Secrets From the Red Carpet at the 2011 Oscars

February 28th, 2011 4:30pm EST

Anne Hathaway When you watch the Academy Awards red carpet on TV, you see only snippets of what is really going on. The noise, the lights, and all of the people are in one short stretch of space along Hollywood Boulevard.
The fan bleachers that line the right hand side of the carpet are one of the hottest tickets in town and they aren’t easy to get a ticket to. Years ago, the fans were allowed to camp out and wait for a place along the red carpet. These days, it is done by lottery in the early fall the year before. The bleacher seats are also a great litmus test to how popular a celebrity is these days. If the Academy really wants to know who should host the Oscars next year, they need to listen to the deafening cheers that occurred when Justin Timberlake crossed the threshold.

Also along the right hand side of the red carpet is a line for the “regular folks” to walk to the Kodak Theatre. You may be lucky enough to attend the show, but if you are not a nominee, presenter, or Hollywood royalty, you will find yourself being scooted along quickly into the theatre. Everyone wants to linger on this side of the red carpet to gaze at the stars. This is in complete contrast to the media line of the red carpet where publicists hustle their stars through the hoards of press as quickly as possible.

One of the best-kept secrets along the red carpet is that there is a black carpet roped off in the middle of all of the festivities. Think of this as a “fast pass” up the red carpet, past the throngs of people, and straight to the tip where Tim Gunn awaited the nominee for ABC-TV’s official pre-show. This area is heavily guarded lest anyone from the “regular folks” line decides to hop on over to the other side where the glamorous people reside.

For those nominees and presenters who are walking the media line, it is a sea of eager press faces hoping an A-List star will stop to talk to them. Many of the celebrities do their best to talk to as many people as possible, but their publicists often control whom they will talk to. If you aren’t E!, Access Hollywood, or People, often times, you have to fight for a sound bite or two. The reporter next to me was a total bulldog who wouldn’t give up the fight and was practically lunging to get one question answered. It may have seemed like an odd interview technique, but it worked. You also have to be aware that if you talk to your interview subject too long, you get the dreaded tap on the arm to wrap up the conversation immediately.

Most stars are gracious and thrilled to be there on Hollywood’s biggest night, so it is rare to get a star who is not on their best behavior. You see how kind Celine Dion is to everyone she encounters, Nicole Kidman, who expresses true gratitude for the nomination, and Mark Ruffalo who does his best to make sure each reporter gets to talk to him.

The red carpet may be noisy and chaotic, but it is always controlled and well executed by the Academy. The one thing the Academy couldn’t control this year was the weather. With unseasonably low temperatures and the once in a lifetime snowfall in the area the day before, there were many shivering ladies on that red carpet. I bet a few designers would love to have the show moved back to its old calendar position in March. Yes, in California, we are a bunch of weather wimps.

Finally, one of the best parts of the night happens after the show is over and the celebrities wait for their limos. That means that the red carpet is back in action! This becomes a wonderful place to celebrity spot as they leave the Governor’s Ball and head over to the Vanity Fair and Elton John parties. The heat lamps come out, cappuccino is served, and the El Capitan across the street lists the Best Picture winner on the marquee. Yes, Oscar night is over, but the red carpet becomes the most laid back spot in Hollywood.

To see more of my Oscar coverage, head on over to Red Carpet Closet.

Photo Credits: Andrew Evans / PR Photos; , Kristyn Burtt

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