Oscars 2016 updates: How #OscarsSoWhite advocates will continue to fight for change, and behind-the-scenes images

Check out the intimate moments on the 2016 Academy Awards red carpet.

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See Leonardo DiCaprio, Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington and others as they walk the red carpet at the 2016 Oscars.

When comedian Chris Rock took to the Dolby Theatre stage to start the Oscars telecast Sunday night, the track “Fight the Power” by rap group Public Enemy played in the background. That same song, used by Spike Lee to cap his seminal film “Do the Right Thing,” also played at the end of the show as the credits rolled. Both instances were a reminder, comedic or otherwise, to keep pushing for greater diversity prompted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ mostly white list of nominees for a second year in a row. And fighting the power is what the #OscarsSoWhite movement plans to continue doing.

Here are the ways some proponents of increased diversity believe the conversation can continue now that awards season is over.

April Reign, creator of #OscarsSoWhite:

“I would encourage everybody to be more mindful of the movies on which they spend their hard earned money. If the cast does not look like them, does not represent their stories, perhaps choose not to see their films and instead seek out stories that tell the diversity and the beauty and nuance of all people.”

Gil Robertson, president of the African American Film Critics Assn.:

“I want to see the putting together of a multicultural group of journalists to continue this conversation. It’s important that we do that because the way the conversation has been had traditionally is in black and white terms. I think it is important that we encourage our Hispanic and Asian and other brothers and sisters to also be vocal, and to give them room to be vocal. We need to work collaboratively to see results.”

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Girl Scouts, giggles and little gold men set the tone in the wings of the Dolby Theatre stage at the Oscars, where presenters and performers settled their nerves and celebrated their victories.

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During a comedy bit on the 88th Academy Awards Sunday night, Chris Rock said he trekked to a Compton movie theater to interview black moviegoers about largely white Oscar contenders.

The resulting segment got big laughs as Rock asked cinema fans if they had seen, or even heard of, movies like “The Big Short,” “Brooklyn” and “Bridge of Spies.”

But there was one problem with the routine — that theater isn’t in Compton. Rock’s video, filmed about a week before the ceremony, actually took place in front of the Rave Cinema 15 (formerly Magic Johnson Theatres) at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza.

In fact, as the Los Angeles Times has reported, Compton doesn’t even have a movie theater within its city limits, and it hasn’t in decades.

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Patricia Clarkson, sitting on a couch bleary-eyed at the late hour, seemed amused by the gaggle of tall, pretty girls. Less concerned was “Love” star Gillian Jacobs, who was hanging out with “Game of Thrones” star Emilia Clarke.

Jacobs was more interested in getting some beignets. While waiting for her ride, she grabbed a bag of the Bouchon donuts — guests were given to-go packets upon exiting — and tossed a few in her mouth. And that’s how you end an award season right.

Read the full Vanity Fair party recap here.

No real surprise here, the most popular Instagram videos to be created on Oscars night include a celebrity puppy, Cate Blanchett and her diamonds, Reese Witherspoon doing shots, and Diddy instructing his followers on how to keep their “glows.”

Let’s shine together.

View the rest of the videos here.

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As established over the last few months of #OscarsSoWhite coverage and controversy, Hollywood diversity is an issue that inspires much passion within the entertainment industry and beyond.

But matters of diversity aren’t a trending topic, they’re a conversation that’s been going on for decades. Even in Hollywood. Even at the Oscars.

At the 49th Academy Awards held in 1977, 39 years ago, Richard Pryor (after a seven-minute interpretive song-and-dance number by Ann-Margret) opened the Oscars with a searing monologue that lampooned the lack of African American representation at the awards while a primarily white audience nervously tittered.

In 1988, 11 years after Pryor’s monologue, the academy invited Eddie Murphy, one of the biggest box-office stars of the decade, to award the ceremony’s crown jewel, best picture. But before Murphy got down to business, he went off book and told the story of how he originally wanted to turn down the offer from the academy.

Watch both speeches here.

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Oscars host Chris Rock introduces children representing PricewaterhouseCoopers accountants at the 88th Oscars on Sunday.

(Mark Ralston / AFP / Getty Images)

Despite an Academy Awards ceremony focused on addressing issues of diversity in Hollywood, Asian Americans expressed outrage on social media after two jokes that poked at stereotypes. The comments, one by host Chris Rock during a skit and another by comedic actor Sacha Baron Cohen under his Ali G persona, were particularly notable due to the controversy surrounding the #OscarsSoWhite theme.

Rock’s skit drew the most ire. In a rehearsed bit involving the tabulation of Academy Awards votes, he introduced the would-be PriceWaterhouseCoopers representatives overseeing the count. “They sent us their most dedicated, accurate and hard-working representatives,” he said. “Please welcome Ming Zhu, Bao Ling and David Moskowitz.”

Three kids of Asian descent, dressed in suits and carrying briefcases, walked toward center stage. Following a muted response from the crowd, Rock added: “If anybody’s upset about that joke, just tweet about it on your phone that was also made by these kids.”

And react they did, many wondering how the gag made it out of the writers room.

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For as much was written speculating about what this year’s Chris Rock-hosted Oscars might look like, it’s doubtful many prognosticators predicted an appearance of Black History Month’s sworn enemy Stacey Dash.

Dash, best known for her work in 1995’s “Clueless,” now spends her days as a cultural contributor for Fox News, where she was suspended in December 2015 for using profanity in reference to President Obama while on the air. More recently, Dash stoked the flames of controversy with statements in response to the #OscarsSoWhite controversy that suggested that BET and Black History Month should be done away with in the interest of equality.

So when Dash took the stage at Sunday’s Oscars, under the guise of “director of minority outreach,” the joke didn’t just flail, it sank like a stone.

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(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

One of the most urgent questions going into Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony was just how host Chris Rock would handle the gig, and particularly how he would address the ongoing #OscarsSoWhite controversy.

Critics generally praised Rock for addressing the issue so directly, even if not all the jokes worked. Here’s a look at reactions:

Writing for The Times, television critic Mary McNamara argued that although Rock didn’t land every joke, he encouraged a bit of reflection on what is typically a night for the film industry to pat itself on the back. “For all its flaws, Rock’s Oscars had some of the most powerful moments seen in the telecast’s history. His decision to honestly answer the question ‘Is Hollywood racist?’ was brave and effective,” she said. “If Hollywood believes, as it should, that film is a medium of truth-telling and a catalyst for change, then moments of self-examination should occur at least as often as those of celebration.”

New York Times TV critic James Poniewozik noted that having Rock, who was hired before the diversity flap began, emcee the ceremony “was a lucky pairing of host and subject.” His performance was “evenhanded without being wishy-washy” and represented “an example of something the industry is still trying to learn: that you can achieve both inclusion and entertainment by giving the right person just the right opportunity.”

That being said: What was with the bizarre appearance by Stacey Dash?

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Chris Rock addresses the audience as host of the 88th Academy Awards on Sunday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Comedian Chris Rock came out swinging, at least in regard to his music choices. Rock’s walk-on song was Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” a song tied to Spike Lee’s 1989 film “Do the Right Thing.” Many looked to Rock to address the lack of diversity in Hollywood and at the Oscars, and he did so before even saying a word, choosing a song that still feels revolutionary.

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Chris Rock during the telecast of the 88th Academy Awards.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Anticipation of Chris Rock’s no-holds-barred commentary at the 88th Academy Awards ceremony did not boost to the overnight ratings for Sunday’s telecast on ABC

Based on Nielsen’s overnight data from 56 large U.S. TV markets, the telecast averaged a 23.4 rating and a 36% share of the homes using television from 8:30 p.m. to 11:51 p.m. EST, when the last commercial break aired.

That’s down 6% when compared with the 24.9 rating from the overnight data for 2015.

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An honestly earned, unsentimental emotional experience helped “Spotlight” earn the win.

(Kerry Hayes / Associated Press)

It was a year of two films. Until it wasn’t.

It was the year “Spotlight,” the third film on everyone’s list of top-three finishers, came from behind and walked off with the best picture trophy.

So what did “Spotlight” have that “The Big Short” did not? Three things:

It not only provided work for a lot of actors, it featured an actor (Tom McCarthy) who also co-wrote and directed. As “Good Will Hunting” proved years ago, actors, a big chunk of academy members, like to see actors branching out.

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The 2016 Oscars telecast was a hot mess, but it certainly wasn’t boring.

An event most often criticized for being self-indulgent and self-congratulatory — so over-long, repetitive and predictable that the host is all but required to joke about its absurdity — this year’s Academy Awards was a strange compilation of atonal moments in which the audience was kept perpetually off balance. Host Chris Rock called Hollywood out on its racism and then sent his daughters out to sell Girl Scout cookies. The mood whipsawed from the shocking to the familiar and back again, often in the space of a few moments.

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They parted ways on that sinking ship back in 1997, but lately Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet have been back together in an awards season that’s gone on and on. After both actors won Golden Globes in January and British Academy Film Awards in mid-February (his as lead actor in “The Revenant,” hers as supporting actress in “Steve Jobs”), many fans were hoping for the ultimate “Titanic” recoupling at the Oscars.

Winslet, however, lost the Oscar to Alicia Vikander (“The Danish Girl”). But when DiCaprio won his Oscar, he found Winslet backstage. They embraced. They kissed. And for one brief moment it was as if Jack and Rose had never drifted apart.

The 88th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre wasn’t without a plethora of standout accessories and sartorial details worth a second look, including the red silk flower of Oscar winner Jared Leto’s festive Gucci ensemble and the feathers of Oscar winner Cate Blanchett’s Armani Privé seafoam green gown. And how could we forget Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg’s bold jewelry? Here’s a look at what style accessories, details and accompanying fashion selections stood out on the red carpet.

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(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Bringing an end to an unpredictable and tumultuous Oscar race, the newsroom drama “Spotlight” took home the top prize for best picture at the 88th Academy Awards, emerging victorious in what had widely been seen as a three-way race with the brutal frontier epic “The Revenant” and the financial crisis dramedy “The Big Short.”

Leonardo DiCaprio won his first Academy Award — after four previous acting nominations — for his starring role as a man who survives a vicious grizzly bear attack in “The Revenant.” Brie Larson earned the lead actress prize for her performance as a mother who has spent much of her life in captivity in the drama “Room.”

The evening marked the climax of one of the most controversial Oscar seasons in Hollywood history, as a bitter debate over the lack of any acting nominees of color for the second year in a row roiled the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Unlike in many previous years, no single film dominated the night, as academy voters spread their love around to a wide range of contenders.

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The art of the quick change is a Hollywood staple. And many of the Oscars ceremony audience members showcased entirely new looks at the Vanity Fair Oscar party.

Mindy Kaling traded in her long, blue train for a Salvador Perez original.

Kerry Washington switched from a custom Atelier Versace gown to a backless number.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times / Evan Agostini / Invision / Associated Press))

And Sofia Vergara wore Marchesa to the ceremony but traded that in for something white for the night.

(Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times / Evan Agostini / Invision / Associated Press))

Where do newly anointed Academy Award winners go once the TV cameras turn off and the show comes to an end?

For many, the first stop was the engraving station at the Governors Ball, located at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland, where winners come to get their personal nameplates affixed to their new but nameless Oscars statuettes.

“Engraving” is a bit of a misnomer in this case because the bronze nameplates were all created well in advance of Sunday’s ceremony by the New York art foundry Polich Tallix.

The foundry created winning nameplates for all the nominees, said Adam Demchak, vice president and general manager of the Hudson Valley company.

During the telecast, technicians selected the winning nameplates as the victors were announced and mounted the small plates in the back of the engraving station in preparation for the crush of winners later in the evening.

It’s the company’s first time at the Oscars. This year’s statuette features a very subtle redesign, with a refined face and other adjustments that combine the best of the statuettes from the golden age of Hollywood and more recent versions, according to the academy.

Leonardo DiCaprio was an early arrival at the station, carrying the first Oscar of his career, for “The Revenant.” The actor conversed politely with the technician who used a simple screwdriver to affix the nameplate with two black screws.

“Wow, manually?” asked DiCaprio. “Do they do this every year?” He was informed that yes, this happens each year.

“I wouldn’t know,” the actor joked. He left the party shortly thereafter, followed by an impressive entourage.

Brie Larson, who won best actress for “Room,” came next, sipping champagne and toasting with her beau as she waited for her Oscar to get its nameplate.

Once she had the statuette -- they are wiped clean of smudges and fingerprints with a small towel -- she stared at it and shook her head. “Oh my God,” she whispered before exiting to a blast of camera flashes.

Each Oscar winner gets a small instruction pamphlet on the proper care of the statuette, which is cast in bronze and coated with 24k gold.

To clean the gold surface, recipients are advised to dissolve a half teaspoon of liquid dish soap in a cup of warm water and to then “gently wipe the surface using the soap solution and a soft microfiber cloth.”

Earlier, Alicia Vikander sipped bubbly while waiting for her nameplate. A few chairs down, three-time Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki took a photo of the supporting actress winner for “The Danish Girl” with his smartphone.

The academy said that the new statuettes weigh the same as previous versions. “It lasts forever and doesn’t require maintenance,” the care guide states.

It was all eyes on Leonardo DiCaprio at the Governors Ball--but not for long. The actor, clutching his Oscar statue, left the pink-filled space where revelers were snacking on mini pizza slices and deviled eggs shortly after 10:30 p.m.

The actor, who won for his performance in “The Revenant,” filed out, flanked by security. And it’s no surprise he needed the help. A swarm of well-wishers and celeb gazers wanted their peek at the man of the hour.

“Mad Max” director George Miller left the Governors Ball at a similarly early hour. An entourage followed him, though it wasn’t as large as the number of wins his film “Mad Max: Fury Road” had nabbed earlier in the evening. (Six.)

“It really thrilled me,” said the smiling bespectacled director. “If you told me a year ago that we’d be nominated I wouldn’t have believed it. And if you told me a week ago we’d win, I still wouldn’t have believed it.”

So he wasn’t expecting so many wins? Not even just a little bit?

“Not at all, not at all,” Miller said, shaking his head. “Most of all I’m so happy my wife, Margaret Sixel, won. So it’s a great night.” Sixel was responsible for editing “Mad Max” and was awarded the Oscar for her efforts.

Andra Day, donning a flowing yellow gown, took center stage at the Governors Ball--literally. The singer performed atop a platform in the middle of the sprawling space, launching into a rendition of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” as partygoers swayed to the beat.

But by 11 p.m., the room is half full and the mood lackluster. A few enthusiastic dancers brave the dance floor, bouncing to Madonna’s 1980s party song, “Holiday.”

Around that hour, academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs takes a moment to stop in at the Governors Ball.

“I think it was a fabulous night,” she said, after taking a photo with Day. “I thought Chris [Rock] did an amazing job. He really did. Our producers, too.”

Asked how the awards show might look differently come next year with recent implementations in the aftermath of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, Boone Isaacs was coy about playing fortune teller.

“I have no idea what it will look like next year,” she said.

Singer-songwriter Lady Gaga, center, performs during the 88th Academy Awards.

(Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

The stories of sexual-assault survivors have taken center stage in multiple ways this awards season. In addition to being the subject of “The Hunting Ground” and the Lady Gaga-Diane Warren nominated track, it is also examined in “Room,” which won Brie Larson the lead actress Oscar, and “Spotlight,” which took home the night’s biggest award for best picture. And it all came to a head onstage, backstage and at a protest rally in downtown Los Angeles on Oscars Sunday.

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Kerry Washington makes our best-dressed list thanks to this gladiator-appropriate custom Atelier Versace gown with a black leather bustier.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Check out the best and worst Oscar looks from Sunday night’s 88th Academy Awards. (Spoiler: Kerry Washington slays.)

The first afterparty for Academy Awards attendees is the Governors Ball. A lavish party where folks are fed salmon-shaped Oscars from celebrity Chef Wolfgang Puck. We got an sneak peek at the festivities earlier this week. Behold.

Here’s how the Governors Ball hammers Oscar shapes in salmon.

Celebs can drink from “gilded eggshells.”

Forty Alaskan King crabs were ordered for the Governors Ball and they cost $450 - $500 a pop.

Chocolate Oscars.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Brie Larson is feeling “pretty good” right about now.

Following her lead actress win for her performance in “Room,” Larson made her way backstage to the press room and needed no time to think of a song that would best encapsulate her mood. She listed it easily.

“‘I’m in Love with My Life’ by Phases,” she said while clutching her Oscar gold, before launching into song.

The 26-year-old actress spent some time recalling the journey she’s taken since taking on her career-defining role as Ma, an abducted and imprisoned mother in the Lenny Abrahamson-directed film.

“This time a year ago, I was still trying to figure out who I was,” Larson recalled. “The movie was done, but I was in deep searching. I was pulling apart pieces I learned while being Ma ... who I was by the time this movie was over was so far away from who I was before starting this movie.... I’m standing here now completely myself. Everything about this experience ... has been very pointedly about it being a representation of who I am. I feel really strong and excited about holding this gold guy. It’s a metaphor for how I’m feeling inside.”

Larson was later asked if there was a moment in her career where she learned to stand up for herself as a female in the male-dominated industry.

“Oh, many times,” she said. “I would go into auditions and casting [would say], ‘We really love what your doing, but we’d love for you to come back in a jean mini skirt and heels.... For me, I personally always rejected that moment. I tried maybe once and it always made me feel terrible. A jean mini skirt does not make me feel sexy, it makes me feel uncomfortable.”

Larson said she seeks, instead, roles in film that represent “women that I know. Women I understand. Complicated women. Women that are inside of me.”

The night stayed starry at the Elton John Oscar party as the auction rolled out in rapid fashion. Five nights at Steven Tyler’s Maui vacation home went for $50K.

The red, white and plus platform heels Lady Gaga wore with her sparkly red suit when she sang the national anthem at the Super Bowl drew $55K.

Then the final lot -- two tickets to the Vanity Fair Oscar post-party, with the winners departing straight from this party in WeHo to the mag’s star-studded fete in Beverly Hills -- went up. Bidding hung up for a few minutes around $55K, then shot up and sold for $100K. The money goes to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Next came the winners of the Oscar pool, who would take home those Bulgari watches. It was supposed to be one man and one woman getting the prizes, but with a three-way tie among the women, the jeweler donated two additional timepieces. Score!

All that’s left, other than general after-party festivities, is a performance from Elton.

“Now I have to go change into something fabulous,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

Leonardo DiCaprio and Alejandro G. Iñárritu took their time backstage to bask in the glow of their wins for lead actor and director but also to talk further about the subjects they explored in their acceptance speeches: Hollywood diversity and climate change.

When it comes to his win, Iñárritu said that he couldn’t be more happy.

“Every film is like a song. I love this film as I love ‘Birdman’,” he said. “I’m sharing this experience with Leo and all the nominees and the crew and I think all the warmth I’m getting is on behalf of them.”

As for DiCaprio, this first Oscar win has been a lifelong dream.

“I grew up in East Los Angeles very close to the Hollywood studio system … so to have parents that allowed me to be a part of this -- taking me to auditions — it’s been my dream since I was 4 years old.”

Storytelling is what it’s all about for both men.

“Storytelling is a way to confront a huge amount of emotions -- of possibilities,” said Inarritu. “It is a way to control life, to have an oxygen capsule of life without suffering for real.”

The questions soon moved on to their twin passion issues.

“The debate is not only about black and white people,” said Iñárritu, asking if #OscarsSoBrown is next. “The complexity is more than just one one or another — the debate is becoming polarized without exploring the complexity of this country being so mixed — still we are dragging this tribal thing.”

He continued, gaining steam. “One of the problems we are suffering from is that there are no moderate platforms to talk about something deeply that is deciding the destiny of the people of the world by the color of their skin.”

DiCaprio took the microphone next to talk more about climate change, mentioning that he has been filming a documentary about the subject concurrently with “The Revenant.”

“This is the most existential crisis our society has ever known … and the time is now. It’s imperative that we act,” he said. “Tonight I feel so overwhelmed with gratitude, but I feel there’s a ticking clock; there’s a sense of urgency that we must all do something proactive — if you do not believe in climate change and empirical science and truth then you will be on the wrong side of history.”

How might Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith celebrate their Oscar win for original song tonight?

“A drink is in order, definitely,” said Napes. “We’re gonna party I think!”

Smith was a tad more serious and emotional about the increase of LGBT and transgender visibility as seen in this year’s Oscar-nominated films, such as “Carol” and “The Danish Girl.” “It means the world to me,” Smith said. “I wanted to take this opportunity to show how much I care about my community. People in the beginning said I didn’t – and I wanted to make it clear how much I do care about the LGBT community. I’m completely overwhelmed, I can’t speak – I’m a little bit drunk as well!”

About Chris Rock’s performance tonight – and his ongoing diversity commentary -- Smith said: “It was amazing. It was so prominent throughout the show and I thought that was important. It’s important all these things get raised because we are not OK. It’s just amazing people are speaking about it and raising it.”

When Smith was asked, specifically, about how he feels about the #BlackLivesMatter movement, he added: “I’m still learning, every day, how bad it is in certain places for black people and black culture. It’s absolutely awful what’s going on in certain parts of the world and I’m fully behind it, that’s all I can say.”

If a drink, for Napes, is now in order, then how might Smith celebrate tonight?

“I’ve been eating the most boring food for months now,” he said, “and I’m gonna destroy some burgers and chocolate cake now!”

Of all the people who felt vindication about “Spotlight’s” upset best picture win, few hold the personal stake of Phil Saviano.

The clergy-abuse survivor has been a visible part of the Tom McCarthy film’s campaign. He has spoken out often on behalf of victims’ rights, and the importance of transparency and accountability within the Catholic Church.

The top Oscar, he said, makes that all worthwhile.

“It’s one thing to have [the story] out in the news; it’s another to have it out in Hollywood,” Saviano said, moments after ‎the movie took best picture.

Saviano said that he believes the win is important because of the battle for justice in the 15 years since the Boston Globe’s investigation began -- but also because that fight isn’t over.

‎”It’s unfortunate we have to still keep an eye on the church,” he said, citing a policy in which predators who work in the system are able to conceal past violations.

“This movie is going to be shown all over the world, so this really helps,” he added.

A moment later, ‎McCarthy exited the theater holding an Oscar statuette. Told about Saviano’s reaction, he looked up and said, “That’s why we did it, isn’t it?”

Here it is, the full list of every single Oscar winner from “Mad Max,” “Mad Max” and “Mad Max” all the way to “Spotlight.”

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(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

And here’s one of the results:

Oscar winner Brie Larson

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Brie Larson comes away from the 2016 Academy Awards with the Oscar for lead actress. But earlier in the awards season, Los Angeles Times reporter Rebecca Keegan talked with Larson about her less glamorous beginnings.

As a child actor going out on auditions for fish sticks and Barbie doll commercials, Brie Larson desperately wanted to be taken seriously.

“What they’re looking for is an effervescent kid who has a cute voice and can do a song and dance,” said Larson, now 26. “But I wanted to do monologues. They would ask my name and what my hobbies were and I’d say, ‘I like to act.’ … They’re like, ‘Ah, yeah, OK, let’s move on to the next kid.’”

Hollywood has caught up to Larson’s sincerest childhood ambitions, however. Her performance in “Room,” the A24 drama currently in theaters about a young mother and son living in captivity, has earned critical praise and multiple film festival audience awards for its sensitive and powerful depiction of maternal love in the direst of settings.

“The funny part is, now I don’t really want to be taken seriously,” Larson said, reflecting on her evolution. “Now I find seriousness to be rather ridiculous.”

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Director Tom McCarthy for best picture “Spotlight” during the telecast of the 88th Academy Awards.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

‎Could you hear the screaming from the stage right wings when “Spotlight” was named best picture? It came from a crowd of Oscar winners huddled around the film’s writer and director, Tom McCarthy, including Alicia Vikander, Sam Smith and Brie Larson, who were waiting to be sent on stage at the close of the show beneath a hail of confetti.

Vikander and Larson hugged as the flashbulbs snapped. A stage manager brushed confetti out of Leonardo DiCaprio’s hair.

The group of sexual abuse survivors who had taken the stage behind Lady Gaga screamed, “We love you, Leo!” as he high-fived them.

When Larson arrived, the survivors screamed even louder and pumped their fists. “Give us a hug!” they said to the actress, whose film, “Room,” centered on a sexual abuse survivor. “Yes, yes, yes!” Larson said, rushing into their arms.‎ “I feel like I’m on fire right now!”

Meanwhile, Times reporter Steve Zeitchik spoke to Michael Keaton an hour before the ceremony ended and Keaton predicted, in a low-key way, a “Spotlight” win for best picture.

“I do feel good. I don’t know why. I just do,” he said when asked if he thought it could pull off an eye-popping upset.

Even with “The Revenant” being a favorite? And even with some saying “The Big Short” could crash both their parties?

“I know. I’ve heard all that. But I have a good feeling. I just do.”

Odds are Keaton has an even better feeling now.

“Spotlight” winning best picture took some pundits by surprise for one simple reason. It’s the first movie since 1952’s “The Greatest Show on Earth” to take best picture and win just one other category. That’s right. “Spotlight” won just two Oscars on Sunday night -- best picture and original screenplay.

“Spotlight’s” victory had everything to do with the academy’s preferential voting system, which asks those casting ballots to rank the movies in order. This rewards consensus choices, movies that show up consistently in voters’ first, second or third place spots. “Spotlight” and “The Big Short” were those kinds of movies. “The Revenant,” not so much. Many people loved it; nearly as many found its brutal violence off-putting.

In the end, “Spotlight” prevailed for its quality, of course, and also for the way it became part of the conversation (and prodded the discussion) about the ongoing investigation into clerical sex abuse within the Catholic Church. When a Vatican commission screened the movie earlier this month, it put “Spotlight” into the news headlines -- and squarely in the minds of Oscar voters at a time when ballots were being cast.

Leonardo DiCaprio, who won the lead actor Oscar at tonight’s 88th Academy Awards for his role in “The Revenant,” spoke of the dangers of climate change during his acceptance speech.

The film, in which DiCaprio plays frontier tracker Hugh Glass, had a harrowing shoot in remote wilderness locations. The production was nearly jeopardized when filmmakers had to scour the world to find snow.

“Making ‘The Revenant’ was about man’s relationship to the natural world, a world that we collectively felt in 2015 as the hottest year in record history,” he said. “Our production needed to move to the southern tip of this planet just to be able to find snow. Climate change is real. It is happening right now.”

DiCaprio added that climate change is the “most urgent threat facing our entire species.” He called on the audience to back politicians who are outspoken on issues of global warming.

“We need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating,” he said. “We need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters and the big corporations but speak for all of humanity and the indigenous people of the world, for the billions and billions of underprivileged people who will be most affected by this, for our children’s children and for those people out there whose voices have been drowned out by the politics of greed.”

He ended his speech with a plea.

“Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take tonight for granted.”

Hollywood heavyweight Morgan Freeman has been nominated for an Academy Award five times and took home a statuette in 2005 for his sterling supporting work in boxing heartbreaker “Million Dollar Baby.”

Freeman was just the fourth African American actor to win supporting actor in the history of the academy.

For more Academy Award flashbacks check out our Oscars timeline.

Lady Gaga, barefoot and in a white suit, danced on the balls of her bare feet in the stage right wings as she waited to sing “Til It Happens to You.”

After performing, Gaga ran off the stage, down a hallway and around a corner to ‎change her clothes, in order to be in her seat before the announcement of her category, original song.

When Sam Smith took to the stage to accept his (surprising!) Oscar for best song, he made a point to inject his own brand of diversity into the #OscarsSoWhite stratosphere.

In referencing comments from openly gay actor Ian McKellen, the “Spectre” theme singer dedicated his award to the entire lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. This was under the belief that no openly gay people had ever taken home an Oscar.

But the lie detector test determined that was a lie.

For one, see this, posted today by Dustin Lance Black, an openly gay man who won for writing “Milk” in 2009:

Add to that (still limited) list, Elton John, who took home the best original song award in 1994 for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from “The Lion King.”

Alejandro G. Inarritu, who won the best director Oscar at tonight’s 88th Academy Awards for his film “The Revenant,” noted he was “very lucky” to be in the position he was in. Then he quickly changed course.

“Unfortunately many others haven’t had the same luck,” he said during his acceptance speech.

Inarritu, who is from Mexico City, then referenced a line in “The Revenant,” a moment when Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Hugh Glass, is speaking to his mixed-race son. Glass says, “They don’t listen to you. They just see the color of you skin.”

He urged “our generation to really liberate” ourselves “from all prejudice,” dreaming of a future in which “the color of the skin becomes as irrelevant as the length of our hair.”

Michael Keaton and Sylvester Stallone are two of the most well-regarded contemporary actors without an Oscar.

So how did the former feel about the latter’s upset at the hands of Mark Rylance in the supporting-actor category?

“It was a surprise, wasn’t it?” Keaton said when The Times caught up with the “Spotlight” actor near the Oscars lobby bar.”Look, I was pulling for Mark‎ [Ruffalo, his co-star]. But you can’t argue with Mark Rylance. I mean, can you? He’s just so good.”

And Sly, poor Sly?

“Supporting actor is tough,” Keaton said. “Just really tough. There’s so many good actors in that every year. But again. I wanted Mark. I’m a homer. I really am.”

“Amy” closed out its impressive awards run Sunday night with an Oscar.

The film, which chronicled the life of late songstress Amy Winehouse, took home an Academy Award for documentary feature.

Director Asif Kapadia and producer James Gay-Rees told reporters backstage that they’ve noticed the conversation surrounding the troubled “Back to Black” singer seems to have shifted since release of the film.

“What’s happened is the perception of Amy has changed,” Kapadia said. “A lot of people, particularly in the U.S., summed up Amy on one word: She’s a trainwreck.” Now, he added, they say, “There’s so much more to her. Most people say they just want to give her a hug.... I think there’s a much better feeling people have about her.”

The film, which also won in the documentary feature category at the BAFTAs, details the English singer’s rise as a singer to her death in 2011. Asked about the vocal opposition to the film by Amy’s father, Mitch Winehouse, Gay-Rees would only say the film was not meant to cast blame on anyone.

“I think, at the end of the day, the film’s about Amy,” Gay-Rees said. “She became a bit of a punch bag .... film has opened people’s eyes to her again… that’s what our job was...I think that should be enough.”

For all the conversation swirling around diversity at the Academy Awards, there remain categories that women as a gender can’t manage to find equal footing in.

In 2010, when Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win the Academy Award for directing, for her work on the harrowing examination of war “The Hurt Locker,” she was only the fourth woman to have been nominated for the award.

That was six years ago. No woman has been nominated for director since.

For more Academy Award flashbacks check out our Oscars timeline.

Vice President Joe Biden, introducing Lady Gaga at the Academy Awards, gave an impassioned speech dedicated to reducing sexual assault on college campuses.

“Despite significant progress over the last few years, too many women and men on and off college campuses are still victims of sexual abuse,” said Biden.

The White House in 2014 launched It’s On Us, a campaign designed to reframe the conversation around sexual assault. The initiative aims to bring increased awareness to the issue.

“Tonight, I’m asking you to join millions of Americans, including me, President Obama, the thousands of students I’ve met on college campuses, and the artists I’ve met here tonight to take the pledge -- a pledge that says, ‘I will intervene in situations when consent has not or cannot be given,’” said Biden.

Moments later, Lady Gaga would perform “Til It Happens to You,” a song written for the film “The Hunting Ground,” which documents the prevalence of rape on college campuses. Lady Gaga was joined onstage by survivors of sexual abuse.

“Let’s change the culture,” said Biden. “We must change the culture, so that no abused women or man, like the survivors you will see tonight, ever feel they have to ask themselves, ‘What did I do?’ They did nothing wrong.”

Director Pete Docter and producer Jonas Rivera were feeling good from the inside out backstage, after accepting their award for best animated feature film for “Inside Out.” But not so excited as to forget co-writer Ronnie Del Carmen.

“Ronnie Del Carmen is one of the great storytellers in visual animation,” Rivera said. “There’s a lot of talk about diversity, films from around the world, Japan, Latin America, good ‘ol California, and Ronnie is a great artist and represents that [in the Philippines]. … We’re proud of him and he’s definitely sharing this with us.”

On making a film that tackles emotions, Docter said: “What we were after was entertainment and fun. But then we thought, ‘This has something deep and applicable to every human being.’ Emotions are invisible… this film has the potential [for kids] to unpack and think about some of the things they don’t normally. We’ve heard … that this film has given [some kids] a new vocabulary. We’re so thankful we could contribute in that way.”

Rivera added to the evening’s ongoing conversation about diversity, adding: “My grandfather was born in Mexico and his mother snuck him over to El Paso, Texas. My house was like “I Love Lucy” when I was a kid – my mother had blond hair, my father [was of Mexican descent]. I’m very proud of my family, my heritage and of my papa.”

It took more than three years to bring “Inside Out” to the big screen, a long journey that Rivera called “tortuous in that it was a tortuous path that was a big hunk of life; but we love our [team] so much that in a way, it being over, it’s a heartbreaker.”

“Perhaps the most complex thing in the universe is the human mind,” Docter added, “and that’s what we decided to make a movie about. … So we had to make sure things were simple and clear. It was a long process of rewriting that took three and a half years.”

Rivera said that one of the most memorable payoff moments came from rapper Ice Cube. “I’m a huge fan of N.W.A and – this is so name-droppy – but we were lucky enough to sit next to the “Straight Outta Compton” table and I got to meet Ice Cube. And I introduced myself as [the producer of] “Inside Out” and he said “Oh, man, that movie was dope!”

“I got a letter from a mother of a daughter with special needs, who said her daughter was able to talk for the first time after seeing the film -- and that was [most meaningful] for me.”

Sacha Baron Cohen on the red carpet for the 2012 Academy Awards.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Sacha Baron Cohen is no stranger to making a splash at the Academy Awards.

It was just four years ago when the outrageous English comedian appeared on the red carpet in character as Admiral General Aladeen, promoting the new film “The Dictator” with an urn the character claimed to contain the ashes of recently deceased North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il. Just moments into his interview with Ryan Seacrest, Cohen dumped a significant amount of the “ashes” all over Seacrest’s jacket, much to the host’s surprise.

On the red carpet, Cohen told The Times he was feared on the carpet after the stunt he pulled on Ryan Seacrest four years ago.

“I gave him a hug this year and he kept looking at my hands. He was visibly scared,” said Cohen, flanked by wife Isla Fisher. “None of the live TV shows would talk to me this year.

For more Academy Award flashbacks check out our Oscars timeline.

Rachel McAdams emerged with her mom on her arm and saw Gena Rowlands -- who played the older version of her in “The Notebook.”

“How are you? I haven’t seen you in so long!” McAdams said, embracing Rowlands.

“It’s a long night, right?” McAdams added, as Rowlands nodded quietly. “We’re going to sneak to the ladies room so we don’t start drinking at the bar!”

Gabriel Osorio and Pato Escala, who took home gold Sunday in the animated short film category, hope their film “Bear Story” brings some awareness about the power of family.

The short film tells the story of a melancholy old bear longing to be reunited with his family after being taken from them to perform in the circus. Osorio serves as the film’s writer and director; Escala serves as the producer.

Osorio has said the 10-minute short film was inspired by childhood memories in Chile, a time of political turmoil under former dictator Augusto Pinochet. Osorio’s grandfather had been imprisoned after the coup d’état of 1973 and was later exiled to England.

”I tried to tell the importance of family being together,” the Chilean animator said of the film. “The message that we must try not to make the same mistakes as the past.”

Sammy Davis Jr. made Oscar history at the 36th awards on April 13, 1964, at the Santa Monica Auditorium when he announced the wrong winner for a musical scoring Oscar. Davis read the correct nominees for scoring of music, adaptation or treatment Oscar, opened the envelope and announced that the winner was John Addison for “Tom Jones.” The audience was speechless. Addison had won in the music score, substantially original category.

“They gave me the wrong envelope?,” quipped Davis. “Wait until the NAACP hears about this!”

A representative of Price Waterhouse ran out onstage with the envelope announcing the correct winner: Andre Previn for “Irma La Douce.”

For more Academy Award flashbacks check out our Oscars timeline.

The Academy Awards didn’t have time Sunday for performances of two of the tunes nominated for original song -- including one that would’ve marked the first time a transgender artist had performed on the Oscars stage.

But of course the show could make room for Dave Grohl.

The Foo Fighters front man has become an inescapable presence at awards shows over the last few years, and tonight he turned up to accompany the annual “In Memoriam” sequence paying tribute to movie folk who’ve recently left us.

Was his rendition of the Beatles’ “Blackbird” nice? Oh, it was perfectly lovely.

But would it have killed the academy to show us someone we haven’t seen before?

After rather sleepy performances by Sam Smith, the Weeknd and Dave Grohl, Lady Gaga upped the energy at the Academy Awards with a fierce rendition of “Til It Happens to You,” her and Diane Warren’s stark song about sexual assault on college campuses from “The Hunting Ground.”

Banging away at a white grand piano, the singer stared directly into the camera as she delivered the song’s unflinching lyrics. Then she was joined by a large cast of young people with phrases like “Survivor” and “Not your fault” scrawled on their arms.

The performance ended with a standing ovation from the audience -- and a reaction shot from Warren, who looked positively overcome.

In one of the first surprises of the evening, the indie sci-fi movie “Ex Machina” took home the Oscar for visual effects, trumping competitors with much bigger budgets including “The Revenant” and “Mad Max: Fury Road.”

Backstage, Sara Bennett was asked about being one of few women in the visual effects field. When asked what other women can do to break into the visual effects field, she said: “You need to have the personality and the confidence.... It’s hard work, basically.”

Though neither “Beasts of No Nation” star Abraham Attah, 14, nor “Room” star Jacob Tremblay, 9, was nominated for their tremendous performances in their respective films, the Oscars haven’t always shied away from acknowledging the contributions of its younger actors.

In 1974, the academy recognized the work of Tatum O’Neal, awarding the 10-year-old with a best supporting actress award for her work alongside her father, Ryan, in “Paper Moon.”

For more Academy Award flashbacks check out our Oscars timeline.

As Chris Rock takes another stab at hosting the Academy Awards, after an 11-year absence, four-time former Oscars host Whoopi Goldberg will also be gracing audiences with her presence, this time as a presenter.

Goldberg was never one to shy away from controversy during her tenure as Oscar host, perhaps best exemplified by her 1999 hosting gig in which she started the ceremony in full Elizabethan costuming, complete with perfectly painted white face.

For more Academy Awards flashbacks check out our Oscars timeline.

Mark Rylance, who won the best supporting actor Oscar for his role in “Bridge of Spies,” praised the power of the cinematic medium in his acceptance speech.

“I’ve always just adored stories, hearing them, seeing them, being in them, so for me to have the chance to work with, I think, one of the greatest storytellers of our time, Steven Spielberg, it’s just been such an honor,” said Rylance, who played a soft-spoken Russian spy in the film, which stars Tom Hanks.

Throughout the film, Rylance’s character, Rudolf Abel, responds with the phrase “Would it help?” when asked why he doesn’t appear worried or stressed. Rylance referenced the saying on the Oscar stage, noting it’s often repeated to him by fans of the film.

“I’m so pleased that our film has been nominated so many times, and as a face of the film, I meet many people in the streets and it’s lovely to have them, they’re always saying to me, ‘Would it help?’ and all that stuff.”

Rylance then credited his co-star for his Oscar win.

“I think, if you ever wondered about acting with Tom Hanks, would it help? The answer’s clearly yes.”

When Sylvester Stallone won the Golden Globe for playing Rocky Balboa in the “Rocky” reboot “Creed,” the room exploded. The standing ovation was long, loud and heartfelt. I’ve never Quentin Tarantino so excited ... and dude gets excited a lot.

So why didn’t Stallone win the supporting actor Oscar on Sunday? Well, time and time again, academy members expressed reservations to me that Stallone shouldn’t win for essentially playing the same character in yet another “Rocky” movie. Where’s the degree of difficulty in that?

Plus, the winner, Mark Rylance, is viewed as an actor’s actor. He’s well-respected for his theater work and was great in last year’s PBS miniseries, “Wolf Hall.”

Most expected Stallone to win. But Rylance taking the Oscar for his subtle turn in “Bridge of Spies” isn’t a complete shocker. It’s a case of voters -- particularly the East Coast crowd -- going for a man with an impeccable acting reputation over someone viewed more as a movie star.

Kevin Hart presents The Weeknd at the 88th Academy Awards ceremony.

(Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP)

Kevin Hart was laughing his head off at Chris Rock’s Girl Scout moment as he waited to take the stage. “All right, guys, we’re going completely off book,” Hart said to the crew before he introduced the Weeknd. “Get ready!”

‎By all accounts he did: Hart had not delivered his onstage comments about actors of color at Oscar rehearsals. When the comic returned from the stage, he shared a warm hug with Oscars producer Reginald Hudlin.

After accepting their Oscar for sound editing for “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Mark Mangini and David White were downright deferential to director George Miller.

“All of this is due to George Miller, who creates a fantastic environment where everyone can be creative,” Mangini told journalists backstage.

“I’d add to that,” said White, “that he’s one of the world’s greatest collaborators.”

Sound editing is a tricky thing, White explained: “Because of the way this film was shot – high-speed cameras, wind machines, sand -- a lot of the sound [from filming] was unusable. So down to the smallest footsteps and biggest explosions, that [all had to be re-created], and was all from [us.]”

Added Mangini: “Everything had to be believable sound ... it had to have an authenticity to it, which was something George was so serious about all the way through.”

On “Mad Max’s” success at the Oscars tonight – and where that might lead the 71-year-old Miller next – Mangini joked: “I’d actually encourage him to do a really boring relationship drama next, that we can shoot around the kitchen table!”

After “Inside Out” won the Oscar for animated feature film, director Pete Docter shared a little of the film’s inspiration, noting the Disney/Pixar work was born of the trials and tribulations of getting older.

“This film was really born from watching our kids grow up, which is not easy,” he said.

He then had a positive message for all those suffering through the daily dramas of coming of age.

The film, he said, is dedicated to “anyone out there who’s in junior high, high school, working it out, suffering. There are days you’re going to feel sad, you’re going to feel angry, you’re going to be scared. That’s nothing you can choose, but you can make stuff. Make films. Draw. Write. It’ll make a world of difference.”

“Mad Max: Fury Road” director George Miller might have voiced eagerness to work on a sequel to the post-apocalyptic film. But wife Margaret Sixel, who took home Oscar gold Sunday night for film editing, played coy about signing back up for it.

In fact, we can’t even transcribe the noise she made when asked, aside from saying it sounded something like “eeeeIiiiieeeehmmm” and was accompanied by a look of hesitation.

After gathering her thoughts, she said: “I’d like to do a small one in between. Can we just do something we can shoot in six weeks and cut in three months?”

On a more serious note, Sixel said she hopes she and the “Star Wars” teams are helping alter the perception that women can’t edit action films.

“There is some prejudice that women can’t cut action,” Sixel said. “I’m hoping that will change with ‘Star Wars’ girls and me. I think it will change. I think it’s already changing. That’s my personal feeling. You just watch in the next 10 years, balance will come back in our favor, I think.”

The Los Angeles Times’ Mikael Wood and Todd Martens chime in on the Weeknd’s Oscar performance.

Mikael Wood: So, Todd, the Weeknd just performed “Earned It,” his Oscar-nominated theme from “Fifty Shades of Grey.” What did we think?

Todd Martens: I was nervous when I saw an aerialist, but I was into it. I thought he was rather confident. And the acrobatics were sexy.

Mikael Wood: Yeah, an aerialist always seems like an overcompensating move. But I agree: He sounded pretty good (or at least better than Sam Smith did). But there was still something of the energy shortage that defined the Weeknd’s Grammys performance a few weeks ago.

Todd Martens: He’s one of the biggest pop stars in the world, yet when it comes to awards shows he’s been stuck performing his ballads. But I was OK with the energy level here; the string-streaked song built nicely. I couldn’t help but compare it to Smith earlier too. And if you look at those two movie songs, they’re both tunes that try to aim for some level of “importance” -- though there’s a level of vulnerability in “Earned It,” a side you don’t always see in the Weeknd.

Mikael Wood: Right. The vulnerability definitely came through, which was nice. I just wish the Oscars’ “importance” (and the Grammys’, for that matter) didn’t always lead to performers keeping everything tamped down, as though they were afraid to break something.

Todd Martens: That was kind of seductive to me, with the dancers closing in on him, even as he was walking forward. It heightened the claustrophobia inherent in a lot of Weeknd songs.

That said, this performance was about all of “50 Shades” I can take.

One of the biggest snubs of Oscar season came when Ridley Scott wasn’t nominated for a directing Oscar.

So as “The Martian” director sipped a mixed vodka drink at the Oscars bar--he is here as a nominated producer on the film--he could be forgiven for being a little peeved. So is he?

“Well, I’m happy about the box office,” he said, answering the question by not answering the question. “I mean over $600 ‎million. And we’re still going strong in a lot of places. I just heard how we keep going in Tokyo. It’s amazing.”

Scott paused a moment to say hi to “Mad Max: Fury Road” director George Miller, two silver-haired filmmaking titans of another era, still going strong in this one.‎ Then he turned back and sought to clarify his answer, and his own feelings.

“The important thing for me is to keep making movies,” he said. “I’m going to Australia tomorrow. We’re going to shoot again [his “Prometheus” sequel] in five weeks.”

He paused. “I mean, I’ve been here six times. It’s nice. But I just want to keep making movies.”

Read More

Chris Rock says he went to a cinema in Compton to interview black moviegoers about the Oscar nominees. A minor problem with that: There actually isn’t a movie theater in Compton, and there hasn’t been in decades.

Here’s how that could change soon.

(Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

In the lobby, Saoirse Ronan and her mom stood together drinking -- something that definitely didn’t happen the first time the actress was nominated for an Oscar. But, to be fair, she was only 13 then.

“I mean, I’ve got vodka in my hand, so I’d say we’re grand,” said Monica Ronan.

“I’m pretty relaxed,” a‎greed the “Brooklyn” star, whose category has yet to be announced.

“Plus, I stole all these gummy bears,” Monica said, opening her purse to reveal a trove of pilfered snacks.

“Mom, stop offering everyone gummy bears,” Saoirse said with a smile.

BB-8, R2-D2 and C-3PO onstage at the 88th Academy Awards ceremony.

(Chris Pizzello / Invision / Associated Press)

There was palpable enthusiasm when R2-D2, C-3PO and BB-8 arrived backstage. “What do you think, R2? It has been a long time, hasn’t it?” C-3PO said, resting his hand on his beeping companion as the droid duo waited to take the stage. “Well it’s good to be with you.”

Behind them a ‎man operated R2 by remote control, while a woman whispered to C-3PO, “Can you hear OK?”

As the droids rolled and wobbled back from the stage, C-3PO declared the experience, “terribly exciting!”

At the #JusticeForFlint event, Janelle Monae is giving a full-on concert. She follows a number of others including Robert Glasper, Jazmine Sullivan and a host of locals directly affected by the water crisis.

The legendary Stevie Wonder surprised the crowd following Monae -- stream it above.

Oh, and they’ve raised $63,000 so far.

Read More

When Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Oscars in 2014, she made Twitter history when she tweeted a selfie with all of Hollywood’s hottest faces.

The Academy Awards are made for stunts like these (see also: Chris Rock and the Girl Scouts) but DeGeneres’ tweet may never be topped.

For more Academy Award flashbacks check out our Oscars timeline.

In the last break, Leonardo DiCaprio hurried out to the bar with Benicio Del Toro. The front-runner for lead actor was in a rush to avoid fans wanting to grab a selfie.

He hid out in a corner by the snacks sipping a drink but didn’t remain undercover for long. Once the cellphones came out, he became visibly uncomfortable. He did pose for a few snaps before he told onlookers that he really wanted to finish his drink. He needed to make a near-sprint back into the theater. Are the jitters hitting him?

Andy Serkis, the man who brought life to Gollum in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and Caesar in the modern remake of the “Planet of the Apes” series, presented the Oscar for visual effects at Sunday’s ceremony, but not before the show aired a special introduction that revealed a video package that delved into the reality of Serkis’ performances.

The video is significant because of the lack of official acknowledgement within the academy for the efforts of motion capture artists and was an overdue nod to Serkis’ stellar work.

Before Serkis awarded the Oscar to the team from “Ex Machina” he took a moment to make a jab at Republican front-runner Donald Trump, saying, “You could play anything from a planet threatening monster to Donald Trump, which is not very a diverse example but...”

Correction: An earlier version of this post reported that Serkis ended his quote with “you get the point.” The quote has been amended.

And here’s a look at the other films taking home a 2016 Oscar:

“Amy” 1

“Bear Story” 1

“The Big Short” 1

“The Danish Girl” 1

“Ex Machina” 1

“A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness” 1

“The Hateful Eight” 1

“Inside Out” 1

“Room” 1

“Stutterer” 1

“Son of Saul” 1

“Spectre” 1

With 11 categories down, Warner Bros.’ “Mad Max: Fury Road” is cleaning up with six awards, including costume design, film editing and production design.

Here’s how the Hollywood studios stack up now:

• Warner Bros.: 6 (“Mad Max: Fury Road”)
  
• 20th Century Fox: 1 (“The Revenant”)
• Paramount: 1 (“The Big Short”)
• Open Road Films: 1 (“Spotlight”)
• A24: 1 (“Ex Machina”)
• Focus Features: 1 (“The Danish Girl”)

— Ryan Faughnder

“Mad Max: Fury Road” has now won Oscars for costume design, production design, makeup and hair, film editing, sound editing and sound mixing.

Is that it? Or can it pull off an upset in the director and best picture categories?

I’m not optimistic that it will win any more awards tonight. If it had taken visual effects, maybe. But it’s already an impressive haul.

Tom Hardy is pacing around the Dolby Theatre lobby, circling as if he’s anxious.

I asked if his nerves had something to do with “The Revenant’s” chances.

“No, I’m just waiting for my wife to finish breast pumping in the bathroom. She has to do it every hour.”

The first Academy Awards, which covered films released in 1927 and ‘28, was held on May 16, 1929. So why is today’s Academy Awards the 88th annual Oscars?

Because there were actually two ceremonies in 1930. The first was held April 3, 1930 with the musical “Broadway Melody” winning best film, Warner Baxter earning lead actor for “In Old Arizona,” Mary Pickford picking up lead actress for “Coquette” and Frank Lloyd receiving the director Oscar for “The Divine Lady.”

Seven months later on Nov. 5, 1930, the academy handed out Oscars to “All Quiet on the Western Front” for best film and director for Lewis Milestone, George Arliss for lead actor for “Disraeli” and Norma Shearer for lead actress for “The Divorcee.”

For more Academy Award flashbacks check out our Oscars timeline.

Last year’s lead actor Eddie Redmayne came out into the lobby with his pregnant wife and headed straight to the bar.

“She’s not drinking, but I definitely am,” he said with a couple of hours to go before his category was announced.

This awards season, he said, he’s been far more relaxed than he was while promoting “The Theory of Everything.”

“I bet I won’t even see Alicia until so much later, because you get swept up with all the journalists and everything,” he said, referring to his “Danish Girl” co-star and supporting actress winner Alicia Vikander. “I feel like I barely got to see my wife until the end of the night when I won.”

As for Chris Rock’s performance as host, Redmayne had only positive things to say. “I thought he did fantastically,” the actor said. “There’s been so much expectation.”

Cate Blanchett during the telecast of the 88th Academy Awards on Sunday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Cate Blanchett grabbed the arm of freshly minted Oscar winner Alicia Vikander and whispered “Congratulations” while Blanchett waited to have her microphone checked.

When Blanchett stepped backstage after a long, elaborate stage walk-and-talk, Jennifer Gar‎ner said, “How about that walk!” Garner soon realized that her co-presenter Benicio del Toro was standing on her dress. “You had one job to do!” Garner said to Del Toro, with a laugh, as Del Toro grimaced and stepped aside.

Then Tina Fey and Steve Carell returned from presenting their category and Fey looked up at the monitor to see the telegenic Margot Robbie and Jared Leto presenting. “How are we still on-screen?”‎ Fey asked Carell.

Chris Rock took to the Dolby Theatre stage and held nothing back. Tackling the #OscarsSoWhite controversy -- which resulted from the lack of diversity in the acting categories -- the comedian delivered everything anyone could’ve hoped for.

One of the best lines:

“Jada’s gonna boycott the Oscars? Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties. I wasn’t invited.”

Read More

The following is a transcription of Chris Rock’s opening monologue as host of the 2016 Oscars. He took the stage to Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power”:

“Man, I counted at least 15 black people on that montage. Hey! Well, I’m here at the Academy Awards, otherwise known as the White People’s Choice Awards.

You realize, if they nominated hosts, I wouldn’t even get this job....”

Read More

You can follow him here.

Did Sam Smith just have an Adele-at-the-Grammys moment?

Plenty of folks have dissed Smith’s “Writing on the Wall,” from the James Bond movie “Spectre,” as one of the spy franchise’s weakest themes, with none of Bond’s trademark swagger.

But I like the lush, strikingly tender song and the way it unsettles some of our ideas about male action figures.

That said, Smith’s run through the Oscar-nominated tune was deeply wobbly in a way that recalled Adele’s famously pitchy performance earlier this month at the Grammy Awards.

And like his fellow Brit (who later complained about microphone trouble), Smith seemed to know it wasn’t going well, as he swayed increasingly nervously as the song went on.

On the plus side, the young singer -- who recently won a Golden Globe with “Writing’s on the Wall” -- was showing off a strong, stubbly new look, one that prompted host Chris Rock to mention that his favorite song is “Father Figure.”

You know, the George Michael hit.

From backstage, Times reporter Rebecca Keegan said that Rock played well in the wings, where Emily Blunt and Charlize Theron were waiting to present. There were some ‘whoas’ and raised eyebrows at certain lines -- the lynching and police brutality ones -- from crew and various publicists, makeup folks etc. But mostly big laughs and a sense that he was killing it.

Backstage best director nominee Adam McKay from “Big Short” said, “I thought it was really great. I thought it was jabbing at Hollywood and at same time, even-handed,” of Rock’s opening words.

Patricia Arquette, who made waves at last year’s Oscars ceremony with her remarks on gender inequality, thought Rock’s monologue went well.

“It was very funny. I always thought what makes ‎a great comedian is their own perspective, even if it’s not everyone’s perspective. He’s a genius.”

For the Record: And earlier version of this story attributed Adam McKay’s quote to Tom McCarthy.