Oscars kick off with homage to L.A., plus Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo performances
The ceremony opened with a montage of movies set in Los Angeles, from "La La Land" and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" to "Everything Everywhere All at Once." The clips were especially resonant as Los Angeles County attempts to rebound from January's devastating wildfires.
High-wattage musical performances followed. "Wicked" star Ariana Grande sang "Over the Rainbow" from "The Wizard of Oz." She belted out the classic tune against a digital backdrop of a night sky. Cynthia Erivo then took the stage and sang "Home," from the "Oz"-inspired musical "The Wiz."
It's showtime
And the 97th Oscars have begun.
Colman Domingo shares the love in 'Valentino red'
"Sing Sing" star Colman Domingo never disappoints on the red carpet.
The actor arrived in custom Valentino, saying, "I want to bring love. ... We need more of it right now."
This is the second consecutive year Domingo has been nominated for best actor.
“It’s really truly humbling, honestly, especially for the films I’ve been representing,” Domingo said. This year he is nominated for his performance in "Sing Sing," a film about inmates who join a theater group in jail to escape the reality of incarceration, and last year he was up for an Oscar for "Rustin," the biopic of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin.
Domingo said “Sing Sing" is "about our humanity, about what happens when you pour art and love into people.”
The stars are parents, just like us
Filming movies and the marathon of awards season certainly seem taxing on entire families, as some of the stars on the red carpet shared.
Zoe Saldaña said that after the Oscars, she plans to quietly finish out the school year by enjoying the simple task of taking her kids to school every day. Director Jon Chu's kids are probably rooting even harder for a win since he promised a trip to Disney if "Wicked" takes home the top award of the night.
Kieran Culkin said he nearly didn't even take his role in "A Real Pain," which involved filming in Poland, because he didn't want to spend so much time away from his children.
Adrien Brody eyes second Academy Award
Twenty-two years ago, Adrien Brody became the youngest best actor winner in Oscar history at age 29. He was recognized for his searing performance in Roman Polanski’s “The Pianist,” a portrait of the real-life Polish Holocaust survivor Władysław Szpilman.
Brody might earn his second Academy Award for another drama about a Holocaust survivor: “The Brutalist,” Brady Corbet’s sweeping epic about a (fictional) Hungarian Jewish architect who attempts to rebuild his life in the United States after World War II.On the red carpet, Brody told ABC that the film "resonated" with him.
"You never know how a film will turn out, but it was written with such complexity and nuance and relevance, and I'd been yearning to find a role of this caliber for many, many years," he said.
The experience of shooting the film in 33 days was "challenging," he added, but that's part of the "nature of independent filmmaking."
Ariana Grande is channeling Glinda
Ariana Grande arrived at the Oscars in a Schiaparelli dress on the red carpet that is reminiscent of Glinda.
It was constructed with over 190,000 crystal sequins and rhinestones, according to the E! red carpet hosts.
On E!, designer Christian Siriano said that the haute couture gown appears to be custom made for the "Wicked" star.
She's nominated in the best supporting actress category tonight.
In her interview with ABC before the show, Grande reflected on the film and working with the stars of the original Broadway cast.
Selena Gomez dazzles the red carpet
Gomez arrived at the Oscars wearing a sparkling gown from designer Ralph Lauren inspired by Sophia Loren, a cinema icon of the Golden Age of Hollywood.
The "Emilia Pérez" star will be presenting tonight.
Timothée Chalamet arrives in yellow
Timothée Chalamet's yellow suit is bringing a bright splash to the red carpet.
The "A Complete Unknown" star, who is nominated for his portrayal of musician Bob Dylan, would become the youngest best actor winner ever if he takes home the statuette tonight.
In a pre-show interview with ABC, Chalamet said he had five and a half years to prepare for the role, which he "poured everything into."
Demi Moore sparkles in silver
Demi Moore has arrived in a silver dress that would make her "The Substance" character Elizabeth Sparkle jealous.
Though it appears she left her infamous yellow trench coat from the film behind tonight.
Moore is nominated for her first Oscar in the horror film.
"It's just a joy, I'm just really trying to stay present so I don't miss any of it," she said while talking to ABC ahead of the ceremony
Brazilians show support for Fernanda Torres during Carnival
"I'm Still Here" star Fernanda Torres' fans in Brazil are rooting for her best actress win tonight.
“Brazil is crazy because it's Carnival today. Some people are dressed up like Oscars, like myself," Torres told ABC on the red carpet. "It’s unbelievable in Brazil. It became like the Oscars Carnival.”
Torres is the second Brazilian actress to be nominated for an Oscar, behind her mother, Fernanda Montenegro, in 1998.