From Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo‘s jaw-dropping musical opening to Conan O’Brien‘s side-splitting monologue to Anora‘s resounding wins — we saw the huge moments as they transpired on the 2025 Oscar telecast Sunday. But Gold Derby had reporters roaming inside the Dolby Theater to capture what TV cameras missed.

Before guests could even get to the Dolby, though, they had to endure major security — like nothing we’ve seen before. All vehicles had to go through two separate checkpoints staffed by beefy men in camouflage vests with walkie-talkies and drug-sniffing dogs. “Everyone hold up your credential where we can see it!” one demanded with authority.

More from GoldDerby

Once through that gantlet we scoped out the bar, where The Brutalist director Brady Corbet was holding court, chatting up well-wishers before the show. A-listers weren’t immune to the secruity we spotted several late arrivals, among them Meg Ryan, John Lithgow, Scarlett Johansson, Halle Berry, Mikey Madison, Lily-Rose Depp, Samuel L. Jackson, Gal Gadot, and Robert Downey Jr.

Before taking our seats, a quick scan of the auditorium revealed Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner sharing a tender moment — and a brief kiss. Chalamet was one of the popular draws in the room; several stars stopped by to say hello, including A Complete Unknown costar Edward Norton.

Timothee Chalamet and Kylie Jenner at 2025 Oscars

Aside from Chalamet, there were several other nominees that were popular with fellow stars: notably Grande (seen embracing Elle Fanning, Kieran Culkin, and Monica Barbaro), Erivo (chilling with Oprah Winfrey and Ralph Fiennes), Colman Domingo, and Demi Moore.

The show’s announcer, Nick Offerman, got some stage time ahead of the telecast, doing preshow shtick that including a dig at Kevin Spacey, a quip about how microphones work, and a not-so-gentle reminder to keep acceptances speeches short — only to be played off by the orchestra.

Nick Offerman speaks onstage during the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 02, 2025 in Hollywood, California.

Conan left a bag of snacks and a hand-written note for all the audience members/seat-fillers. The snacks included a soft pretzel and Swedish fish. “I tried my best to include a gummy,” O’Brien scrawled, “but [ABC owner] Disney said that was a ‘hard pass.'”

Conan O’Brien’s note to audience members at 2025 Oscars

Grande and Erivo’s medley of Wizard of Oz-themed songs brought down the house — almost literally. The theater was vibrating following the performance. Chills!

During each commercial break the stars would get up and head to the bar or restrooms, mingle, or take selfies.

There was a Jurassic Park reunion starring Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern.

Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum are seen during the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 02, 2025 in Hollywood, California.

Moore and Andrew Garfield exchanged pleasantries.

Andrew Garfield and Demi Moore attend the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 02, 2025 in Hollywood.

Team Wicked snapped a selfie.

Jon M. Chu, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and others pose during the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 02, 2025 in Hollywood.

So did Selena Gomez and Samuel Jackson.

Samuel L. Jackson and Selena Gomez seen backstage during the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 02, 2025 in Hollywood.

Emilia Pérez pals Gomez and Zoe Saldaña caught in a celebratory embrace after the latter’s win for Best Supporting Actress.

In this handout photo provided by The Academy, Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez are seen backstage during the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 02, 2025 in Hollywood.

Saldaña gets her stautuette engraved.

Zoe Saldana gets her Oscar engraged

Best Actor contenders Chalamet, Domingo, Adrien Brody, Fiennes, and Sebastian Stan pose for photos after Brody’s win.

Timothée Chalamet, Colman Domingo, Adrien Brody, Ralph Fiennes and Sebastian Stan in the audience during the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 02, 2025 in Hollywood.

At the end of the night, Mikey Madison looked shellshocked as she crept into the press room after her surprise Oscar win for Best Actress for Anora. Asked what she was feeling, she replied, “Oh my gosh, for lack of a better word, it’s just incredibly surreal. I never thought something like this could happen in my life. I mean, I love making movies. This is just a huge honor, one that I think will soak in later down the line. I really did not expect this at all.”

Asked what she planned on doing next, Madison remained in the moment. “I really won’t know what will happen in the future,” she said. “I just know that tonight I go home to new puppies, and I’m going to clean up their mess and it’ll bring me right down to earth.”

Best of GoldDerby

Sign up for Gold Derby’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.