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Home , 79th Academy Awards, 81st Academy Awards, Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson

lifestyle SUNDAY, MARCH 2, 2014

Pharrell, U2, Idina Menzel rock Oscar rehearsals

aving the nation’s No 1 song does not exempt an artist from Oscar rehearsals. Pharrell Williams ran through his Hcatchy hit “Happy” more than half a dozen times Friday in preparation for the Oscar telecast. He even shared the spotlight with a spate of stars: Jamie Foxx, and showed up to rehearse while he was on stage. All I care about is the fun,” Williams said to Hudson, who boogied in the audience as he practiced his dance-heavy number. A choir of high-school students and 20 professional dancers accompany his colorful performance. Also rehearsing Friday: Broadway star Idina Menzel, who’s set to sing “Let It Go” from animated film nominee “Frozen”; U2, which is nominated for its song from the Mandela movie, “Ordinary Love”; and rocker Karen O, who is nominated for “The Moon Song” from best-picture nominee “Her.” Menzel was awed by the technology that allowed the Oscar orchestra, playing off- site at the Capitol Records building, to coordinate with her live at the . “Hi, Bill, can you hear me?” she said into the microphone at conductor , whom she could see on a monitor from inside the theater. “I’m trying to get that telepathic vibe with you because I’m alone up here and this is my first time (on the Oscars). “You look very handsome,” she added. Karen O, front woman of the rock band Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, took notes from director Spike Jonze as she practiced her performance, “The Moon Song” from his best-picture nominee, “Her.” “Spike just asked me to hold the mic a little bit lower, so I need a little more level,” she told a sound engineer. Jonze sat in a front-row seat in In this file photo, Pharrell Williams rehearses before the NBA All Star basketball game in . — AP the audience. sneakers. He danced through the audience, pausing to shake chorus of laughter. U2 also wasn’t above rehearsals, running Accompanied by Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig on acoustic hands with show producer Craig Zadan, saying, “Thanks for hav- through their nominated song “Ordinary Love” from “Mandela: guitar, O sang the song again and again, sitting on a corner of ing me.” Long Walk to Freedom” late into the night. — AP This photo shows Tony Award winning the stage in a long floral dress, leather motorcycle jacket and Foxx arrived in the middle of Williams’ rehearsal. He quickly actress, singer and songwriter, Idina killer blue boots. Williams arrived wearing a polka-dot jacket, joined the dancers on stage, much to their amusement, pre- Menzel, in New York. — AP patterned scarf and his trademark hat. He ditched the chapeau tending to stretch alongside them and offering unneeded dra- for rehearsals, emerging onstage in just a T-shirt, jeans and matic direction. “Walk, walk, curiosity! And retreat,” he said to a Oscar host Ellen DeGeneres is ready to dance

even years after her Oscar debut, Ellen I should scare myself and take a chance. So here I am, DeGeneres is back. The 56-year-old TV personal- scaring myself and taking a chance.” Sity talked with The about her plans and preparations for hosting her second AP: Describe the fear element of the job. tonight. DeGeneres: “It’s live around the world, to a billion people watching, and every major person who is in the room that has done every major thing. I mean, I know a lot of them. So, it helps a little bit that I’m friendly with everybody. But it’s still scary. It’s the energy in the room. There’s a lot of really anxious energy and, so, you kind of pick that up. You can feel all that when you walk out. So I’m trying to remain calm.” This image shows (left) as Dr Ryan Stone in “Gravity,” directed by Alfonso Cuaron. — AP AP: How will you be able to resist dancing along with the nominated songs, especially Pharrell Williams’ “Happy”? Cuaron’s DeGeneres: “I know. I will be dancing like crazy, Oscar nod leaves whether he likes it or not. I’m just looking forward to the hat he wears. And I hope that the person (sitting) behind him isn’t mad, because he wears a large hat, Mexico soul searching that Pharrell.” In this Feb 25, 2007 photo, Oscar host Ellen DeGeneres opens he Oscars could be Mexico’s big night, with three film he directed was “Y Tu Mama, Tambien,” in 2001, which the telecast, in . — AP AP: What’s your ultimate goal for Oscar night? Mexicans nominated for directing, cinematography launched the careers of Diego Luna and Gael DeGeneres: “I hope that everyone had fun. I hope Tand acting. Except that some in Mexico aren’t looking Garcia Bernal. AP: What did it take for you to say “yes” again? that it didn’t seem like it’s as long as it’s going to be. at it that way. Despite feeble cries of “Viva Mexico!” by In fact, several Mexican newspapers have reported that DeGeneres: “It took my agent saying, ‘Yes, you This year it’s six hours. Did you know that? Six hours... some politicians and celebrities for the best-director nomi- Cuaron alienated a professor at the prestigious National should do it.’ And I said, ‘OK.’ Look, it’s the greatest gig Here’s what I hope: I hope when I say, ‘Goodnight,’ I nation of Alfonso Cuaron, many here see “Gravity” as a non- Autonomous University of Mexico for making an English- in the world. And it’s also really, really hard. So, I wasn’t hope people go: ‘One more hour! One more hour!’ Mexican movie made by a man swallowed by Hollywood language film in college, and left shortly after without fin- going to do it, because I’ve done it before. And I And they start chanting and make me stay. That’s long ago - not as a product of Mexico’s own proud but ishing. “We have to be very proud that this is a man who thought, ‘I don’t need to do that again.’ And then I what I hope.” — AP struggling film industry. came out of the Mexican education system with Mexican realized I’m too comfortable and too complacent and “To say that ‘Gravity’ is a Mexican achievement is like film professors. He is the son of Mexican cinema. But he has saying that ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ was a Polish one,” said become universal,” said Leon Krauze, a cultural commenta- Mexican filmmaker Arturo Ripstein, referring to director tor and news anchor for the Univision network. If he wins, Roman Polanski’s masterpiece. In a speech at an award cer- Cuaron would not only be the first Mexican, but also the An Oscar statue stands on the emony earlier this week, Ripstein instead urged moviego- first Latin American director to win an Oscar for best direc- red carpet as preparations are ers to defend Mexican films that portray the country’s cul- tor. made for the 86th Academy ture and realities, rather than feeling proud of those who Despite repeated attempts by The Associated Press, Awards in Los Angeles. — AP succeed by leaving the country and working in another Cuaron was not available for an interview. Since his nomi- language. nation, a photo of his college ID as proof of his roots has The same can be said for the two other nominees today. circulated in the Mexican media, though a newspaper pro- Cinematographer has been nominated file later revealed his early departure from university. for six Academy Awards, including now for “Gravity,” but School representatives said they could not disclose details always for non Mexican-themed movies. And Lupita of why his studies ended in the . Nyong’o, Hollywood’s new sensation for her work in “12 After some work in TV and the Mexican 1991 comedy, Years a Slave,’ happened to be born in Mexico City but lived “Love in the Time of Hysteria,” Cuaron moved to Hollywood, there less than a year and grew up in her native Kenya. where his general film debut was “A Little Princess” in 1995, But the Mexican soul-searching centers mainly on for which Lubezki was nominated in cinematography. His Cuaron, who made the lost-in-space odyssey that has been 2006 “,” starring and Julianne applauded as a sci-fi breakthrough because of its extraordi- Moore, was nominated for three Oscars, including writing nary special effects. Before that, he had directed many and film editing for Cuaron and Lubezki for cinematogra- international films, including “The Little Princess,” “Children phy.—AP of Men” and “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.” “Gravity” itself is an example of how global the film industry has become. Much of the “Hollywood” film was made in London, and it won Cuaron this year’s award for best director of a British film. The last Spanish-language Where are those onetime Oscar winners now?

hat’s happened to those onetime Oscar winners who’ve in after her Oscar win, but the parts just weren’t for her. “A lot of remained onetime Oscar winners? In the case of Cuba the scripts didn’t make sense,” she said. “Some of the feelings were WGooding Jr, if you aren’t destined for a return to the as if I had just got into Hollywood off of the Greyhound bus.” Academy Awards stage, you do a Pepsi commercial for the Oscar show. The ad, touting Pepsi’s mini can, celebrates iconic quotes Missing ‘Goodfellas’ from movies like “Titanic,” “Scarface” and “Jerry Maguire.” But the break has given her time to reconnect with her family. “People still ask me to say ‘Show me the money,’” laughs “What I won’t do is get to the end of this journey called life and Gooding, who scooped the best supporting actor win in 1996 for not have anyone there but memories of this business.” Yet she’s “Jerry Maguire.” “You go to a bar and people have a few cocktails also ready to return to work. Besides “Blackbird,” Mo’Nique will also and they’ll say ‘Just say it one time!’” This year, it seemed “Lee appear in the upcoming “We Are Family” and plans to work with Daniels’ the Butler” was going to get Gooding back to the Oscar Lee Daniels again on the story of Hattie McDaniel. ceremony, but the film didn’t make the cut in any category. Is the Joe Pesci won an Oscar for best supporting actor in 1990’s actor upset? “You can’t get caught up in the horse race that is the “Goodfellas.” Playing opposite in 2010’s “Love Ranch” awards season,” said Gooding during a recent interview. was Pesci’s most recent acting gig, but he’ll soon reunite with his But that’s exactly what the actor did after winning in ‘96. “Goodfellas” crew, and , for “The “Immediately after it was that thing, ‘What do I do next?’” said Irishman,” according to his manager, Melissa Prophet. De Niro Gooding. It took eight months before he’d commit to another role chatted about the upcoming project this month, telling The New - in “What Dreams May Come.” “I think the mistake I made then York Post,” “We have been trying to do (the film) for the last few was I was too precious with my art when I should have just been years. That’s something I’m looking forward to very much.” Based jumping back into it,” said Gooding. “When you have people cele- on Charles Brandt’s book “I Heard You Paint Houses,” the story brate you in the way that the Oscars are celebrated, there is a lot of focuses on mafia hitman Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran. pressure to get to that place. Once you get there, there is a lot of won the best supporting actress Oscar in 1969 pressure to prove that you deserve to be there, so you always sec- for “.” She last appeared opposite in In this file photo, Cuba Gooding Jr and wife Sara arrive at In this file photo, Oscar winner Mo’Nique and her husband ond guess yourself. I had to tell myself to get over it and work.” the 2002 comedy “The Banger Sisters.” In 2013, she voiced a car- the , in the Hollywood section of Los Sidney Hicks attend the Governors Ball following the 82nd Gooding has since appeared in more than 30 films. Here are other toon character in an episode of the TV show “,” Angeles. Academy Awards, in the Hollywood section of Los one-time Oscar winners who have yet to repeat: but she has stepped away from the film world now to focus on partner, , by her side, the 68-year-old was honored in Angeles. — AP photos In 2009, Mo’Nique picked up the best supporting actress win The Hawn Foundation, an organization she launched in 2003 December by amFAR for her humanitarian efforts. But no acting jobs for “Precious.” “After I won I looked at my husband and said ‘Daddy, that’s dedicated to social and emotional literacy for children. for the foreseeable future. In 2012, Hawn told BBC radio that she I’m tired,’” said Mo’Nique in a phone interview. After a five-year hia- Hawn, a grandmother of five (from children Kate Hudson and “didn’t like the roles that have come her way since hitting 50. — AP tus, the actress has finally returned to the screen with the indie ), released the book “10 Mindful Minutes” in 2012, film “Blackbird.” She assures that offers for other roles were coming which helps parents educate their children. With her long-time