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain,” marked his first win and nomination.

Culkin thanked his manager, his mom, Eisenberg and his wife, Jazz Charton — taking the moment to ask for a fourth child.

“About a year ago, I was on the stage like this, and I very stupidly, publicly, said that I want a third kid from her because she said if I won the award, she would give me the kid,” he said, recalling his speech at the Emmys last January. After the show, “She goes, oh, God, I did say that. I guess I owe you a third kid. And I turned to her and I said, really? I want four.”

“She said, I will give you four when you win an Oscar,” Culkin said. “Jazz, love of my life. Ye of little faith. No pressure, I love you.”

Culkin triumphed over nominees Guy Pearce for “The Brutalist,” Edward Norton for “A Complete Unknown,” Yura Borisov for “Anora” and his fellow “Succession” alum Jeremy Strong for “The Apprentice.” The category was one of few with a clear favorite ahead of this year’s ceremony, after Culkin picked up the Golden Globe, BAFTA, Independent Spirit Award, SAG Award and a slew of critics awards earlier this month.

Written and directed by Eisenberg, “A Real Pain” follows cousins — played by Culkin and Eisenberg — on a trip through Poland for a Holocaust tour to honor their late grandmother. Culkin’s Benji is introduced as unfiltered but quick to connect. Eisenberg’s David is his rule-following, guarded foil. Oscillating between serious reflections on Jewish identity, generational trauma and mourning and the inherent comedy of mismatched relatives, Eisenberg’s script deftly navigates heavy themes with humor that lands because of Culkin’s ability to deliver it earnestly.

“Jesse Eisenberg, thank you for this movie. You’re a genius,” Culkin said on stage. “I would never say that to your face. I’m never saying it again. So soak it up.”

It wasn’t a sure bet that Culkin’s Benji would make it to screens. When production on the final season of “Succession” ran long, Culkin considered dropping out of the film to spend time with his family. Emma Stone, last year’s best actress Oscar winner whose company Fruit Tree produced the project, convinced him to stay on — by reassuring him that they could make it work without him, knowing that wasn’t necessarily true.

“She let me off the hook completely,” Culkin told The Associated Press of his ex-girlfriend. “And I think it was the moment I got off the phone that I was like ‘Oh (expletive), I’m doing this movie.’”

Culkin’s film debut came at age 7 in “Home Alone,” where he played the soda-slurping younger cousin of his older brother Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin McCallister. His first major award nomination was a Golden Globe nod for the 2002 film “Igby Goes Down.” But it was his turn as Roman Roy, on “Succession” nearly two decades later that brought Culkin widespread fandom and acclaim, including a Golden Globe and Emmy Award for the series’ final season.

Lisa, Doja Cat and Raye Sing Iconic James Bond Songs, Margaret Qualley Shows Off Dance Moves in Oscars’ 007 Tribute

Doja Cat, Lisa and Raye teamed up for a tribute to 007’s legacy over the last 60 years at this year’s Academy Awards, not long after the shocking news that Amazon MGM is gaining creative control of the James Bond franchise.

The medley of Bond themes began with Margaret Qualley dancing to the Bond theme, as Lisa descended from the ceiling to sing Wings’ “Live and Let Live,” the theme from the 1973 film of the same name. While women in red dresses danced with men in tuxes, Lisa stretched her arms towards the sky, passing the baton to Doja Cat to give a glittery rendition of Shirley Bassey’s “Diamonds Are Forever” from the 1971 Bond flick. Raye rounded out the performance with a cover of Adele’s “Skyfall,” dressed in a black-and-white dress and accompanied by an orchestra.

Halle Berry, who starred as Jinx in 2002’s “Die Another Day,” introduced the performance with a tribute to Bond and the many men who have played him. “That signature mix of danger, style and intrigue? Well, that’s timeless,” she said, teeing up the medley.

Bond films have had a presence at the Oscars before, with 1964’s “Goldfinger” winning for sound effects, 1965’s “Thunderbolt” winning for special visual effects and 2012’s “Skyfall” tying with “Zero Dark Thirty” for sound editing. More recently, “Skyfall,” “Spectre” and “No Time to Die” all won for their theme songs, sang by the likes of Adele, Sam Smith and Billie Eilish.

After the superspy was first introduced by journalist and novelist Ian Fleming in the 1953 book “Casino Royale,” Bond made his first on-screen appearance in 1962’s “Dr. No.” To date, 007 has been the subject of 25 films. Over the years, Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig have all played the titular role.

One of the biggest questions surrounding the long-running spy franchise is who will take over the lead role after Craig’s send-off in 2021’s “No Time to Die.” It remains unclear how exactly Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli stepping back as long-time producers of 007 will impact Bond’s future, as speculation about casting continues.

Doja Cat, Lisa and Raye’s performance comes a few weeks after they released the single “Born Again” ahead of Blackpink member Lisa’s album, “Alter Ego.” The Thai pop star is also currently on the third season of “The White Lotus,” playing a character named Mook who works at the resort. Lisa made her acting debut with the series.

Conan O’Brien Hilariously Pokes Fun at ‘Emilia Pérez’ Controversy in Oscars Monologue

97th Academy Awards host Conan O’Brien didn’t avoid addressing the controversy surrounding Netflix’s Emilia Pérez. During his introductory monologue, O’Brien made special note of Karla Sofía Gascón’s attendance; Gascón is the film’s star who has been slammed following resurfaced racist and xenophobic tweets. Gascón opted to skip the Oscars red carpet, but attended the event, where she is nominated for the Best Actress Academy Award. O’Brien hilariously joked at the f-bombs Gascón’s publicist likely uttered during the awards season, and as the camera focused on Gascón, O’Brien joked:

“If you are going to tweet about the Oscars, remember, my name is Jimmy Kimmel.”

Gascón made history as the first openly trans performer to earn a Best Actress nomination. She portrays Mexican drug cartel leader Juan “Manitas” Del Monte and the titular character, the identity that Juan takes after undergoing gender-affirming surgery. Unfortunately, this historic run has been overshadowed by those previous tweets made by Gascón (some of which date back to 2020), where she shared hateful rhetoric about the late George Floyd, Muslims, and critiqued the Oscars for becoming overly focused on independent and protest films, specifically calling out the Black Lives Matter movement.

There was some speculation that Gascón would not attend the Oscars, but Netflix eventually budged and paid for Gascón’s way to the ceremony (as is customary). Speaking about attending the event, Gascón previously shared:

“I’m not sure how I feel, but I’m grateful to be back. I’m grateful to all those who’ve believed in me — to Netflix, the production company and my colleagues. We can close this beautiful and difficult path that began three years ago.”

Karla Sofia Gascón’s Comments Contradict ‘Emilia Pérez’s Message Close

The backlash surrounding Gascón’s comments was quite a hit for the musical drama, which carries tones of acceptance and inclusivity. Following news of the resurfaced tweets, co-star Zoe Saldaña condemned “any negative rhetoric of racism and bigotry towards any group of people.” In her end, Gascón apologized for her posts, noting that, as someone “in a marginalized community,” she knows “this suffering all too well,” and deleted her X account.

Emilia Pérez has been slammed for much more than Gascón’s comments, too. Some LGBTQ+ groups feel that the film doesn’t do a thorough and authentic job of portraying a trans character. It has also drawn backlash for its representation of Mexican culture and there’s also the matter of a French director helming the Spanish-language film. But none of that has stopped Emilia Pérez from making waves this awards season. The genre-bending Netflix feature earned 13 Oscar nods, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress.

This marks the first time hosting for O’Brien, his opening skit, which followed a tribute to Los Angeles and musical performances by Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. This year’s Best Actress race includes top contenders Demi Moore (The Substance) and Mikey Madison (Anora), alongside Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here), Gascón, and Erivo (Wicked).

Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Rate Now 0/10 Emilia Perez R Crime Drama Comedy Music 3.5 /5 4/10 Release Date November 13, 2024 Runtime 130 Minutes Director Jacques Audiard Writers Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius Cast See All Karla Sofía Gascón Emilia / Manitas Zoe Saldana Rita

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David Johansen, Frontman for New York Dolls, Dies at 75

The musician also performed under the name Buster Poindexter

David Johansen, frontman for the punk band the New York Dolls, died at his home in New York City weeks after revealing his diagnosis of stage 4 cancer and a brain tumor. He was 75.

Johansen’s death, which occurred Friday, was confirmed by his daughter, Leah Hennessey.

Hennessey previously shared that her father had become “incapacitated” after a recent fall and the family needed help with his medical bills. “David is a legend but he’s also my very real, very sick dad,” she explained. Hennessey also added that her father “has been in intensive treatment for stage 4 cancer for most of the past decade.”

“He’s never made his diagnosis public, as he and my mother Mara are generally very private people, but we feel compelled to share this now, due to the increasingly severe financial burden our family is facing,” she also explained.

The New York Dolls were one of the forefathers of punk and inspired the era of glam rock led by bands such as Mötley Crüe. Despite that acclaim, the band never found mainstream success and broke up after their second record was released.

Johansen began to perform as Buster Poindexter in the 1980s. He was still performing under the name in 2016 when he spoke to Vulture about his career.

Johansen told the outlet that his performances with the Dolls were “not as expansive as far as talking is concerned between songs” because “people are standing, and they’re drunk, and they just want to jump up and down.” In contrast, he enjoyed the work as Poindexter because “it gives me a chance to say whatever comes to my mind, and to get a response from it instead of people going, Huh? It’s refreshing.”

Singer-Songwriter Angie Stone Dead at 63

Angie Stone — a singer and member of the iconic hip hop trio The Sequence — has died … TMZ has confirmed.

The late star’s rep Deborah R. Champagne tells TMZ … Angie left a performance in Montgomery, Alabama early Saturday morning when she was killed in a car crash. No other details are known at this point.

Deborah tells us she just spoke to Angie last night … and the news has rocked and devastated friends and family.

Angie rose to fame as a member of The Sequence — the first all-female group signed to Sugar Hill Records.

The group dropped three albums during their time together between 1979 and 1985 … and dropped their song “Funk You Up,” which has been sampled in numerous other tracks over the years like Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” and Dr. Dre’s “Keep Their Heads Ringin’.”

Angie embarked on a solo career in the late 1990s … and, her debut album “Black Diamond” went gold in the U.S. Two years later she released “Wish I Didn’t Miss You” … one of her most popular songs ever.

Angie later made the jump to film appearing in movies like “The Hot Chick” and the Kevin Hart comedy “Ride Along.”

We last caught up to Angie back in 2018 when she talked about younger artists needing to show some respect to previous generations … watch the video for yourself.

We have reached out to Montgomery authorities for more information on the crash … so far, no word back.

Angie is survived by her son Michael, daughter Diamond and 2 grandkids.

Harrison Ford No Longer Presenting at Oscars

While the Academy was unable to confirm, Entertainment Weekly, which was first to report the news, attributed Ford’s Saturday exit to a shingles diagnosis on Friday. The Mayo Clinic describes shingles as a non-life threatening incurable viral infection that causes “a painful rash” which looks like “a single stripe of blisters that wraps around the left side or the right side of your torso.”

Ford’s reps did not return Variety’s request for inquiry regarding the shingles diagnosis.

Presenters still slated to walk the stage at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theater on Sunday night for the 97th Academy Awards include Halle Berry, Penélope Cruz, Elle Fanning, Whoopi Goldberg, Scarlett Johansson, John Lithgow, Amy Poehler, June Squibb, Bowen Yang, Emma Stone, Cillian Murphy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Robert Downey Jr., Dave Bautista, Gal Gadot, Andrew Garfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Margaret Qualley, Alba Rohrwacher, Zoe Saldaña and Rachel Zegler. Miles Teller and Miley Cyrus are the latest to join the ranks as presenters, as confirmed by the Academy on Friday.

Conan O’Brien serves as host for this year’s Academy Awards, which kick off March 4 at 4 p.m. PT and 7 p.m. ET.. Movie fans can watch the show live on ABC or stream it on Hulu, an additional viewing option added for the first time this year.

The Academy Awards are executive produced by showrunner Raj Kapoor, Katy Mullan and Rob Pain. Producers include Sarah Levine Hall, Taryn Hurd, Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney. Hamish Hamilton will serve as director.

Oscar presenters Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield, Whoopi Goldberg rehearse before the show

Oscar presenters Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield, Whoopi Goldberg rehearse before the show

LINDSEY BAHR

March 1, 2025 at 10:18 PM

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97th Academy Awards

Workers move an Oscar statue through the red carpet area before the 97th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Emma Stone knows her way around the Dolby Theatre, but the even the two-time Oscar winner needs a little rehearsing before the big show. This year she’s not a nominee but a presenter, though which category she’ll be announcing is under wraps until it’s broadcast live around the world on Sunday.

The day before the ceremony, Stone was casually dressed in a brown shirt jacket, white T-shirt and jeans. On the Oscars stage Saturday, she mimicked walking to the microphone in high heels before immediately flubbing her lines — a moment of levity for the busy production staff milling around.

“Oh God,” she said. “This is going to go great.”

Stone eventually made it through her lines and hugged the stand-in playing the winner of her category before handing her the award. At Oscars rehearsals, the golden statuettes are real, but the winners are “for this rehearsal only” with a lineup of working actors playing all variety of nominees, from shorts directors to best actress candidates. The Associated Press got a peek at what’s to come — though most details about who’s presenting what, and what they will say are secret until the live broadcast.

Many stars cycled in and out of the show venue Saturday morning. Andrew Garfield, Whoopi Goldberg, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Miley Cyrus, Oprah Winfrey, Sterling K. Brown, Ana de Armas, Goldie Hawn and Miles Teller all made their way to Hollywood to practice their lines, walk in their show heels and find their marks.

After Stone, Winfrey made her way to the stage wearing sky high heels — presumably to practice navigating the long stage in the heels she’s wearing to the show. She and her presenting partner, who will remain a surprise until show day, elicited a rare standing ovation from the people in the room — an array of production staff, camera people and publicists.

Later, Garfield took Hawn’s arm on the walk to the stage, where they’d be running through the two awards they’re set to hand out: Animated feature and animated short.

Garfield, in glasses, light chinos, button up and sweater draped over his shoulder, fanned himself with the winner’s envelope. He and Hawn, in a loose black pantsuit, chatted and laughed together waiting for the go-ahead. On the next run-through, he took her hand on the walk and draped his arm around her shoulder when they got to the microphone. Their fun chemistry got laughs in the room.

“Ok here we go,” Hawn said, after a brief flub and re-set. Garfield let out a hearty laugh.

Randolph, who won the supporting actress award last year for her performance in “The Holdovers” wore a floral jumpsuit and looked out into the audience below, full of oversized pictures of stars and nominees where they’ll be seated.

The men were even more casually dressed — Teller wore a baseball cap, jeans and a “Late Show with David Lettermen” T-shirt. Brown looked like he was either coming from or going to the gym, in athletic shorts and a back sweatshirt. He’ll be presenting the live action shorts prize with de Armas. Both were delighted by their fake winner’s well-researched speech. Brown even made a joking “wrap it up” gesture.

But soon it was time for the crew and everyone to break for lunch — they’re in the final stretch before the 97th Academy Awards, airing live around the world Sunday on ABC and streaming on Hulu starting at 7 p.m. EST.

___

For more coverage of the Oscars, visit https://apnews.com/hub/academy-awards.

Liam Payne honoured at BRIT Awards 2025 as host Jack Whitehall pays tribute

Payne had been a regular attendee and performer at the awards ceremony, winning seven BRITs during his time with One Direction, and being nominated for a further two as a solo artist.

The singer-songwriter died in October 2024, aged 31, during a trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he attended a stadium concert of his former bandmate Niall Horan.

At last night’s awards ceremony, Whitehall took a moment to remember Payne’s contribution, paying tribute to “a very special person who meant so much to so many of the people in this room and to millions of you around the world”.

He continued: “Last October, we woke to the devastating news that Liam Payne had tragically passed away.

“He achieved so much in the short time that he was on this earth, and was not only a supremely gifted musician, but an incredibly kind soul who touched the lives of everyone he came into contact with.

“We have so many amazing memories of Liam here at the Brits, so tonight we celebrate his legacy, look back and remember the remarkable Liam Payne.”

What followed was a short montage celebrating Payne’s music career, which the BRIT Awards have made available via YouTube. Watch here:

On Sunday morning, Payne’s family reiterated their call for privacy and respect as they continue to grieve their enormous loss, describing excessive press coverage as having caused “indescribable, lasting damage”.

The Payne family said in a statement (via BBC News): “The constant media attention and speculation which has accompanied the process has exacted indescribable, lasting damage on the family, particularly on Liam’s son who is trying to process emotions which no seven-year-old should have to experience.

“The family has always wished for privacy to grieve and asks that they be given the space and time to do so.

“This weekend, at the Brit Awards, Liam was remembered for his phenomenal contribution to British music and for his wider, positive impact on millions of adoring fans the world over. We joined in that celebration of his life and will forever remember the joy that his music brought to the world.

Gene Hackman’s business partner remembers actor as a prankster

Gene Hackman was many things, most notably an award-winning actor, but what many don’t know is that Hackman loved a good prank.

His friend and former business partner, Doug Lanham, 76, said he played golf with Hackman, and while on the course, they’d make bets — something he said Hackman never thought was a good idea.

Lanham told NBC News that after a couple of years, he asked Hackman to pony up the $22 he owed.

Sure enough, Hackman repaid his friend, in $22 worth of pennies, wheeled into the restaurant they owned together in a big tool chest, Lanham recalled, along with a note that read: “I paid this debt under protest as I deem it to be taking advantage of old people.” Hackman signed the letter “Captain Hollywood,” a nickname his friends called him.

Lanham and Hackman met years ago, when Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, came into the restaurant Lanham owns, Jinja Bar & Bistro in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with a mutual friend. Lanham said he invited the couple back the next day to cook at his restaurant, and the couple obliged.

“We cooked and we had so much fun and at some point Gene and Betsy … they said ‘we want to invest,’ and coming off losing a quarter of a million dollars [in the first year] we said ‘that’s a great idea,’” Lanham recalled.

They were business partners for almost 10 years, Lanham said.

Hackman and Arakawa were found dead in separate rooms of their Santa Fe, New Mexico home on Wednesday. Officials have called their deaths “suspicious.”

One of the couple’s dogs — a female German Shepherd named Bear, according to Lanham — was found dead in a kennel, while two others were found alive on the property.

The cause and manner of death have not been determined, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.

An initial autopsy showed no sign of external trauma to either Hackman or Arakawa, and the couple tested negative for carbon monoxide poisoning, Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Friday. Results from toxicology tests and the full autopsy are pending.

Hackman likely died on Feb. 17 — the last date his pacemaker recorded an “event,” Mendoza said. He earlier said the couple had been dead “quite a while” by the time they were found.

Mendoza said Friday a challenge that has come up in the investigation is how private Hackman and Arakawa were, something Lanham reiterated.

Lanham discussed how the couple helped a lot of local businesses financially, “but always under the radar,” he said, because they didn’t want or need the credit. The same goes for the 14 original artworks Hackman painted that line the walls of Jinja — none of them are signed; another attempt by the Hollywood icon to steer focus away from himself.

“It’s heartbreaking, it’s perplexing,” Lanham said of their deaths and the mystery surrounding them. “They were so dignified and to read about it, to hear about it, there’s no way to connect the dots when you know them as people.”

Lanham expected that his friend would die one day — Hackman was 95 at the time of his death — “But not like this,” he said.

“It’s totally out of the realm of anything that you would associate with the two of them and that’s what just brings you to your knees,” he said.

Lanham said “it was just a privilege” to be friends with Hackman, whom he called “the best.”

“When there was trust and that door opened, it was amazing,” Lanham said.

He said Hackman had a “heart of gold” and said he was “very lucky” for their years of friendship.

Stuart Ashman, a friend of Hackman’s through pilates classes and work at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, said one of the most impressive things about Hackman is how when he spoke to you, he really wanted to know you. Lanham said the same.

“He was the common man,” Ashman said of Hackman. “He was very easy going, really enjoyed life, I think. And really was interested in everything, in everything and everybody.”

Ashman said Hackman “really added to the texture of Santa Fe in a big way.”

In a statement, Jesse Kesler, the couple’s personal contractor, thanked them “for the 16 plus years of opportunity, friendship and trust.”

He specifically thanked Hackman for lending a hand on projects and for treating his son and employees as equals.

He said when Hackman was on the job, he was just another one of the guys.

“I could not believe at the time I was actually working side by side with a legend,” Kesler said.