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In Oppenheimer Robert Downey Jr. gave arguably his most intense performance. As Lewis Strauss, the government bureaucrat who destroys the career of J. Robert Oppenheimer (and maybe the future), he’s arrogance and entitlement personified, and the last hour is basically a prolonged panic attack. But when Downey won the Best Supporting Oscar, as predicted, at this year’s Academy Awards, he was back to his charming and self-deprecating self.

Downey’s speech kicked off in high gear. “I’d like to thank my terrible childhood, and the Academy. In that order,” he said.

He then thanked his “veterinarian, I mean wife,” namely Susan Downey. Why did he call her a veterinarian? There’s a reason. “She found me, a snarling rescue pet, and loved me back to life. That’s why I’m here.”

Downey then acknowledged something big about Oppenheimer. “Here’s my little secret: I needed this job more than it needed me. Chris [Nolan, director] knew it.”

He also made sure to include another big person in his life: “I’m going to thank my stylist, in case no one else does.”

And Downey thanked one of the most loyal people in his life: Tom Hansen, his entertainment lawyer of 40 years — “half of which he spent trying to get me insured and bailing me out of the hoosegow. Thanks, bro!”

It was a simultaneously charming and humbled speech, not afraid to reference the dark days of his career. He’d already delivered an awards speech where he read bad reviews, but this one was even more entertaining and, quietly, moving.

This year’s Oscars ceremony began an hour earlier, so hopefully, we’ll see the final winner announced an hour earlier, too? We shall see. At least John Cena has brought some naked levity to the evening.

As well, we’re seeing Jimmy Kimmel as the evening’s host again. This almost appears to be a regular gig for him after hosting the ceremonies in 2017, 2018, and 2023. Why so frequently? Well as The Hollywood Reporter wrote in late 2018, this is “the least wanted job in Hollywood,” and that’s for a reason.

Since the rise of social media, Oscar hosts have faced increasing scrutiny upon being announced and after the show actually begins. Does anyone remember when James Franco and Anne Hathaway were panned for their awkward chemistry back in 2011? That was only the beginning of the end for the gig, for which derision appeared to hit its apex in 2018 when Kevin Hart did step down as host following backlash over his past homophobic tweets. Then in 2022, Chris Rock surfaced without much social media criticism, but as everyone remembers, his night as emcee included a pretty fierce smack on the face. In other words, it’s not a carefree gig.

Meanwhile, Kimmel (who is already employed by ABC) appears to be the Oscars host for the foreseeable future, although he fully denies having been made permanent host. Not everyone is thrilled about a repeat host, of course, but again, social media criticism is probably the reason why we’ve got a “safe” host like Kimmel tonight.

Over the last few episodes of Saturday Night Live (SNL), girl power has been running strong (Happy Women’s History Month). Anyone But You star Sydney Sweet made her hosting debut. While Kacey Musgraves and Ariana Grande stepped in as musical guests. But things are heading out of the delicate auro the ladies brought into the realm of ragers.

Yesterday (March 9), the SNL team took to its Instagram page to announce the talent to unveil the next set of stars slated to grace the small screen. On March 30, “Fein” rapper Travis Scott will make his long-await return to the beloved late-night show, but only in the role of featured musical guest. Scott made his SNL performance debut in October 2018 to promote his acclaimed album Astroworld.

When he appears later this month, fans expect a medley of his latest chart-topping album, Utopia’s biggest hits.

Golden Globe Award-winning actor Ramy Youssef will host the evening. The comedian is sure to bring the show’s much-missed refreshing humor. Outside of flexing his onscreen skills, Youssef’s cameo will serve as a promotional boost to his forthcoming HBO comedy special Ramy Youssef: More Feelings.

Youssef’s special, Ramy Youssef: More Feelings, will debut on the network on March 23. Find more information here.

The Houston Rockets have taken strides forward this season in their first year under new head coach Ime Udoka, improving from a 22-win team a year ago to already have 28 wins with a month to play. Along with a new staff and some veteran additions, a big reason for their improvement is the continued growth of third-year center Alperen Sengun.

Sengun is averaging 21.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game this season for Houston, taking on a much more central role in the offense. His leap as a scorer (and the Rockets running more of their offense through him) has created plenty of excitement for the future in Houston as they look to build more around Sengun going forward.

Unfortunately on Sunday evening, Sengun suffered an apparently serious left leg injury when he went to make a chasedown block attempt on Domantas Sabonis in the final minute of a Rockets win over the Kings. Sengun landed awkwardly after going up for the block and immediately grabbed at his leg in pain. He was tended to on the floor and eventually taken off the court in a wheelchair, clearly in tremendous pain.

The NBC Sports California broadcast showed some replays of the injury and you can see his right leg buckle upon landing and twist under him.

It’s been a breakout year for Sengun and he seems to be a core piece of the Rockets for years to come. We’ll have to wait official word on the severity of this injury as it certainly seems like it could cost him a significant amount of time in a highly unfortunate setback for both the Rockets and a budding star in the league.

The 2024 Academy Awards marked a noted anniversary: It was a half century since a streaker crashed the Oscars stage. David Niven was in the midst of presenting one of the night’s awards when a nude man came running behind him. Niven even dreamt up a withering quip about his “shortcomings.” Fifty years later John Cena tried to top him.

Host Jimmy Kimmel brought up the moment while introducing the presenter for the Best Costume award. Who was the presenter? It was John Cena, and he was, of course, in his birthday suit. Alas, unlike the Niven streaker, he was a bit nervous.

“I changed my mind,” he pleaded with Kimmel from behind the set, which obscured most but not all of his nakedness. “I don’t want to do the streaker bit.” He said it didn’t feel right. “The male body is not a joke.”

Kimmel said he thought Cena wrestled in the buff. “I don’t wrestle naked,” Cena said. “I wrestle in jorts.”

So they worked out a compromise: Cena would present the award, naked, his naughty bits blocked by the giant award envelope. Sadly, that meant he couldn’t open the envelope, so while the show cut to a montage of the nominated films, they got him a curtain for a makeshift robe.

Was Cena really naked? He sure was.

The award went to Poor Things, by the way.

The most popular celebrity at the 2024 Oscars isn’t Margot Robbie, or Emma Stone, or Cillian Murphy. It’s Messi the dog from Anatomy of a Fall. He even made a cameo during host Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue, looking like a fancy lil’ gentleman. “Even though he’s a dog, [Messi] may have given the performance of the year in Anatomy of a Fall,” Kimmel said. “He has an overdose scene. I haven’t seen a French actor each vomit like that since Gérard Depardieu.”

This is a good way to raise ratings for the future: invite fewer humans and more dogs.

“All of this attention began at Cannes,” Messi’s trainer Laura Martin told the Hollywood Reporter (Anatomy premiered at Cannes). “There were a few interviews in France, but what we’ve been experiencing here in America — with the attention to this dog and his acting — it’s beyond anything we anticipated. It’s probably the maximum that you can accomplish in this field.” The biggest interaction between human and dog was with “Billie Eilish, who bonded with Messi for almost 10 minutes,” she continued. “They were hugging and petting and they really had a vibe. Then Bradley Cooper bumped into him in the hallway. The dog went right to him, so they also had a connection.”

Anatomy of a Fall, which is up for five Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director, comes to Hulu on March 22.

Better late than never? That’s the spirit of this year’s Oscars ceremony, for which we prepared predictions and analysis as we head into the gold standard of awards season. Beyond the wide array of nominations for Oppenheimer, Poor Things, Barbie (justice for Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig), and Killers of the Flower Moon, there are plenty of musical performances (including Ryan Gosling with “I’m Just Ken”) up for grabs. The real question, however, is this: will it finally be Paul Giamatti’s year?

Let’s get on with this evening, too. We’ll be updating this complete winners list all night as more awards are announced, so make sure to keep checking back. Winners will be marked in bold.

Best Adapted Screenplay
American Fiction
Barbie
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Best Original Screenplay
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Maestro
May December
Past Lives

Best Animated Feature
The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best Animated Short Film
War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko
Letter to a Pig
Ninety-Five Senses
Our Uniform
Pachyderme

Best Supporting Actress
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
America Ferrera, Barbie
Jodie Foster, Nyad

Best Picture
American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Best Director
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest
Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall

Best Actor
Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

Best Actress
Annette Bening, Nyad
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Emma Stone, Poor Things

Best Supporting Actor
Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction
Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

Best Costume Design
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Golda
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Society of the Snow

Best Live-Action Short Film
The After
Invincible
Knight of Fortune
Red, White and Blue
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Best Original Song
“The Fire Inside,” Flamin’ Hot
“I’m Just Ken,” Barbie
“It Never Went Away,” American Symphony
“Wahzhazhe, A Song For My People,” Killers of the Flower Moon
“What Was I Made For?” Barbie

Best Original Score
American Fiction
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Best Documentary
Bobi Wine: The People’s President
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters
To Kill a Tiger
20 Days in Mariupol

Best Documentary Short Subject
The ABCs of Book Banning
The Barber of Little Rock
Island in Between
The Last Repair Shop
Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó

Best International Film
Io Capitano, Italy
Perfect Days, Japan
Society of the Snow, Spain
The Teacher’s Lounge, Germany
The Zone of Interest, United Kingdom

Best Production Design
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Best Film Editing
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Best Production Design
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Best Sound
The Creator
Maestro
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest

Best Visual Effects
The Creator
Godzilla: Minus One
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning, Part One
Napoleon

Best Cinematography
El Conde
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

For over a decade now, Drake and J. Cole have dominated the rap game. Along the way, the pair have formed a close friendship outside of their in-booth competition. Now, the “First Person Shooter” rappers are on the road together as part of their collaborative It’s All A Blur Tour — Big As The What?

Fans and ticketholders alike are excited to see the buddies joining forces. But one concertgoers used Drake and J. Cole’s bromance as inspiration for their outfit. In a now-viral video, one supporter sported a customized t-shirt of the musicians’ faces. But the tee was just a normal top, the fan transposed Drake and J. Cole’s faces onto the promotional image for the 2008 movie, Step Brothers, starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly.

Immediately after spotting the fan and their shirt from the crowd, Drake couldn’t help but laugh at the hiliarous mashup. What makes it even funnier is Drake’s friendship with Ferrell.

In 2013, during an appearance on Chelsea Lately, Drake spoke about his cameo in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, which starred Ferrell. “I reached out to him [Will] because ‘Anchorman’ was a huge part of my life,” he said. “So I asked him if I could do it and him and [director Adam Kay] were phenomenal about it,” he continued. “They let me be part of the scene, I got to improve, I got to interact with [Christina Applegate] and [Will Ferrell].

When also gushed about being a fan of the film’s predecessor. “I used to have this car that would allow you to play DVDs illegally through the front dash,” he said. “It had a little screen where you could play movies. It would allow me to play movies so I would have ‘Anchorman’ on loop in my car. No music, just like ‘Anchorman’ consistently looping over and over and over. So, people would get in my car and you’d be mid-sex panther scene in ‘Anchorman.’”

Benches cleared and a player’s brother was arrested late in the SEC Championship game between No. 1 South Carolina and No. 8 LSU after South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso knocked Flau’Jae Johnson to the ground.

The Gamecocks led by 7 points with 2:08 to go when MiLaysia FulWiley stole the ball and started heading the other way. Johnson grabbed FulWiley’s jersey and then pushed both forearms out at South Carolina’s Amani Bartlett as she passed by.

Cardoso did not like that, and ran in and two-hand-shoved the smaller Johnson, who tumbled quickly to the ground.

Johnson’s brother, who was sitting near courtside, made it on to the court after leaping over the scorer’s table but was intercepted quickly and arrested.

Players ran out from both benches, some to hold back and some to defend their respective teammates, but the coaches were able to get everyone separated relatively quickly and it did not escalate beyond that.

The officials then had to sift through what had happened and who would be ejected. They elected to give Johnson an intentional foul and eject Cardoso for fighting. All of the players that left the bench were also ejected, leaving LSU basically without one.

There was immediate concern that ejected bench players would be suspended for their next game — which is the first round of the NCAA Tournament — but ESPN issued a clarification and said only Cardoso would be suspended.

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley — whose Gamecocks took home the SEC crown, 79-72 — talked to ESPN sideline reporter Brooke’s Weisbrod after the game and brought it up herself to apologize.

“I just want to apologize to the basketball community. When you’re playing in championship games like this in our league, thins get heated,” Staley said. “No bad intentions. Their emotions got so far ahead of them that sometimes these things happen. So I want to apologize for us playing a part in that because that’s not who we are and not what we’re about.”

Weisbrod asked Staley how she’d address it with her team, and Staley said she constantly reiterates that you can’t leave the bench and you have to keep your cool. But she seemed to acknowledge everyone’s human side as well.

“It’s hard when you’re playing,” Staley said. “I’ve played this game a long time and I can’t tell you I was a saint at all times. Your emotions get the better of you.”

Drake’s latest album, For All The Dogs, serves as a witty double entendre. Not only is the body of work dedicated to the “Rich Baby Daddy” rapper’s male companions, but it is also a manifesto to those who had ever been called ‘a dog’ in past romantic relationships. But it looks like there’s a third component to the project.

Yesterday (March 9), a fan revealed that the musician might’ve introduced a dog-like mascot. During Drake’s recent It’s All A Blur Tour — Big As The What? stop, he was joined on stage with a furry figure. Many attendees assumed that the faux wolf was, in fact, a robot. But a concertgoer took to TikTok to reveal that their friend was tasked with dressing up in the costume each night.

The news shocked uusers online, and they quickly chimed in on the reveal under the video.

“You could not pay me to do this for someone. I don’t care who it is,” penned one user.

“Easy money if I just gotta sit there,” wrote one user.

“Wait! That was an actual person,” asked one user.

Drake isn’t the first rapper to introduce a mascot for an album. Early in Kanye West’s career, each album featured his now-infamous Dropout Bear (more commonly referred to by fans as the Graduation-era bear).