Oscars Recap: ‘Oppenheimer’ Takes 7 Awards, ‘Ken’ Brings Down the House

The 96th Academy Awards aired yesterday, trying something new and beginning an hour earlier, at 7 p.m. EDT. Beginning a bit earlier helped the often hours-long ceremony end at a normal hour—about 10:30 p.m. Here are just some of the many highlights of the evening.

A Star is Born in Da’Vine Joy Randolph

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, 37, won her first Oscar for her breakout role in “The Holdovers.” The nostalgic film, which told the story of Randolph’s Mary, a boarding school cafeteria manager who lost her son in Vietnam, also starred Paul Giamatti and Dominic Sessa. Randolph’s speech brought many a tear to the audience, including Giamatti, who visibly had tears streaming down his cheeks.

“For so long, I’ve always wanted to be different and now I realize I just need to be myself, and I thank you,” Randolph said.

We should be seeing a lot more from Randolph after this big win.

John Cena Goes Nude

Paying homage to the 1974 Oscar streaker, wrestler turned actor John Cena (who had a cameo in “Barbie”) took the stage in the nude, except for a pair of Birkenstocks. Host Jimmy Kimmel later helped him throw on a curtain before he presented the Best Costume Oscar to the costume designer for “Poor Things.”

Kimmel and Cena had a bit of banter during the bit, with Cena saying the male body wasn’t a joke. Kimmel responded, “you wrestle naked!” Cena responded “I wrestle in jorts,” to which Kimmel laughed and said was “worse.”

Robert Downey, Jr. Gets His First Oscar

Robert Downey, Jr. has been working in show business for decades. At 58, he finally got his Oscar for his role in “Oppenheimer” as former Acting U.S. Secretary of Commerce Lewis Strauss.

He began his speech jokingly saying, “I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and the Academy in that order.” He also expressed his love for his wife Susan and three children.

“Barbie” Brought Down the House with “I’m Just Ken”

While the movie only won an Oscar for Best Original Song (making Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas, age 22 and 26, respectively, the youngest winners to get more than one Oscar) for “What Was I Made For?”

Typically, universally popular movies like “Barbie” tend not to fare well at The Oscars. The hours-long ceremony was just starting to get a bit dull until it was finally time for Ryan Gosling to belt out “I’m Just Ken,” another nominated tune for Best Original Song. Gosling, clad in a pink sequined suit complete with matching pink leather gloves, brought down the house, along with a bevy of fellow Kens, including actor Simu Liu, who was also in the movie.

Making a surprise cameo was Slash, guitarist from Guns N’ Roses, and Wolfgang Van Halen, son of Eddie Van Halen.

You can see more of the iconic performance, which had A-listers belting along with Gosling, here.

Emma Stone Has a Relatable Moment

Emma Stone, who won for Best Actress for her role in the sci-fi/comedy film “Poor Things,” had a relatable moment when she took the stage to accept her award. The zipper on the back of her dress broke, but she managed to take it all in stride and accept the Oscar, joking that the dress mishap probably happened during the chaotic “I’m Just Ken” performance.

“Oppenheimer” Wins Big

Predictably, the movie to beat won the most awards of the night. “Oppenheimer,” the biographical war thriller about theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (known as the father of the atomic bomb), won seven trophies, including Best Director for Christopher Nolan and Best Actor for Cillian Murphy.

They did win Best Picture too, albeit after a little anticlimactic announcement from Al Pacino. Pacino, 83, skipped rehashing the other nominees and opened the envelope to say, “My eyes see Oppenheimer!” After the crowd looked confused for a moment, the orchestra started playing and that was that!