Oscar presenters Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield, Whoopi Goldberg rehearse before the show

By Canadian Press on March 1, 2025.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Emma Stone knows her way around the Dolby Theatre, but the even the two-time Oscar winner needs a little rehearsing before the big show. This year she’s not a nominee but a presenter, though which category she’ll be announcing is under wraps until it’s broadcast live around the world on Sunday.

The day before the ceremony, Stone was casually dressed in a brown shirt jacket, white T-shirt and jeans. On the Oscars stage Saturday, she mimicked walking to the microphone in high heels before immediately flubbing her lines — a moment of levity for the busy production staff milling around.

“Oh God,” she said. “This is going to go great.”

Stone eventually made it through her lines and hugged the stand-in playing the winner of her category before handing her the award. At Oscars rehearsals, the golden statuettes are real, but the winners are “for this rehearsal only” with a lineup of working actors playing all variety of nominees, from shorts directors to best actress candidates. The Associated Press got a peek at what’s to come — though most details about who’s presenting what, and what they will say are secret until the live broadcast.

Many stars cycled in and out of the show venue Saturday morning. Andrew Garfield, Whoopi Goldberg, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Miley Cyrus, Oprah Winfrey, Sterling K. Brown, Ana de Armas, Goldie Hawn and Miles Teller all made their way to Hollywood to practice their lines, walk in their show heels and find their marks.

After Stone, Winfrey made her way to the stage wearing sky high heels — presumably to practice navigating the long stage in the heels she’s wearing to the show. She and her presenting partner, who will remain a surprise until show day, elicited a rare standing ovation from the people in the room — an array of production staff, camera people and publicists.

Later, Garfield took Hawn’s arm on the walk to the stage, where they’d be running through the two awards they’re set to hand out: Animated feature and animated short.

Garfield, in glasses, light chinos, button up and sweater draped over his shoulder, fanned himself with the winner’s envelope. He and Hawn, in a loose black pantsuit, chatted and laughed together waiting for the go-ahead. On the next run-through, he took her hand on the walk and draped his arm around her shoulder when they got to the microphone. Their fun chemistry got laughs in the room.

“Ok here we go,” Hawn said, after a brief flub and re-set. Garfield let out a hearty laugh.

Randolph, who won the supporting actress award last year for her performance in “The Holdovers” wore a floral jumpsuit and looked out into the audience below, full of oversized pictures of stars and nominees where they’ll be seated.

The men were even more casually dressed — Teller wore a baseball cap, jeans and a “Late Show with David Lettermen” T-shirt. Brown looked like he was either coming from or going to the gym, in athletic shorts and a back sweatshirt. He’ll be presenting the live action shorts prize with de Armas. Both were delighted by their fake winner’s well-researched speech. Brown even made a joking “wrap it up” gesture.

But soon it was time for the crew and everyone to break for lunch — they’re in the final stretch before the 97th Academy Awards, airing live around the world Sunday on ABC and streaming on Hulu starting at 7 p.m. EST.

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For more coverage of the Oscars, visit https://apnews.com/hub/academy-awards.

Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press