The 2024 Oscars are here, and Remezcla had the exclusive opportunity to attend rehearsals for the 96th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
This year, there’s plenty to celebrate regarding Latine talent nominated for their work. America Ferrera is vying for her first Oscar win for her supporting role in Barbie. Colman Domingo received his first-ever nomination for the biopic Rustin, making him the first-ever Afro-Latino and first gay Latino to be nominated in the Best Actor category. And then there are Latine nominees for Best Animated Feature Category, Best Picture, and even Best Cinematography.
From what we learned at the 2024 Oscars rehearsal, the beloved awards ceremony is a careful ballet with actors, directors, and a whole production team built on trust and the kind of comfort that only comes from knowing that they’re all in this together.
For example, America Ferrera. She came out with Kate McKinnon, her Barbie co-star, for the rehearsal. Clad in dark colors and heels with a pop of color, both were fresh-faced, smiling, and feeding off of each other’s energy as they went through their lines. And they were so comfortable that when they messed up their line, Ferrera let out a casual “f*ck!” that echoed. Everyone started laughing, from the producers on the ground to the technicians making the rounds. Without missing a beat, Ferrera, McKinnon, and the Oscars production team kept going. “And the Oscar goes to…” McKinnon proceeded before Ferrera interjected quickly with “for this rehearsal only.” More laughter followed.
Lupita N’yongo, an Academy Award winner herself for 12 Years a Slave, was also in attendance at rehearsals. Clad in a cream puffer jacket, a hoodie, sweats, and a beanie, she was effortlessly comfortable with a mix of other presenters on stage. Like with Ferrera, and the rest of the actors or directors in this exclusive, Remezcla was asked not to reveal what category N’yongo was there to present or who she was with on stage. But what we can say is that just like Ferrera and McKinnon, there was ease in the way she held herself, taking direction from the production team like the seasoned pro she is.
Even Steven Spielberg, a Hollywood heavyweight known for classics like Jaws and Jurassic Park, joined in on the comradery when he hit the stage in a look that was the epitome of casual grandpa. Like the other presenters, he aptly listened to the direction of the production team. But when it came to announcing the winner during this rehearsal, because they practiced all the beats during rehearsal, he laughed and didn’t want to say a winner because it was “bad luck.” Even though he’s a heavyweight, the show kept going. Those in the stands watching clapped, and the production team participated in a mock acceptance speech with trophies and all.
Zendaya, who is just coming off her press tour for Dune 2, was also in attendance at rehearsal. Wearing a long green coat with black lapels, jeans, and heels, she was ready to go. Even though she was a little quiet after reportedly losing her voice, she knew her lines and glided across the stage, pulled by the invisible hands of the production team. And when the fake winner was announced, she stepped aside, watched as the winner hugged people on the way to the stage, and listened to the speech given. Because yes, the Oscars even take time to account for those small beats from possible winners on the biggest night of their careers.
One of the biggest surprises of the morning rehearsal was seeing Michael Keaton and Catherine O’Hara take the stage. They famously worked on the original Beetlejuice in 1988 and are back for the sequel alongside Winona Ryder and Jenna Ortega. The jokes between these two were so smooth, really displaying their casual familiarity with the acting business as a whole. They also made everyone burst out into laughter more than any presenter we saw during rehearsal, even after they got turned around with their lines twice. You’ll have to watch to find out why.
Finally, even though we were saddened not to have seen Ryan Gosling rehearse for his on-stage performance of “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie with a reported 65 backup dancers, we were completely entranced by the way that the production team for the 2024 Oscars moved and took care to make this rehearsal as real as possible. Everyone got involved; from taking the stage to accepting fake awards and giving speeches to checking cameras and lights all over the theatre, and moving across the main floor, carefully moving around seating arrangements because everything has to be perfect.
Don’t get me wrong, either. In no way, shape, or form is Hollywood perfect. We’ve got plenty of ways to go when it comes to representation for the Latine community. And if the strikes last summer proved anything, it’s that change is needed to keep this industry vibrant for decades to come. But attending the Oscars rehearsal for the 96th Academy Awards gave us perspective on how dedicated the production crew of this awards ceremony is and how much trust some of our favorite actors have in them and their abilities. This isn’t everyone out for themselves. This rehearsal was a team sport.
So when you watch the 96th Academy Awards broadcast live on March 10, 2024, on ABC, remember that hundreds of hands are behind the scenes, trusted with making sure that this night goes off without a hitch. And just like the winners of the night, their hard work should be celebrated.
