The Oscars exists primarily to recognise the best films and performances that wowed the film industry over the past year, but that isn’t always what the annual ceremony is remembered for.
Sometimes an unexpected moment will dominate all conversation surrounding that year’s Academy Awards, overshadowing even the winners in the top categories.
Such was the case this year, when an altercation between nominee (and eventual winner) Will Smith and comedian Chris Rock left viewers shocked.
For more on that – and other memorable moments from recent Oscar history – read on.
Will Smith slaps Chris Rock
#Oscars | Will Smith Slaps Chris Rock In The Face On Oscars Stage After Jab At Wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s Appearance https://t.co/6TZkI48QNh pic.twitter.com/ibpffmh2Mc
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) March 28, 2022
The latest Oscar moment to dominate headlines came at this year’s 94th Academy Awards, when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock across the face after the comic made a joke referring to his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia.
Rock joked that she was preparing for a role in a fictional GI Jane sequel, as the military drama is remembered for starring Demi Moore with a shaved head.
Pinkett Smith looked visibly unamused by the gag, with her husband storming onto the stage moments later to strike Rock, telling him: “Keep my wife’s name out your f**king mouth!”
La La Land mistakenly announced as Best Picture
The competition for Best Picture at the 89th Academy Awards had become a two-horse race over preceding ceremonies, with romantic musical La La Land and hard-hitting drama Moonlight deemed the top contenders.
Ultimately, it was La La Land that was mistakenly announced as the winner by reunited Bonnie and Clyde stars Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty – but in a painfully awkward moment, it emerged that Moonlight was the true victor.
The team behind La La Land graciously handed back their trophies, allowing the Moonlight cast and crew time to give some speeches before the ceremony came to a dramatic end.
On the bright side, this moment definitively settled the long-held conspiracy theory that Marisa Tomei was given her 1992 award for My Cousin Vinny in error, as the Academy is clearly not too proud to ‘fess up when mistakes are made.
Ellen DeGeneres breaks Twitter
At the 86th Academy Awards, host Ellen DeGeneres took the record for most retweeted Twitter post of all-time, when she rounded up a group of famous actors for what she called the “best photo ever”.
Among the stars featured in the legendary snap are Jennifer Lawrence, Lupita Nyong’o, Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt and Bradley Cooper, the latter of whom being the one who took the photo.
This remained the most-shared tweet of all time until 2017, when it was surpassed by a man named Carter Wilkerson’s attempt to get a year’s supply of free chicken nuggets from US fast food chain Wendy’s. Seriously.
John Travolta misnames Idina Menzel
Another memorable moment from the 86th Academy Awards came as Broadway star and Frozen singer Idina Menzel prepared to belt out a rendition of Let It Go.
Few people remember the performance as much as what came before it, when actor John Travolta introduced her as “the wickedly talented, one and only Adele Dazeem”.
If that wasn’t awkward enough, Menzel would be fielding questions about the incident for months to come, before later getting her own back in a skit the following year.
Jennifer Lawrence falls
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The previous year, Oscar selfie participant Jennifer Lawrence earned a standing ovation when she went on stage to collect her Academy Award for Best Actress – but not for why you might expect.
While her performance in 2013’s Silver Linings Playbook was undoubtedly brilliant, what really got the crowd in the room on her side was an unfortunate stumble up the steps to the stage.
“You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell and that’s really embarrassing, but thank you,” she said.
Adrien Brody kisses Halle Berry
At the 75th Academy Awards, Adrien Brody took home Best Actor for his powerful performance in holocaust drama The Pianist and expressed his gratitude in a most unexpected way.
He approached Halle Berry on the stage, who was presenting the award, and gave her a long, passionate kiss, which is rather odd considering that he barely knew her.
Even in a pre-#MeToo era, it came across as a highly uncomfortable moment, particularly as Berry went on to explain that the gesture was a complete surprise.
“I just f**king went with it,” she told Andy Cohen in 2017. “I don’t know [if it was good]. I was too focused on ‘What the f**k is going on right now?’”
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper perform Shallow
There have been a number of excellent musical performances at the Academy Awards since the ceremony began, but few have captured people’s imaginations quite like Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s rendition of Shallow.
Fans praised the steamy romantic chemistry between the two, which was also present in Shallow’s associated film A Star Is Born, while the audience in the room gave them a standing ovation.
The performance clearly has re-watchability too as it has been viewed more than half a billion times on YouTube since its official upload on Lady Gaga’s channel in February 2019.
Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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