One thing viewers miss while watching the Academy Awards on television? Each winner being escorted backstage following their victory speech to talk to a room full of journalists. Credit it to adrenaline, relief, elation or a cocktail of all three, but some of HuffPost's favorite things said at the Oscars were actually said backstage.
This year, press members were reprimanded four times for continuing to ask questions in a foreign language (and there’s no alcohol back there, so there's really no excuse for breaking the rules). The biggest ovation of the night was for Matthew McConaughey, who won Best Actor for “Dallas Buyers Club." Maybe that's because the press knew he was bound to reveal things, such as this nugget: He's not a dad or even daddy; McConaughey's kids call him “Popeye.”
It turns out that reporters' favorite thing to do is to introduce themselves and then declare, "I met you at [blank] and said you were going to win an Oscar." Those statements didn't elicit such compelling answers, but herewith are the 24 best things said backstage at the 86th Annual Academy Awards.
Lupita Nyong’o, Best Supporting Actress for "12 Years a Slave"
![lupita]()
1. “It’s my first time here and I feel like Willy Wonka in the chocolate factory.”
2. “It’s just not real until you hear Christoph Waltz say your name. And it’s perplexing. But I’m so happy to be holding this golden man.”
3. “What I’ve learned from myself is that I don’t have to be anybody else. Myself is good enough."
4. “At the end of the day, I feel it is my deeds that are more important than my fame."
Matthew McConaughey, Best Actor for "Dallas Buyers Club"
![matthew mcconaughey]()
5. On "True Detective": “I made the thing, read the script, read it upside down and I don’t know what the hell happens.”
6. "McConnasiance. Somebody said it in Sundance. I was like wait, go back, what did you say? I don’t know what that is, but it sounds good."
7. "I didn’t say it on stage, but in 1992, I was one week into filming “Dazed and Confused.” My father moved on six days into working on that job. He got to be alive for me to be doing the one thing that turned out to be my career. He came to my mind tonight."
Brad Pitt, Oscar-winning producer and co-star of "12 Years a Slave"
![brad pitt]()
8. “I had to clean up dog poop today. In my bedroom.”
9. “Steve’s my date. But yes, my better, otherworldly half is here, too. We are all going to go out and just enjoy the time. We are going to just be together and love each other up.”
10. “At the end of the day we hope that this film remains a gentle reminder that we are all equal. We all want dignity. Another’s freedom is every bit as important as our own.”
Cate Blanchett, Best Actress for "Blue Jasmine"
![cate blanchett]()
11. On the “Julia-hashtag-suck it” comment: “It happened in the bar with Ms. Roberts. And that’s all I am prepared to say.”
12. “I’ll probably get into my pajamas or go dancing. But it’s quite easy to dance in your pajamas, so maybe I’ll do that.”
13. “I called the children. My youngest has stopped vomiting, so that’s good.”
Jared Leto, Best Supporting Actor for "Dallas Buyers Club"
![jared leto]()
14. Offering his Oscar around the room: “Does anybody want to try it out for size? Pass it around. But if you have swine flu, please don’t touch.”
15. "You look down and you see Leo and Meryl. At one point I found myself talking right at De Niro -- as if the room wasn’t intimidating enough. So I just looked back over at my mom.”
16. “I’m going to be celebrating till the break of dawn. Trust me. Look me in the eyes. I live just a mile away, if anybody wants to come hang out later.”
Steve McQueen, director and Oscar-winning producer of "12 Years a Slave"
![steve mcqueen]()
17. "The background characters are now in the foreground. They are being recognized. People are ready for this narrative. People want to look at their history, embrace it, accept it, and more forward. If we never know our past we will never know our future.”
18. ”It’s one of those moments in life. It might not ever happen again. Emotions take over. So Van Halen! Jump!”
Spike Jonze, Best Original Screenplay for "Her"
![spike jonze]()
19. “I think anything and everything is going to happen. I think at this point in history, we are 13 billion years into this universe and there’s many more billion years after this.”
20. “I don’t think I could have written a screenplay when I was younger. It took me a long time to learn how to write. I learned a lot from Dave Eggers and Maurice Sendak. But now I feel like I’m ready to actually write what’s in my heart.”
21. To the journalists: “Did you guys have a good night tonight? Are you okay? You guys look like you’re hard at work.”
John Ridley, Best Adapted Screenplay for "12 Years a Slave"
![john ridley]()
22. “I am very proud, I am very humble and I’m very hopeful for the future. There are so many people out there of different faiths and orientations with stories to tell.”
23. “Before I started this project, I didn’t know Solomon’s name.”
24.“I would love to write on the beach in Hawaii. But I mostly write in the car, in the parking lot at my kids’ school.
For the full list of winners, click here.
This year, press members were reprimanded four times for continuing to ask questions in a foreign language (and there’s no alcohol back there, so there's really no excuse for breaking the rules). The biggest ovation of the night was for Matthew McConaughey, who won Best Actor for “Dallas Buyers Club." Maybe that's because the press knew he was bound to reveal things, such as this nugget: He's not a dad or even daddy; McConaughey's kids call him “Popeye.”
It turns out that reporters' favorite thing to do is to introduce themselves and then declare, "I met you at [blank] and said you were going to win an Oscar." Those statements didn't elicit such compelling answers, but herewith are the 24 best things said backstage at the 86th Annual Academy Awards.
Lupita Nyong’o, Best Supporting Actress for "12 Years a Slave"
1. “It’s my first time here and I feel like Willy Wonka in the chocolate factory.”
2. “It’s just not real until you hear Christoph Waltz say your name. And it’s perplexing. But I’m so happy to be holding this golden man.”
3. “What I’ve learned from myself is that I don’t have to be anybody else. Myself is good enough."
4. “At the end of the day, I feel it is my deeds that are more important than my fame."
Matthew McConaughey, Best Actor for "Dallas Buyers Club"
5. On "True Detective": “I made the thing, read the script, read it upside down and I don’t know what the hell happens.”
6. "McConnasiance. Somebody said it in Sundance. I was like wait, go back, what did you say? I don’t know what that is, but it sounds good."
7. "I didn’t say it on stage, but in 1992, I was one week into filming “Dazed and Confused.” My father moved on six days into working on that job. He got to be alive for me to be doing the one thing that turned out to be my career. He came to my mind tonight."
Brad Pitt, Oscar-winning producer and co-star of "12 Years a Slave"
8. “I had to clean up dog poop today. In my bedroom.”
9. “Steve’s my date. But yes, my better, otherworldly half is here, too. We are all going to go out and just enjoy the time. We are going to just be together and love each other up.”
10. “At the end of the day we hope that this film remains a gentle reminder that we are all equal. We all want dignity. Another’s freedom is every bit as important as our own.”
Cate Blanchett, Best Actress for "Blue Jasmine"
11. On the “Julia-hashtag-suck it” comment: “It happened in the bar with Ms. Roberts. And that’s all I am prepared to say.”
12. “I’ll probably get into my pajamas or go dancing. But it’s quite easy to dance in your pajamas, so maybe I’ll do that.”
13. “I called the children. My youngest has stopped vomiting, so that’s good.”
Jared Leto, Best Supporting Actor for "Dallas Buyers Club"
14. Offering his Oscar around the room: “Does anybody want to try it out for size? Pass it around. But if you have swine flu, please don’t touch.”
15. "You look down and you see Leo and Meryl. At one point I found myself talking right at De Niro -- as if the room wasn’t intimidating enough. So I just looked back over at my mom.”
16. “I’m going to be celebrating till the break of dawn. Trust me. Look me in the eyes. I live just a mile away, if anybody wants to come hang out later.”
Steve McQueen, director and Oscar-winning producer of "12 Years a Slave"
17. "The background characters are now in the foreground. They are being recognized. People are ready for this narrative. People want to look at their history, embrace it, accept it, and more forward. If we never know our past we will never know our future.”
18. ”It’s one of those moments in life. It might not ever happen again. Emotions take over. So Van Halen! Jump!”
Spike Jonze, Best Original Screenplay for "Her"
19. “I think anything and everything is going to happen. I think at this point in history, we are 13 billion years into this universe and there’s many more billion years after this.”
20. “I don’t think I could have written a screenplay when I was younger. It took me a long time to learn how to write. I learned a lot from Dave Eggers and Maurice Sendak. But now I feel like I’m ready to actually write what’s in my heart.”
21. To the journalists: “Did you guys have a good night tonight? Are you okay? You guys look like you’re hard at work.”
John Ridley, Best Adapted Screenplay for "12 Years a Slave"
22. “I am very proud, I am very humble and I’m very hopeful for the future. There are so many people out there of different faiths and orientations with stories to tell.”
23. “Before I started this project, I didn’t know Solomon’s name.”
24.“I would love to write on the beach in Hawaii. But I mostly write in the car, in the parking lot at my kids’ school.
For the full list of winners, click here.