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CNN Live Event/Special
And the Winner Is... Aired 1-2a ET
Aired February 29, 2016 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:26] BRIE LARSON, BEST ACTRESS, "ROOM": And also really curious about what this life holds. To have no expectation but to have an idea about a beautiful horizon that's in front of you and constantly moving towards it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 22, 25, and then 16 in the back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello. Over here. Over here. Yes. I'm Tammie from Hong Kong Apple Daily. Congratulations.
LARSON: Thanks.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you have to choose a song to describe how are you feeling now, which song would it be?
LARSON: So easy. "I'm in Love With My Life" by Phases. Easy. I'm in love with my life, done.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Going back to 16 and down to 280.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good evening, my darling. Back here on your right. Hi.
LARSON: Oh, hey.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, girl.
LARSON: Hey, sparkle purple.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey.
LARSON: Tell me about it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right, girl. I will. Congratulations on your award. I'm Carla Renata from UBNRadio.com. And I'm just interested to know, when you finally do have children or if you do have children, do you think your experience in filming "Room" will color that experience for you?
LARSON: Probably. I don't have kids. But I do have a little taste of an understanding of how complicated it is to be a parent. I think there's a lot of unknowns when it comes to parenting, and the idea of jumping into that world. And I personally have problems with trying to be perfect and being devastated when I realize every day that that's not a possibility. And I think that that comes with parenting as well. So I think understanding that it's a symbiotic relationship. Jacob -- I learned more from him than he ever did from me. There's so much wisdom in a child and there is so much ease to the way that he is.
That I'm really excited for whenever that journey comes. I'm not sure what it means fully to be a parent. I only experienced a small taste of it. But I am excited about it. Children are just magical, full of wisdom, incredible little people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're coming down here to 280, then back to 124.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Brie. Down up front.
LARSON: Down up front.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Other side.
LARSON: There you are.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. Can you give an example in your career of a time where you feel like you really learned to stand up for yourself?
LARSON: I mean, many times. In particular there were many times that I would go into auditions and casting directors would say, it's really great. Really love what you're doing, but we'd love for you to come back in a jean mini skirt and high heels. And those were always moments of a real fork in the road because I had no -- there's no reason for me to show up in a jean mini skirt and heels other than the fact that you want to create some fantasy, and you want to have this moment.
But you can reject. That's the craziest part. And so for me, I personally always rejected that moment. I tried maybe once and it always made me feel terrible because they were asking me to wear a jean mini skirt and heels to be sexy, but a jean mini skirt and heels does not make me feel sexy. It makes me feel uncomfortable. So learning for me what it took to feel confident and strong and take what these people were trying to get to exude out of me, come from a personal place, from my place, and trying to represent in film women that I know, women that I understand, complicated women, women that are inside of me, that became my mission.
And every time I was put in front of an opportunity where I had to decide in those moments, do I or do I not wear a jean mini skirt, they became huge moments for me of confidence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right. To 124. And then I need to wrap it up with number one right here in the front.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Brie. Congratulations. I'm here.
LARSON: Hello. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Great job in the film. I loved it. I just
wanted to ask a question with "Spotlight" winning Best Picture, one of the really devastating scenes in "Room" was involving the media. And I read that that was an important scene. And I just wondered if you could expand on that and say kind of how you feel about that.
LARSON: Oh, about the media?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
LARSON: To a bunch of media people?
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well --
LARSON: OK. Ballsy. Yes. It's an important thing to me because boundaries are really difficult to create for yourself, and especially if you're not somebody like my character I'm playing in "Room" who's not seasoned in boundaries and isn't aware, like a lot of us in the industry if we watched that scene in the movie, we can kind of see the train coming, and we know, this is going to be too much, she's not ready for this.
[01:05:10] But for her, there's no one there that's on the inside that's explaining to her that she has strength and boundaries, and that this is not a proper way of going about this next phase in her life. So I think from the journalist's point of view, always remembering that we are human beings, we are sensitive, loving human beings that deeply at the core of ourselves are worried that we are unlovable.
And I think if we could constantly keep that in our heads, especially when we're interviewing, and try instead to get into the soul of a person and not just worry so much about maybe an earpiece that's in your ear that's, you know, your boss telling you that you have to ask something 30 times. I understand that you're trying to keep your job. But at the same time, we are people. And I think if we can get back to the humanity of this, and respect boundaries, we're going to go a long way and we're going to get real truth instead of performances for TV.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we'll end it here with number one.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right here, Brie. Tanya Hardy, URN.com. Congratulations. What a wonderful run you've had this awards season.
LARSON: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, you won an Oscar for playing Ma. Unfortunately, many people have been in that situation. What does your Oscar win say for all of the victims out there who have been victimized?
LARSON: You know, I don't know. I don't necessarily think an Oscar win changes anything for those women. I do hope that, though, in the core of it, when we want to talk about being -- feeling trapped, and that can be trapped in a way that's a metaphor or a physical representation of that, if you want to talk about abuse, the many different ways that we as humans can be abused or feel confined, I hope that this is a story that honestly changes people and allows them to be free.
To me, making this movie was my own search for freedom and breaking free of my own personal boundaries. And I hope that when people this they realize that they have it in themselves to break free of whatever it is that's holding them back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. Congratulations. All right.
LARSON: Thank you.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Brie Larson. I like her. Don't you? She's --
ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: I do.
LEMON: Yes.
SESAY: She's an incredibly talented actress who's been around for a very long time and it's great to see her in the spotlight.
Let me ask you, guys, Alicia and Angela, what you made of her speech. Because she said a lot of powerful things there.
ALICIA MALONE, FILM CORRESPONDENT, FANDANGO: She's so great. I mean, as you said, she's been working for such a long time. But beyond her acting talent, she is someone who is very eloquent and very strong and very self aware as well. I love what she just said about having to go to auditions and wearing the miniskirts and heels because that's what they thought was sexy, but it's not what made her feel sexy. So she discovered her power.
LEMON: We're going to get to our Stephanie Elam. Stephanie is at the Governor's Ball. And she has Alejandro Inarritu?
SESAY: Inarritu.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We did a flash, I remember. It's Alejandro Inarritu.
LEMON: Inarritu.
ELAM: Because I learned from the man himself last year.
Congratulations.
ALEJANDRO INARRITU, BEST DIRECTOR, "THE REVENANT": Thank you.
ELAM: First time in 66 years a director has won back-to-back. You've gotten special.
INARRITU: Well, I'm so honored and still in shock, I have to say. I don't know how I feel. This is -- I wish I have the words to describe how I feel, but I don't.
ELAM: So last year, you took us out of our minds in "Birdman." This year you took us out into the wilderness. Where are we going to go next year?
INARRITU: I will be in my bed sleeping for one month.
(LAUGHTER)
ELAM: Is this too much of a grind?
INARRITU: Yes.
ELAM: It is? Well, congratulations.
INARRITU: Thank you.
ELAM: Show us your Oscar. You got to hold it up.
INARRITU: Here it is.
ELAM: And isn't it nice that Leo won with one of your movies?
INARRITU: My god. I'm very happy for him. He deserved it so badly, so I'm very happy. He did an amazing job.
ELAM: Fantastic. Well, have a great night.
INARRITU: Thank you, I will.
ELAM: Good to see you again.
INARRITU: Thank you very much.
ELAM: All right. Take care.
It must be nice when you're just, you know, directing great movies that people want to see year after year, right?
SESAY: Totally.
LEMON: Yes.
SESAY: I mean --
LEMON: But that was a really tough movie to make. We were talking about the budget, the shooting on scene. I mean, that was a long slog for them.
SESAY: It was an incredibly hard movie to shoot. We know that it went over budget. We know that -- we know that for Leo himself and Angela, Alicia, I don't know what you read about it, but Leo says there were many moments times, he felt near death in terms of just the water being so cold, just the temperatures, the conditions.
MALONE: Yes. A really tough movie. I remember I did the press junket for this film and to Domhnall Gleeson, I was like, well, it was worth it because it was a great movie. He says, easy for you to say. It was hell. So it sounds like it was a really, really tough shoot. But amazing that he won back-to-back Oscars.
LEMON: I think the "Spotlight" producers may be as surprised as many people are about their win because --
SESAY: Exactly.
LEMON: Yes. It was supposed to be "The Revenant," which we're talking about now. But let's listen now to "Spotlight" -- producers of "Spotlight."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I don't know if anyone watches this show, but if they do, I hope so, I hope that you as journalists in here and throughout the world will help resonate our message all the way to the Vatican.
[01:10:06] And maybe we can have some real change at this point. That's what we hope to accomplish. That's what this was really about for all of us, is to talk about this film and what happened. And because these things are still happening. The story of "Spotlight" has really just begun.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To 228 and then 118.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Genie Wolf, congratulations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have talked so much, and it's very important, the message, the mission of this film. What you won for was getting that message across in the most artistic way. What was it -- the filming, artistic, you know, challenges, of making this film? And you knew that audiences had to respond to it to make the message clear.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think that Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer wrote a really, really beautiful screenplay that was in conjunction with talking to -- it was kind of their own investigation into what happened. And I think that Tom did a really great job of directing the movie in a way that was very subtle and oddly entertaining. You know, there was a thriller aspect to the way the story unfolded. And I think that it's a real testament to Tom's direction and their screenplay.
The way that they developed the story. Because, you know, the log line of the story is not very commercial. You're not in this room. And I think that they did a really great job. And I think the performances of the ensemble cast was so subtle, and the actors were so generous, that it really allowed the story to come through in a way that it's actually difficult.
I think I always like to say Tom hit a very small bull's eye because I think if you're off by a little bit, you're off by a lot. And it was really beautifully executed from a script point of view, an execution point of view, and the actors really were amazing. So.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To 118 and then 123.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. (INAUDIBLE) with Reuters. Congratulations on your win. Just want to know a little bit about why you wanted to take this film to Open Road and how they supported you with it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want to do it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, Open Road and Participant Media in particular have been great champions of film and creating a different option for filmmakers. I personally hadn't worked very much with Open Road. Just a little bit before. And they're extraordinary partners. And Steve and I have done many movies with Participant who are also really courageous with the chances they'll take on making films. They make great films. So that partnership seems like a terrific one for us. And they were involved from the jump. So we're really excited that we brought this home for them, too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to 123 and then --
LEMON: Yes. Those are the folks who made the picture "Spotlight," right? The producers of "Spotlight." A movie that was surprising. I think it was surprising. It was like maybe you're saying number -- the third one down to win.
MALONE: Yes.
LEMON: And then it actually won.
MALONE: It's really confusing the way that they vote for Best Picture.
LEMON: Yes.
MALONE: The preferential system so it comes down to points. You get ranked on certain number of points. You put number one, number two, number three. So "Spotlight" having a lot of like mid-range votes would have pushed it up.
LEMON: Yes.
MALONE: Whereas "The Revenant" was number one or number 10, you know, eight.
LEMON: That's why no one understands the voting.
(LAUGHTER)
SESAY: But it's a remarkable film.
LEMON: Yes.
SESAY: It's not a flashy film. It's a slow burn, but great performances.
LEMON: Do you know what one of the hardest jobs in Hollywood is?
SESAY: Please tell me.
LEMON: It's hosting the ceremony that honors the world's biggest stars. We're going to rate Chris Rock's Oscar performance. That is just ahead.
SESAY: It certainly is. And then you knew he was going to have something to say about it. And, boy, he did. Chris Rock addresses the controversy the Academy didn't want to steal the show.
LEMON: And we want to hear from you. So did Chris Rock's monologue go too far? Let us know. Go to CNN.com/awardsvote. CNN.com/awardsvote, and we're going to share your opinion right after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:18:14] LEMON: And the winner is --
SESAY: And the winner is --
LEMON: Right now it's Stephanie Elam, isn't it?
SESAY: It certainly is. Our own Stephanie Elam is at the special post-Oscar celebration at the Governor's Ball. She caught up with Alicia Vikander who picked up the award for Best Supporting Actress a short time ago. Let's take a listen to their chat.
ELAM: Thank you, guys. All right. Alicia Vikander is here. She won for "The Danish Girl." How is your night going so far?
ALICIA VIKANDER, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, "THE DANISH GIRL": It's a pretty good night. This looks like an Oscar. It's crazy.
ELAM: It looks like an Oscar because it is, because of your beautiful performance. I just saw you get a hug from Eddie Redmayne. What did he say to you?
VIKANDER: That we were going to meet up at the "Vanity Fair" party and have a dance. So I'm going to take his words.
ELAM: Lovely. OK. So we are live around the world. Do you want to give a little message to your folks back at home?
VIKANDER: Hey, Mama.
(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
ELAM: OK. So what did you say?
VIKANDER: I just said that to my friends and family that I miss them so much and I hope I will go back and see them very soon.
ELAM: And you just said this was a dream you didn't even know you were having, right? That this night was going to happen?
VIKANDER: No, this was like -- this is fiction. I watched this -- I had to wake up at 2:00, 3:00 a.m. with my mom every year to watch this on telly. I mean, it was just like not really real.
ELAM: Yes. It's real --
VIKANDER: But it's cooler than hanging out with my mom.
ELAM: Yes. Well, it was real and you look beautiful. Congratulations and enjoy your night.
VIKANDER: Thank you so much.
ELAM: Enjoy.
She is just so beautiful and so sweet. She's just really excited, not even believing that this is happening.
SESAY: Thanks, Stephanie.
LEMON: I didn't know what she said, but it sounded good.
(LAUGHTER)
SESAY: She is very, very sweet. That comes across.
LEMON: Yes.
SESAY: And it's worth saying about Alicia Vikander, you know, she picked it up this win for "The Danish Girl," but she had an amazing in 2015 in terms of output. "Ex Machina," "The Man from UNCLE," and this movie, I mean, it's so, so well-deserved.
[01:20:06] MALONE: Incredible for -- like, incredible year. And I don't think she deserved to be in the Best Supporting Actress category. I think she should have been lead.
ANGELA JOHNSON, ACTOR/COMEDIAN: That's right.
SESAY: Yes.
JOHNSON: Because she was the lead of that movie.
LEMON: Why is that, Angela?
JOHNSON: She was so strong in this film. Her performance. She was so graceful, the character, the role that she was playing. She had so much grace and forgiveness and selflessness. I think about, like, when my husband leaves dishes in the sink, and I'm immediately annoyed, you know what I mean? I'm like, are you kidding me? Your shoes are right there. And then she helped her husband transition into a woman. And she's like, yes, I'm going to be your best friend right by your side.
LEMON: But you know what's interesting? This speaks to the culture now because there was -- maybe even a year ago, right, the whole talk would have been about, this is a movie about trans, and no one is really discussing that. It's sort of becoming part of the -- of the norm. And you know, as it should be. It's reality. It's reality.
SESAY: Kamau?
W. KAMAU BELL, HOST, "UNITED SHADES OF AMERICA": Well, yes, and I think the next step of that is transgender people playing themselves in movies.
LEMON: Right.
BELL: You know what I mean? I think that that's what the whole thing about, sort of the Oscars so-white thing have sort of pitted white people and black people being the two ends of the spectrum.
JOHNSON: Right.
BELL: But it's really about representation for people of all colors, disabled people, transpeople, openly gay people. It's not just the black and white conversation.
LEMON: Yes. That's what Alejandro Inarritu said. He was speaking to Stephanie. But let me say real quick. This is what he sent to me, and then I'll give you a quote on the red carpet. He said -- I asked him about this whole controversy. And he said, I think what I have to say is that it's something that's going back, he said. There has to be so much more opportunity not just for African-Americans but for Asians, Latins, Mexicans, Native Americans.
This is something that's a problem. It's a cultural problem. The Academy is at the end of the chain, he says. So he goes, it's got to start way before it gets to the Motion Picture Academy.
SESAY: And putting that in context, it's worth remembering that no Asian or Latina actress has picked up an Oscar nomination.
LEMON: Yes.
SESAY: Oscar win in 50 years.
LEMON: Yes.
JOHNSON: Wow.
SESAY: And again, let's put it in context in terms of how far, you know, the disparity is.
LEMON: Yes. Why don't we hear from our guests in the audience? Right?
SESAY: Yes.
LEMON: Let's hear from the audience now. Before the break, we asked you to grab your smartphone and to vote in our poll. The question is, did Chris Rock's monologue go too far? And here are the results. All right. Let's see. What are the results?
SESAY: Let's see.
LEMON: There they are.
SESAY: Interesting. It's not that far between the sides. I mean I think there are enough people who did not like it, who thought he went too far.
LEMON: Yes. I mean, it's -- what did you think? What is this, 60 percent say no? What do you think? I don't think he went too far.
JOHNSON: No.
BELL: No. Nobody was crying.
LEMON: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
BELL: I mean, I feel like I was the person that's like, keep going. Skip the first few awards. Go through the commercial break. Keep talking. They come back, you're still talking. Oh, my god, I have gotten too much. I just wanted him to keep going.
LEMON: Yes. But when he finished, I'm like, is that it? I wanted more, right? But as it turns out, he had been speaking for a long time. But some things, you know, I don't know, some people think that shouldn't be said on mainstream television. I think it was fantastic. I would like to hear it over and over and over again. I don't know about you.
JOHNSON: It has to be said. You have, where else are we going to have this conversation? You're not going to have it at home with your other white friends. You have to have somebody telling you what we need to talk about.
BELL: You have to have your famous funniest black friend Chris Rock to talk.
JOHNSON: That's what I'm saying.
SESAY: And I think, you know, the thing was, was anyone surprised? I mean, for someone to say he went too far, it's Chris Rock.
LEMON: Right.
SESAY: I mean, the expectation is that he's going to go far. And if anyone's going to take a stand, it was going to be Chris Rock on a night like this.
LEMON: I mean, let's be honest.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Let's listen to Chris Rock before we can talk. BELL: Yes, please.
LEMON: Let's listen to it. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS ROCK, HOST, 88TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARD: Were you upset when you heard there were no black nominees this year?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually -- I mean, I wasn't surprised. But it kind of bothered me a little bit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was terrible.
ROCK: I mean, like real bad? Like smack a white man bad?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Almost. You still go to jail in L.A. for smacking a white man.
ROCK: Oh, please, you can get three years for a hard look.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're right about that.
ROCK: Did you think about rioting and looting?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. We did that already, and I didn't get nothing the first time.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. I guess these guys liked it. I thought it was --
BELL: That black woman won the night, when she -- when he listed the movies and he was like -- she was like, are you making these up? I never heard of any of these movies.
LEMON: When he said the Angelina Jolie movie, she said, that was her favorite movie, not even they thought that.
SESAY: "By the Sea."
LEMON: Brad Pitt, "By the Sea." But I thought it was a little late- night TV, kind of not Oscar.
SESAY: Really?
LEMON: Yes. But, you know, that's just -- whatever. I love Chris Rock.
JOHNSON: It did seem like a late-night segment that you would see, the man on the street type of thing. I was a little surprised by it. But I mean, it got laughs, which I think is what it was supposed to get.
LEMON: Do you think the late-night talk show hosts were, you know, black?
SESAY: Yes. I mean, here's the thing that I will say. I think that -- you're saying you're not -- you didn't like it. What I like about --
LEMON: No. I didn't say I didn't like it. I just thought it was a little late-night TV. I was surprised to see it at the Oscars. That's it. But I did like it.
SESAY: I liked it because I felt that he didn't have to do it all in the monologue. They kind of interspersed it through the show.
[01:25:04] So the show ended up to me feeling quite sophisticated in the way they kind of dropped in these moments where he tackled the issue. So it wasn't all -- he was kind of like speaking at you.
JOHNSON: Right.
(CROSSTALK)
BELL: It also gives voice to the people who -- like it sort of says to the Oscars, look, you're not relevant to a lot of people.
MALONE: Yes. That's what I thought.
BELL: You're relevant to the people in the room, but not relevant to America as a whole. I think that's an important --
MALONE: Not everyone watched "Spotlight," not everyone knew what "Bridge of Spies" was.
BELL: No.
MALONE: So I think it gives a voice to other people.
LEMON: I love --
SESAY: That's really clever.
LEMON: I love the Whoopi moment where --
(LAUGHTER)
MALONE: Yes.
LEMON: Were mopping the floor. I told you, they wasn't going to save your behind.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: It was funny.
JOHNSON: That was clever.
LEMON: Mark Rylance is backstage talking about diversities earlier and he was one of the actors who was nominated and won tonight. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK RYLANCE, BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, "BRIDGE OF SPIES": I think African-American actors are -- are in a stronger position now thanks a lot to what Chris Rock has done tonight and what the activists who have been raising the issue around this award ceremony have said.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SESAY: Mark Rylance there who picked up the award for Best Supporting Actor tonight for his role in "Bridge of Spies." Addressing the issue of diversity. And I think it was good to see not just black people address the issue.
JOHNSON: Yes.
LEMON: I asked everybody. All. I asked every single actor I spoke to.
MALONE: Yes.
LEMON: Just about every actor. About diversity. Some of them danced around it and others went -- you know, went right there.
MALONE: I think they were prepared for it because everyone knew that that was the dominant conversation. I think it's great to have all types of voices speaking about this.
JOHNSON: Absolutely.
MALONE: I liked what George Clooney said before the Oscars. And he also pointed out, you know, it's about including everyone. Hispanic actors, Latino actors, Asian actors, and how it's a problem with Hollywood as a whole.
BELL: Maybe we should just have white people take the year off from movies next year.
(LAUGHTER)
BELL: We can see if that changes things. Just a year off for white people.
SESAY: Yes.
BELL: You got it.
LEMON: But to Chris -- I'm sorry.
SESAY: No, no, go ahead.
LEMON: To Chris Rock's point tonight, I think he said it was -- I think he said it was Cate Blanchett. I'm not sure which actress but he said, you get a great role every year. Leo, you get a great role every year. And listen, we are not hating Leo. He's a great actor. I think he's -- you know, I think he's wonderful, but there are actors who get great opportunities every single year.
SESAY: Yes.
LEMON: Multiple opportunities. And actors of color, that just does not happen. There are no roles there to be nominated. So you can understand, some people say, why are you focusing on race? Well, that is -- listen.
SESAY: Yes.
LEMON: When you have almost every single industry magazine, right, talking about this, this is the "Hollywood Reporter" that I picked up today. "Hollywood Reporter," "Vanity Fair." What's the other -- "Variety." All of them, this is the covers are talking about diversity in Hollywood. And more than half of this is talking about that. So I think it's an issue in Hollywood. And I think that, you know, people should not be wondering, why are you guys talking about race?
SESAY: Yes.
BELL: And let's be real. Like, I mean, those actors, if you're a Native American actor in Hollywood, you only get called up if Adam Sandler is making a Netflix movie.
(LAUGHTER)
JOHNSON: Yes.
BELL: Like -- we sort of still -- we have to remember there's more than just the black and white thing. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some of the auditions that I go on, and I know every single girl in the room because we're all fighting for the one Latina role in this movie. This whole cast of mostly white people, a black guy, and then there's going to be one girl, she's either Asian or Latina. Who's going to win? You know what I mean? And so I know everyone, hey, girl, who's going to get it this time? Me or you?
SESAY: Yes. I mean, again, the Academy isn't the end of the line. There are many more problems about all the way back to casting, films being green lit, what's being sponsored. A lot to talk about.
We're going to take a very quick break now. When we come back, we're going to look at the evening's grand entrances.
LEMON: Yes. There were many. Our fashion experts, well, they've got some of the most memorable highlights from the red carpet.
You're watching "AND THE WINNER IS" on CNN with our live audience.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:30:52] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Rosemary Church. This is new CNN NEWS NOW. Two bombings in Somalia have killed at least 40 people. The first
attack, a suicide bombing, went off near a restaurant. The second near a crowded pharmacy. Both took place in the town of Baldoa (ph), a key site in the African Union fight against al Shabaab militants.
At least 28 people were killed by a pair of suicide bombings in a crowded market in Baghdad on Sunday. There were two separate blasts with one triggered by a motorcycle rigged with explosives. ISIS is claiming responsibility for the attacks, which took place in a predominantly Shiite district.
U.S. Republican presidential contender, Donald Trump, has picked up his first endorsement from a sitting Republican Senator. Jeff Sessions, of Alabama, announced support for Trump during a rally Sunday. This comes as Trump faces controversy for refusing to distance himself from a former leader of the white supremacist group the KKK.
Millions of votes are still being counted in Iran's first major election since its landmark nuclear deal. Early results show the reformist candidates picking up all 30 seats in parliament. Outside the capitol, moderates are making a strong showing. And estimated 33 million took part in voting. A key religious group is also being seated. That group will decide Iran's next supreme leader.
And that's your CNN NEWS NOW. Our CNN Oscar special AND THE WINNER IS continues next.
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DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, we are here. Welcome back to AND THE WINNER IS, our special coverage of the Academy Awards live from Hollywood.
ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. It's not just about who won at the Oscars but also who they wore. Waiting for the big reveals on the red carpet can be just as exciting as watching the awards ceremony itself.
LEMON: Sometimes more.
SESAY: Sometimes more. I have to say, I was there in my pajamas there watching it, waiting.
Let's talk about this year's fashion statements and who managed to stand out among the very stylish crowd.
We're joined by fashion consultant and style editor-at-large for "C" magazine, George Kotsiopoulos.
Hey, George.
LEMON: Hey, George.
(APPLAUSE) GEORGE KOTSIOPOULOS, FASHION CONSULTANT & STYLE EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "C" MAGAZINE: Hello.
Hello, everyone.
LEMON: Best hair on television.
KOTSIOPOULOS: Thank you very much. Thank you.
LEMON: Who won it for you tonight?
KOTSIOPOULOS: OK. I actually think it was a great night for fashion. There were a lot of -- there was a lot of, you know, fun and playfulness as opposed to just being really safe and standard. For me, it wasn't much about Oscar So White as Oscar so boring usually. Everyone is really worried about that obituary photo. If they win that Oscar, they want to make sure they look timeless, which is super boring.
So let's start with Lady Gaga.
SESAY: OK. I liked this one
KOTSIOPOULOS: I think she did a great job of not only playing to the glamour of the Oscars, but then also staying true to herself by wearing a gown that morphed into pants. But it's cool. It looks super cool. This was done custom by Brandon Maxwell. A perfect merger of the film and music industry.
SESAY: Was it appropriate for the Oscars, George? Was it appropriate for --
KOTSIOPOULOS: I think, for her, absolutely. She toned everything else done. Glamorous Marilyn Monroe hair, simple makeup, and it's all one color. You know, it's a little weird. But it's Lady Gaga. And I think it looks cool.
LEMON: What's happening to her lately? No, that's not shade.
(LAUGHTER)
I mean, she is --
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KOTSIOPOULOS: I don't think she'd like that.
LEMON: I don't think she's ever looked better. Remember the black dress?
KOTSIOPOULOS: Yeah. At the Globes.
LEMON: And then at the --
KOTSIOPOULOS: Yeah. She looked phenomenal.
LEMON: -- SAG Awards. Very classy. Is she doing this on purpose?
KOTSIOPOULOS: She must be. You have to morph as an artist. If you keep doing the same thing, people get bored. If she's still going to be wearing meat on her body, you're like, OK. We've seen the meat before. No, it's salami this time.
(LAUGHTER)
[01:35:21] SESAY: George, who else did you like?
KOTSIOPOULOS: Alicia Vikander looked like a princess. She's wearing Louie Vuitton. You know, she's been the fashion darling this whole awards season and really wearing risky looks that are not conventional for the red carpet at all. You know, they're kind of weird for the most part. And the trick is to please -- the trick is to please the fashion crowd. And the audience here. You know, so when you do that, what do you guys think?
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LEMON: I agree with you, George. I think she looks absolutely amazing. And I thought that was kind of risky when you do what she did, the color and the shape of the dress. I thought it was risky. Most people as you say go to the Oscars and they are very like, I want to look old Hollywood.
KOTSIOPOULOS: I wasn't a fan of it.
But let's bring in our viewers at home and our audience who were playing along. We asked you the question, who did you think was the night's best dressed? As you can see, the numbers far and away giving it to Lady Gaga. People really liked that look. So between 56 percent and it keeps going up. But over 50 percent giving it to Lady Gaga.
So, George, you're with the crowd.
KOTSIOPOULOS: Well, thank you very much.
SESAY: You've got an eye there.
LEMON: What do you mean when you said we'll talk about that, the old Hollywood?
KOTSIOPOULOS: Well, I think that -- are we done with my best?
SESAY: No, no, keep going.
KOTSIOPOULOS: Cate Blanchett, I think, is like the queen of the red carpet.
SESAY: Yes, beautiful.
Do you guys agree?
(APPLAUSE) KOTSIOPOULOS: Yeah. I mean, she can do no wrong in my eyes. She
very rarely missteps. She just looks so regal. She's like a queen. And even on television, it was just like she was glowing. It was beautiful. She's just like this sea foam green angel.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: When she got there, George, I wasn't even paying attention. But then you just -- the runway just sort of went -- the red carpet sort of went -- and you knew a movie star had arrived.
KOTSIOPOULOS: And that's what it is, that's really the criteria of these events. If you look like a movie star, you win. You totally win. And I think that's the goal. But sometimes people kind of go a little too conservative. It is the Oscars.
SESAY: So who didn't you like?
KOTSIOPOULOS: Well, it's not that I didn't like it. I'm not one of those people -- I want everyone to look beautiful. I'm not one of those people that is cheering for wardrobe malfunction and things like that. So I just think that, you know, like Reese Witherspoon, for example. Super simple. Yes, she's not there receiving an award or nominated, but just didn't look like -- it looked like there was no effort there. Just -- looks beautiful. Do not get me wrong.
(LAUGHTER)
Absolutely beautiful. But it is just kind of dull.
SESAY: Beautiful color, though.
KOTSIOPOULOS: Everything's beautiful. But it's just like, meh.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: It's a little prommy, right?
KOTSIOPOULOS: We've seen it before. And that's like we haven't seen Cate's dress before or Gaga's dress before. And Tina Fey. Just throw a necklace on. Do something. Give us a hair style. And Tina Fey kind of doing the same look. She has a big necklace on as well. And, again, looks beautiful. Like absolutely beautiful. The body looks great. The makeup.
Right. Am I wrong? She looks beautiful.
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The hair maybe looked a little -- you know, matronly. But she looks great. She looks great.
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LEMON: I do not want to be the focus of Tina Fey's rant.
SESAY: Neither do I.
LEMON: I'm going to say nothing.
KOTSIOPOULOS: And then the other one was Rachel McAdams. Beautiful. I heard a gasp up there. OK.
(LAUGHTER)
So she's got that really, really long train, which you know she's changing. She's not wearing that train. Even like as any stylist knows, you're not going to put someone in a train. Beautiful dress, but just kind of like, plain.
SESAY: Yeah.
KOTSIOPOULOS: There was nothing that was like, wow, except for that train.
SESAY: That slit was pretty high.
KOTSIOPOULOS: It's hot. But how annoying to have that train all night. But looks fantastic. I'm not saying she looks bad. It's just, you know, it's just -- come on. It's the Oscars. You want your breath taken away. And that was not breathtaking.
LEMON: My breath was taken away by -- what's her name? Tall, red --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Who?
KOTSIOPOULOS: Charlize.
LEMON: Oh, my gosh.
SESAY: Exactly. Exactly.
LEMON: Gorgeous. Gorgeous.
KOTSIOPOULOS: Beautiful necklace. It was great. It was great.
But then there was one more that I didn't think looked too great actually. Can we talk about that one?
[01:40:05] SESAY: Throw it in super quick.
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KOTSIOPOULOS: OK. OK. Who did you guys think did not look good?
(LAUGHTER)
SESAY: Why are you putting everyone else on the spot?
LEMON: OK. Is that where were you going?
KOTSIOPOULOS: You didn't hear it from me.
(LAUGHTER)
SESAY: All right.
LEMON: You didn't hear it from me.
KOTSIOPOULOS: You know, again, it was like she's gorgeous. It was just too much. And I want a lot, but not everything. She had the sleeve. The flower. I mean, you know, if I was just there and I would have ripped the sleeve off and ripped the flower off, she would have been best dressed.
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LEMON: How about George Kotsiopoulos, everyone?
SESAY: George Kotsiopoulos, everybody.
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KOTSIOPOULOS: Thank you very much.
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LEMON: Wonderful.
Thank you, George.
We'll be right back. Don't go anywhere. Live from Hollywood.
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LEMON: I love this. I want a studio audience in New York. I'm so jealous.
SESAY: All right, baby. I'll get you a studio audience, OK? But till then -- you'll be fine.
But until then, let's check in with Stephanie Elam who is there at the governor's ball, one of the many post parties. She caught up with one of the producers of best picture "Spotlight." Let's take a listen.
[01:45:19] STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are here with Blye Faust, who has won for "Spotlight."
How is the night for you? BLYE FAUST, PRODUCER: It's extraordinary. It's so gratifying to so
many people involved in this, the journalists, the survivors, our entire team. It's really a culmination of a very long, very satisfying special journey.
ELAM: And it's not the kind of project that is an easy one to turn into a film that people want to go see, when it hits so close to the heart for so many people. How do you even begin to tackle something like that?
FAUST: You know, I think we saw from the get-go that this story had extraordinary, extraordinary potential. It was such an important one that had to be told. And it was difficult. Along the way, it took us seven years to get here. And, you know, we got a lot of nos. But here we are. We assembled an incredible team. And we stuck with it. And we told it the way that we wanted to tell it and with the team that we wanted to do it. So we are thrilled.
ELAM: And with a phenomenal cast.
FAUST: Unbelievable.
ELAM: You had such great, strong people to portray these characters.
FAUST: Yeah.
ELAM: That must have been a huge part, finding the right people to do that.
FAUST: And Mark Ruffalo was the first one to sign on. And once he signed on, everybody else, you know, followed shortly thereafter. He is such a talent magnet. And we are so lucky to have him and Michael and Rachel and everybody else.
ELAM: Best picture win. Of course, as journalists, we appreciate your work.
Thank you very much. Enjoy your night.
FAUST: Thank you very much.
ELAM: Looking fantastic. You know, as a journalist, we are a little biased, right?
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SESAY: Yes, Stephanie. We are.
Thank you for that.
LEMON: The governor's ball, the place to be, and Stephanie is there.
SESAY: She is.
LEMON: I love the conversation.
SESAY: All the big names, all the big stars.
Again, we keep talking about "Spotlight" being such a surprise because "The Revenant" was nominated for 12. Only came away with two. And "Spotlight," it's such a tough watch in some ways. Just didn't see this one coming. I didn't. Did you?
ALICIA MALONE, CORRESPONDENT, FANDANGO: Well, I think earlier on in the awards season, everyone was saying "Spotlight" is going to win. But then as it kept losing all the awards, people were saying, no, it could "The Revenant."
LEMON: And "Spotlight" is about, you know, abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, starting in Boston back in the early 2000s. But it was really about around the country, right?
SESAY: Yeah. And you guys -- and the world.
LEMON: And around the world.
SESAY: And how these dogged journalists when the "Boston Globe" caught whiff of it and they dug and dug until they uncovered the story. It's about many themes, right, Kamau?
W. KAMAU BELL, COMEDIAN: I enjoy it, and I think all of those people did a great job. Again, I just feel like a lot of times that the Oscars is like your friend when you ask them what movies they like, they always say the important movies. Meanwhile, we sit down and watch "Rocky 2" when it's on television.
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It's a great film, but there's room to reconceive what a great film is. Ruffalo, I hope he plays me in the movie about my life.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: We have the same hair.
SESAY: I love that.
LEMON: Up next, we'll ask our panel for their favorite moments from the Oscars.
SESAY: And time for another question. Did you enjoy this year's Oscar ceremony? Go to CNN/awardsvote. Do let us know. Do stay with us.
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[01:52:49] LEMON: We are back.
SESAY: We are.
LEMON: We are back.
SESAY: We are back, and we are still in Hollywood. And the Oscars were filled with plenty of jokes and quirky moments.
Here to talk about their favorite moments, let's go back to our panel, Alicia Malone, W. Kamau Bell, and Angela Johnson.
Let's start with you, Alicia. What was your favorite?
MALONE: Brie Larson winning for "Room." Great actress. And heartbreaking in that performance.
LEMON: W. Kamau Bell, what's your favorite moment.
BELL: Chris Rock coming out to a Public Enemy song, and the Oscars ending on a Public Enemy song.
(LAUGHTER)
That was very cool.
ANGELA JOHNSON, ACTRESS/COMEDIAN: I liked Louie C.K. Keep real with the documentary category that they are going to go home with their Honda Civic.
(LAUGHTER)
I enjoyed that. I thought it was cool that Justin Timberlake sang Sam Smith's song for him. That was nice.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: I loved when Chris Rock said, I love father figures. He was talking about George Michael. Nobody got that.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: My favorite moment was very uncomfortable and people hated it, but I loved Stacey Dash. Because let me tell you, I thought that was an actress playing Stacey Dash. I was in the room, and I was like, damn, that's Stacey Dash.
(LAUGHTER)
It was just --
(CROSSTALK)
It was uncomfortably hilarious. BELL: Where is she now? Can we check in with her?
LEMON: Wrong, but right.
BELL: Can we check in with her? Can we talk to her?
SESAY: Yeah, let's bring in our viewers at home.
We wanted to know what was your most awkward moment of the night. Was it Stacey Dash turning up or the kids? Or W.C. Check it out.
Overwhelmingly, that was the moment that made people want to dig a hole and hide --
(LAUGHTER)
-- because it was a lot.
BELL: You have to find Stacey Dash. If you're with Stacey Dash, tweet us.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: I have to say this. Don't you think it made her famous? I didn't think she was that famous. I think it made her famouser.
SESAY: Famouser?
LEMON: I don't know if that's a word. It made her famous. This was her moment. But she's going to capitalize on this. She's already written a blog post.
BELL: "Clueless 2"?
LEMON: I think she's more famous now.
SESAY: You think she's more famous. I think my favorite moment was seeing Jacob Tremblay and the young ones, do best documentary shorts. They were very, very cute.
[01:55:14] LEMON: Yeah, they were cute. That was when Chris Rock --
(CROSSTALK)
SESAY: I'm a sucker for it. It was good.
LEMON: This is how uncomfortable it was, OK?
(LAUGHTER)
After one really like, you know, joke where Chris Rock went in, this lady -- this older lady leaned over and said, I'm so glad you're enjoying this.
(LAUGHTER)
She said, because that would be really bad. I said, yes, ma'am. But I'm also enjoying your outfit.
(LAUGHTER)
She was very nice. She was very nice.
SESAY: That's it, guys.
LEMON: Thanks, guys, so much.
SESAY: Thank you so much. You guys were brilliant.
And our studio audience, you were brilliant as well.
LEMON: Yes, thank you.
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LEMON: That is a wrap for our Oscars special.
Again, thanks to our brilliant panel for their insights and our studio audience.
I'm Don Lemon.
SESAY: And I'm Isha Sesay. CNN NEWSROOM is next.
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LEMON: Good night, everybody, from Hollywood.
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