Stars were busy getting ready for the 93rd annual Academy Awards on Sunday afternoon.
The awards show will be very different as it will be a socially distanced event held not in Hollywood but in downtown Los Angeles at Union Station with only 170 people and not the usual 3,000.
But there will still be a red carpet, even if there will be much less people on it and very few cameras.
The presenters list is small but includes many big named such as Halle Berry, Angela Bassett, Regina King, Renée Zellweger, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Marlee Matlin, Laura Dern, Joaquin Phoenix and Harrison Ford.
Scroll down for a list of nominees…
Getting ready: Reese Witherspoon, who will serve as a presenter at the glitzy event which honors the top achievements in filmmaking, was seen at home the day of. The Little Big Lies actress had little makeup on with her hair down and a hoodie on that read Oscars 2021
The event may be one of the least seen Academy Awards of all time due to the lack of celebrities attending the event.
And there are also claims the Oscar for Best Picture is set to be handed to the lowest grossing top movie in the award show’s 93 year history. The night’s top prize is widely expected to go to Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland starring Frances McDormand.
As far as stars getting ready for the splashiest night in Hollywood, the glam team was in full swing by lunch time.
Reese Witherspoon, who will serve as a presenter at the glitzy event which honors the top achievements in filmmaking, was seen at home the day of.
The Big Little Lies actress had little makeup on with her hair down and a hoodie on that read Oscars 2021.
The siren – who won an Oscar for her turn in Walk The Line – was outdoor and pointing to her top. ‘It’s #Oscars Sunday! Who’s tuning in tonight?’ the Legally Blonde beauty wrote in her caption.
Later, she shared behind the scenes images as she got the full glam treatment ahead of the live telecast.
All hands on deck: Later, Reese shared behind the scenes images as she got the full glam treatment ahead of the live telecast
All good! Her Big Little Lies costar Laura Dern, who will also present at the Oscars, was seen getting a COVID-19 test while in the comfort of her home. All guest were asked to stay away from crowded places like gyms for 10 days before the show. While at the show they will be tested again with temperature checks
Her Big Little Lies costar Laura Dern, who will also present at the Oscars, was seen getting a COVID-19 test while in the comfort of her home.
All guest were asked to stay away from crowded places like gyms for 10 days before the show. While at the show they will be tested again with temperature checks.
The Wild At Heart star was on the patio as she held a cotton swab.
Glenn Close posted an image of her feet getting some tender loving care.
The nail expert worked on her feet, including a massage for the beloved Fatal Attraction actress.
Cheers! Glenn Close was in a gray robe as she held up a drink while her hair and makeup was getting done inside a hotel room
Healing hands: Close posted an image of her feet getting some tender loving care. The nail expert worked on her feet, including a massage for the beloved Fatal Attraction actress
Set to go! Presenter Marlee Matlin, who won an Oscar for her work in 1987’s drama Children Of A Lesser God, shared an image of her hoodie and cap that was stamped Oscars 2021. All that could be seen of the actress, 55, were her nicely manicured hands and large diamond wedding rings. She was holding what appeared to be an invitation
Sparkly: Later, Marlee showed off her three tickets to the Oscars after getting dressed up in a sequin studded off-the-shoulder black gown
Dressed in a black top and mask with worn in jeans, she was far from ready for the big night.
Presenter Marlee Matlin, who won an Oscar for her work in 1987’s drama Children Of A Lesser God, shared an image of her hoodie and cap that was stamped Oscars 2021.
All that could be seen of the actress, 55, were her nicely manicured hands and large diamond wedding rings. She was holding what appeared to be an invitation.
Actor Janie Foxx, who won a best actor Oscar for the 2004 biopic Ray, posted to Instagram that he is keeping his fingers crossed for a win for Disney/Pixar animated feature Soul
Meanwhile actress nominee Amanda Seyfried shared a funny photo of a spoof award
Actor Janie Foxx, who won a best actor Oscar for the 2004 biopic Ray, posted to Instagram that he is keeping his fingers crossed for a win for Disney/Pixar animated feature Soul.
Meanwhile actress nominee Amanda Seyfried shared a funny photo of a spoof award.
Regina King, who won an Oscar last year for If Beale Street Could Talk, posed in a gorgeous blue gown for a photo posed to the official Vogue Instagram.
Ready to go: Regina King, who won an Oscar last year for If Beale Street Could Talk, posed in a gorgeous blue gown for a photo posed to the official Vogue Instagram
Wow: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm star and nominee Maria Bakalova posed in a jaw-dropping slashed-to-the-navel white Louis Vuitton gown with diamonds on the bodice
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm star and nominee Maria Bakalova posed in a jaw-dropping slashed-to-the-navel white gown with diamonds on the bodice.
The 24-year-old shared with Vanity Fair that the Louis Vuitton creation featured ‘layer after layer after layer’ of tulle, adding: ‘It’s modern, but it’s timeless. And it’s magical. It’s princessy and it’s still romantic.’
Lights, camera, action: Giuliana Rancic, a host for E!, was seen on getting dolled up before she hit the red carpet for rehearsals
The A team at work: The star was in a beige and black floral top as she credited Emma Willis and Ashley Sarah on her team
A behind the scenes look at a very unusual carpet: And here the reality TV star wore a green sweater as she checked out the carpet before the stars arrived
Giuliana Rancic, a host for E!, was seen on getting dolled up before she hit the red carpet for rehearsals. The star was in a beige and black floral top as she credited Emma Willis and Ashley Sarah on her team.
Zanna, a correspondent for E! News, also shared several images from behind-the-scenes of her do-over for the Oscars.
The perky blonde was seen in her bathroom as she had her hair done into a floppy and fun updo.
‘It takes a village,’ she said as she added her glam team members for the red carpet look such as Traci Garrett for hair.
Le look: Zanna, a correspondent for E! News, also shared several images from behind-the-scenes of her do-over for the Oscars
So much to juggle: The perky blonde was seen in her bathroom as she had her hair done into a floppy and fun updo
Village people: ‘It takes a village,’ she said as she added her glam team members for the red carpet look such as Traci Garrett for hair
The look: Preparations continue for the 93rd Oscars at Union Station in Los Angeles
This year, the series will adapt to the demands of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic for a socially distanced show that attempts to follow safety recommendations while steering clear of the virtual format other award shows have adopted.
To underscore the changes due to the pandemic, there will be no host, no audience, nor face masks for nominees attending the ceremony at Los Angeles’ Union Station — this year’s hub for a show usually broadcast from the Dolby Theatre – though they will have to mask up when not on stage. And there will be COVID-19 testing as well as temperature checks.
And guests – Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon and Zendaya have been secured – are not able to bring guests.
There will only be about 170 attendees in all, which is far less than the 3,000 that normally attended the Oscars pre pandemic.
Covid-19 precautions: The Oscars are adapting to the coronavirus pandemic by having only 170 attendees at LA’s Union Station this year, while Zoom appearances are banned; Union Station seen being prepared for the ceremony on Friday
In contrast with the largely virtual Golden Globes, Zoom boxes have been closed out — though numerous international hubs and satellite feeds will connect nominees unable to travel.
Due to the pandemic, the audience will be significantly capped at the venues, with only 170 attendees allowed inside Union Station, according to the Los Angeles Times.
That’s compared to the usual 3,000 people that the Dolby Theatre can accommodate.
‘As soon as you open the door beyond nominees, their plus-one and the presenters, you can’t control it,’ said filmmaker and first-time Oscars producer Steven Soderbergh at a press conference last week.
What a difference: The Dolby Theatre, where the Academy Awards are normally held, can accommodate up to 3,000 people; Brad Pitt seen in February 2020
Taking it seriously: Steven Soderbergh and other Oscars producers told attendees in a letter that the show is being treated ‘as an active movie set’ with ‘an on-site Covid safety team with PCR testing capacity’; seen in 2019 in NYC
‘And so that was not even a question for us. Like, this is how it has to be done. [Disney executive] Bob Iger won’t be there. That is just where we are at, and that is how we are being allowed to do it this way.’
In order to keep things moving smoothly, the show will have a bevy of rapid Covid-19 testing and temperature checks on site.
‘We are treating the event as an active movie set, with specially designed testing cadences to ensure up-to-the-minute results, including an on-site Covid safety team with PCR testing capability,’ the Oscar producers wrote in a letter to nominees last month.
In order to cut down on risks, attendees have been asked to skip going to crowded places like gyms or restaurants for the 10 days prior to the ceremony.
It doesn’t hurt that California now has the lowest coronavirus case rates in the continental United States.
Blessing: It doesn’t hurt that California now has the lowest coronavirus case rates in the continental United States
‘This industry was at the forefront of creating protocols to get people back to work safely,’ he continued. ‘I’m in the middle of shooting my second film during COVID. We know how to approach situations like this. It’s incredibly labor intensive. It’s incredibly complex logistically, and it’s expensive.
‘There is no universe in which we are going to ever put anybody at risk. And so we are hoping to combine safety with a show that feels like a glimpse of what is going to be possible when most people are vaccinated and, you know, rapid, accurate, cheap testing is the norm. So COVID is going to be there because it’s everywhere, but we want to put it in its place and then sort of move forward,’ he explained.