The best moments from Oscars 2023 took us on a wild ride through celebrity red carpet interactions and historic Academy firsts.
Related: How to Watch the Oscars 2023
At Los Angeles's Dolby Theatre on March 12, actors, directors, and creatives gathered to honor the best in cinema at the 2023 Oscars. Among the most-nominated projects? Everything Everywhere All At Once, Tár, The Banshees of Inisherin, and more. One of the biggest questions of the night: how big will Everything Everywhere All At Once's Oscars sweep be?
But the fun began hours before the ceremony, as A-listers gathered by the dozens to walk the carpet and celebrate each other's successes. The great moments started early — Halle Bailey in beautiful blue ahead of The Little Mermaid trailer! FloPugh and Stephanie Hsu catching up on the red carpet! It's a night to remember already.
Below, discover all the best moments of Oscars 2023 you may have missed, from the carpet to the ceremony to the after-parties galore.
Related: Where to Watch the 2023 Oscar Nominated Movies
Florence Pugh & Stephanie Hsu Clutching Each Other on the Red Carpet
The best part of the Oscars might just be the celeb-on-celeb interactions, and this sweet FloPugh x Stephanie Hsu moment was particularly iconic. The pair held hands and complimented each other on the red carpet, and we want a buddy comedy ASAP.
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Halle Bailey Thriving Before The Little Mermaid Trailer Comes Out
Tonight's the night of the Oscars, but it's also the night The Little Mermaid full trailer drops — it's airing during the ceremony. Star Halle Bailey is presenting this evening, and arrived on the champagne carpet in blue, looking like a full Disney princess. She told Variety the fan reaction to the movie, and surely to the new trailer, is something special: “It makes me so happy to see people's response to the movie," she said. "It makes me feel such gratitude and I'm so happy for the movie to be finally coming out because we've been talking about it for so long."
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The Mandatory References to the Slap
Listen, we all knew it was coming. No host could dream of a world where they didn't address Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at last year's Oscars, and certainly not Jimmy Kimmel. “If anyone in this auditorium commits an act of violence...you will be given the Best Actor Oscar and allowed to make a 19-minute speech,” Kimmel quipped. He then added that to get to him you'd have to battle Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), Michelle Yeoh, The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal), Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield), and more celebs who sat in the audience. Suffice it to say he's safe.
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Rihanna Talking About Her Voice
Before she performed her Oscar-nominated song “Lift Me Up,” Rihanna was asked about how her voice is doing — and she had best, most succinct answer: “Beautiful. God-given.” No lies detected.
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Ke Huy Quan's Iconic Win for Best Supporting Actor
Ariana DeBose delivered the news tearfully: Ke Huy Quan won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, becoming the first Vietnam-born actor to do so.
In his speech, he first addressed his 84-year-old mom watching at home, thanking her for her sacrifices. “My journey started on a boat,” he said with emotion. “I spent a year in a refugee camp, and somehow I ended up here on Hollywood's biggest stage. They say stories like this only happen in the movies, I can't believe it's happening to me. This is the American dream.” He also shouted his wife Echo, who told him for years that “one day, my time will come.”
“To all of you out there,” he concluded, “please keep your dreams alive.”
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Michael B. Jordan Making the Best Black Panther Reference
This year's award for Best Supporting Actress went to Jamie Lee Curtis for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once. The Academy’s decision polarized viewers on social media, with many claiming Curtis’s co-star Stephanie Hsu and icon Angela Bassett (who was nominated for her work in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) were snubbed. A few categories after Curtis’s win, Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors presented the award for Best Cinematography. Before delivering their presentation, Michael B. Jordan gave a subtle shout-out to Angela Bassett. “Hey, Auntie,” he said, looking directly at Angela in the crowd. The significance? That’s one of the most famous lines from Black Panther, said by Michael’s character Killmonger to Bassett’s Queen Ramonda. “We love you,” Jonathan Majors added, also looking directly at Angela. While this may not be the year Angela Bassett gets her Oscar, it’s heartwarming to see her still receive love and support on the 2023 Oscars stage.\
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Lady Gaga Coming to the Rescue
Before she performed “Hold My Hand” at the Oscars, she came to the aid of a fallen comrade on the champagne carpet. People captured Gaga's instinctual reaction to the fall, and her subsequent rush to help the man to his feet. And that's on reflexes.
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Jimmy Kimmel, Please Leave Malala Alone
Like…? Kimmel visited activist Malala Yousafzai at her Oscars 2023 seat and immediately began to antagonize her with questions about Chris Pine/Harry Styles spitgate. “I only talk about peace,” she responded, deadpan.
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Michelle Yeoh's Big Win for Best Actress
Nerves were high, but the Academy came through: Michelle Yeoh has her first Oscar win for Best Actress for her work in Everything Everywhere All At Once. “For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities,” she said in her speech. “Ladies, don’t let anybody tell you you’re past your prime.” She's the first Asian woman to win the award in the show's 95-year history.
