The Oscars’ most intimate celebrity moments occur off-camera

The two women spent at least 10 minutes backstage together chatting and preparing for their moment onstage, during which Dern gave Gerwig a bit of a pep-talk.

“It’s amazing. And it’s historic,” Dern told Gerwig of her best director nomination — the fifth woman in academy history to be so recognized. “Are you breathing?” the elder actress asked.

“Your dress is perfect. Your makeup is perfect,” Dern said. “Let’s check the booty.”

With that, Dern and Gerwig turned around to reveal the back of their dresses to each other, which they deemed camera-ready.

Dern also advised her co-presenter not to slouch or lean into the microphone.

“Shoulders back,” Gerwig said, convincing herself.

Still, Dern worried about having worn her eyeglasses.

“No, they look so cute!” Gerwig said. “There’s nothing hotter than a hot lady with glasses.”

They discussed whether they should walk out arm in arm or holding hands. Gerwig took an impromptu vote with backstage workers, who said holding hands would be their best bet.

“Good,” Gerwig said. “We crowd-sourced it.”

The two women emerged onstage holding hands.

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FOOT FETISH: Comedic actresses Maya Rudolph and Tiffany Haddish had planned to wear comfortable footwear onto the Oscar stage even before it became part of their lines Sunday night.

Haddish insisted on wearing her slippers onstage.

“Girl, I got bunions and corns,” Haddish told Rudolph. “The foot-fetish people will be all about it. Did you see that bunion? Did you see them corns?”

The comedienne joked to Rudolph that she’s been using “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” spray on her feet.

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DIVA IN THE HOUSE: Oscar-winner Faye Dunaway likes to make her own rules. She refused to stay in her position backstage before announcing the best picture winner.

The 77-year-old Dunaway repeatedly walked away from her prescribed spot backstage before she and Warren Beatty were to announce the final award of the night.

She demanded to know where her lines were and whether Allison Janney won for supporting actress (she did).

When a backstage photographer snapped a candid photo of Dunaway, she was livid. She told the man to “go away” and made the kind of shooing motion one might use for a pet dog.

She and Warren Beatty successfully announced the best picture winner this year: “The Shape of Water.”

Later, while posing for photos with the night’s winners, Dunaway continued directing the photographers who captured her image.

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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen at www.twitter.com/YouKnowSandy .

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For full coverage of awards season, visit: https://apnews.com/tag/AwardsSeason

Sandy Cohen, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

The Oscars’ most intimate celebrity moments occur off-camera

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