Academy Awards 2014: Weird, unexpected moments behind Oscar curtain

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One section of the front row is packed with stars from the “Dallas Buyers Club,” including Jared Leto and his mother and Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camila Alves. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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A backstage shot of host Ellen DeGeneres. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Jared Leto is hugged by his brother after winning the Oscar for supporting actor. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Jared Leto accepts his supporting actor Oscar for “Dallas Buyers Club” at the 86th Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Jared Leto backstage with his Academy Award. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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A behind-the-scenes shot of Pharrell Williams during his performance of “Happy.” (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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A view of Oscar host Ellen DeGeneres from backstage. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Ellen DeGeneres poses for a selfie with actress Liza Minnelli. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Host Ellen DeGeneres takes a selfie with several A-list attendees. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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“House of Cards” star Kevin Spacey assists host Ellen DeGeneres in delivering pizza to hungry attendees. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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“Rush” star Chris Hemsworth presents with actress Charlize Theron. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Tyler Perry presents the Oscar for best foreign-language film. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Previous Oscar winner, presenter and “House of Cards” star Kevin Spacey. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Lupita N’yongo reacts to her supporting actress win. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Supporting actress winner Lupita Nyong’o. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Christopher Benstead, Niv Adiri, Skip Lievsay and Chris Munro accept the Oscar for sound mixing for “Gravity.” (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Supporting actor nominee (and later winner) Jared Leto grabs a slice of pizza from a deliveryman as Oscar host Ellen DeGeneres hands out paper plates and napkins during the show. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Karen O and Ezra Koenig perform “The Moon Song” from “Her.” (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Singer Darlene Love belts out a tune with Janet Friesen and director Morgan Neville while accepting the feature documentary Oscar for “20 Feet From Stardom.” (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Presenters Kate Hudson and Jason Sudeikis. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Bono performs “Ordinary Love” from “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” with U2 during the telecast. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Host Ellen DeGeneres on stage during the telecast. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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“The Great Gatsby’s” Catherine Martin, the costume design Oscar winner, gets her award from presenters Samuel L. Jackson and Naomi Watts. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Adruitha Lee, the makeup and hairstyling Oscar winner for “Dallas Buyers Club,” carries her newly won statuette backstage. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Oscar statuettes backstage. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Presenter Zac Efron backstage. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Presenters Kate Hudson and Jason Sudekis backstage (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Meryl Streep prepares to sink her teeth into some free pizza. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Presenters Bill Murray and Amy Adams. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Bradley Cooper and his date, model Suki Waterhouse, are amused by his “American Hustle” costar Jennifer Lawrence as she feasts on pizza handed out by Ellen DeGeneres. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Pink gets a standing ovation following her performance of “Over the Rainbow” during “The Wizard of Oz” tribute. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Alfonso Cuaron, right, photographs his “Gravity” cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki, as he approaches the stage to receive the cinematography Oscar. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Presenters Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emma Watson. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Amy Adams and Bill Murray on stage to present the Oscar for cinematography. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Short live-action film winners, director Anders Walter, right, and Kim Magnusson. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Whoopi Goldberg introduces Pink, and her tribue to “The Wizard of Oz,” during the telecast of the 86th Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Pink performs “Over the Rainbow” during a montage of scenes from “The Wizard of Oz.” (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Host Ellen DeGeneres appears onstage just after “The Wizard of Oz” tribute dressed at Glinda the Good Witch. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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“12 Years a Slave” actor and producer Brad Pitt. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Lupita Nyong’o cradles her Oscar for “12 Years a Slave.” (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Ellen DeGeneres gathers members from the star-studded audience for a selfie that she hoped would be the most retweeted photo on Twitter. The micro-blogging site crashed shortly after the photo was taken, though it was unclear if the two events were related. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Paolo Sorrentino goes backstage after winning the Oscar for foreign-language film for “The Great Beauty.” (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Oscar statuettes backstage. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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“Dallas Buyers Club” star Matthew McConaughey kisses his wife, Camila Alves, upon hearing that he won the Oscar for lead actor. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Jennifer Lawrence, who won the lead actress Oscar last year for “Silver Linings Playbook” and infamously fell while walking up to accept her award, is pleased with herself for not falling while she presents during the show. Incidentally, the “American Hustle” actress took a tumble earlier on the red carpet. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Matthew McConaughey, right, is congratulated by fellow lead actor nominee Leonardo DiCaprio of “The Wolf of Wall Street,” when he wins the Oscar for “Dallas Buyers Club.” (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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“Blue Jasmine” star Cate Blanchett makes her way to the stage to accept her lead actress Oscar. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Cate Blanchett accepts her lead actress Oscar for “Blue Jasmine.” (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Matthew McConaughey from backstge. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Jennifer Lawrence hugs lead actor winner Matthew McConaughey as the “Dallas Buyers Club” star accepts his Oscar. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Alexander McQueen, who directed the best picture “12 Years a Slave,” leans in to kiss the film’s supporting actress winner Lupita Nyong’o as they walk offstage. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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“12 Years a Slave” producer Brad Pitt opens the acceptance speeches for the best picture winner. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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“12 Years a Slave” director Steve McQueen leaps for joy over the films best picture win. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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The cast and crew of “12 Years a Slave” celebrate their best picture win. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Angelina Jolie and other attendees surround “12 Years a Slave” actors Benedict Cumberbatch, left, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Ejiofor hugs director Steve McQueen. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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An excited Will Smith presents producer Brad Pitt with the Oscar for “12 Years a Slave.” (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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“12 Years a Slave” star Chiwetel Ejiofor makes his way backstage with Ellen DeGeneres. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Jennifer Lawrence takes the stage as a presenter. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Legendary actor Sidney Poitier and Angelina Jolie backstage. Jolie was the recipient of this year’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

By Rebecca Keegan

March 3, 2014 7:45 AM PT

From Brad Pitt to the pizza guy, backstage at the Oscars was a site for surprises, smooches and last-minute prepping.

After Pitt’s “12 Years a Slave” won best picture, the actor-producer grabbed director Steve McQueen’s face and planted a kiss on it.

“You’re the first,” Pitt said.

FULL COVERAGE: Oscars 2014 | Complete list of winners

All night the long, narrow stage wings are flooded with the show’s hundreds of crew members, security officers, presenters, singers, dancers and — most notably — winners.

Often the wings are a place for last-minute primping. A makeup artist with a puff powdered Zac Efron and Matthew McConaughey’s noses, and a hair stylist lent Kate Hudson some hairspray.

Before heading on stage, co-presenters Hudson and Jason Sudeikis conferred over the pronunciation of the nominees in their two short film categories.

“Eesh, what are the Vegas odds on that one?” Sudeikis said, reading a particularly tricky name.

“We knew you could handle it,” stage manager John Esposito said. “We put the best man on the job.”

Before heading into the lights, Hudson grasped Sudeikis’ arm. “My dress is really long, so please walk slow with me.”

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At 15 minutes to show time, the mother of all celebrity traffic jams converged around the backstage bathrooms, as Jared Leto tilted his head back to put drops in his eyes, John Travolta and Robert De Niro kibitzed about Travolta’s Florida home, and Martin Scorsese drifted past, unnoticed.

When Steve Coogan emerged from the restroom looking bewildered, Kurt Russell shouted, “You’re on!”

Beside him, Sally Field and Jennifer Lawrence engaged in a series of Hollywood hellos.

“You look gorgeous!” Field said to Lawrence.

“No, you look gorgeous!” Lawrence replied.

“All right, you win!” Field said.

A round of applause stopped the conversation as host Ellen DeGeneres made her way to the stage, smiling and letting out a giant exhale.

PHOTOS: Winners’ room | Behind the scenes | Quotes from the stars

A vocal and supportive audience watched DeGeneres’ opening monologue from the wings, as Jamie Foxx (with a cellphone in each hand), Kerry Washington and Anne Hathaway laughed at her jokes, especially the naughty ones.

“That’s hilarious,” Foxx shouted at an off-color line DeGeneres directed at Jonah Hill.

Foxx may win the prize for most supportive celebrity of the evening. When Leto won the first Oscar of the night, Foxx declared that the “Dallas Buyers Club” actor’s speech had given him chills. And when the backup dancers who performed “Happy” emerged from the stage, he slapped them high fives and declared, “Great job!”

Occasionally the scene backstage was a surreal clashing of moods.

As a teary Lupita Nyong’o continued her emotional acceptance speech on a backstage camera for online thank you’s and academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs breathed deeply to compose herself for her stage entrance, the smell of pizza wafted into the wings.

“Step aside, we’ve got the pizza guy coming through!” a voice bellowed over the hushed crew.

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The stage doors slammed open to reveal DeGeneres carrying pizza boxes and a stunned looking delivery man with paper plates and napkins.

“You hold that and I’ll hold this,” DeGeneres said, swapping with him.

For the singers performing live at the Oscars, their first few steps backstage were a moment to exhale.

“It’s over. I loved it!” Bette Midler said, grinning, as she arrived after singing “Wind Beneath My Wings” to see Glenn Close and Goldie Hawn watching on the monitors.

Pink, after her turn, immediately changed into blue jeans and said, “Out of body experience,” as she walked down the hall.

When the backstage crew applauded U2, Bono tipped his head and smiled, “Well, thank you.”

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For the stage managers, Oscar night is a game of celebrity lost and found. “They can’t find Whoopi,” a stage manager said into her headset about presenter Whoopi Goldberg. “She’s not in her seat.”

Goldberg was soon located in an elevator — and delivered to wardrobe for a dress steam while carrying her red high heels.

Actors often greet each other with the universal celebrity hello (“I love your work”), but backstage on Oscar night, no one got warmer welcomes than presenter Daniel Day Lewis. Outside the men’s room, Efron said to the “Lincoln” star, “Thank you for everything you do.” Meeting at a monitor, Sidney Poitier said, “My pleasure to see you, my good son.” And after Alfonso Cuarón won the directing Oscar and saw Day-Lewis he said simply, “You!”

Even when she doesn’t win, Jennifer Lawrence manages to enliven Oscar night backstage.

“That’s the envelope for Chiwetel Ejiofor,” Lawrence teased McConaughey as he clasped his winning envelope.

As the best picture nominees were announced, she noted the lack of applause in the theater for her film, “American Hustle.”

“Thanks, guys, for your support. Jesus, could it be more quiet?”

And when “12 Years a Slave” won, she charged toward the stage, saying, “I’m going out there! Where do the losers go?”

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