Backstage at the Oscars

Though none of the nominated films at this year’s Academy Awards scored a sweep, happily almost everyone got a little something to brighten up their mantelpieces. ”Gladiator,” ”Traffic,” and ”Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” split up most of the gold, with Russell Crowe’s Roman epic snagging the lion’s share with five awards.

Even underdogs ”Pollock,” ”Wonder Boys,” and ”Almost Famous” took home one statue each. With so many surprises (and we haven’t even gotten to Björk’s stuffed swan dress), there was plenty of excitement behind the scenes, and EW.com was there to cover it. Keep reading to find out which stars shined brightest, which should have brought a change of clothes, and why this may have been the best Academy Awards show… at least since last year.

THIS IS FOR ALL THE LITTLE PEOPLE The biggest surprise of the night was ”Pollock” star Marcia Gay Harden’s win for Best Supporting Actress (”Almost Famous” ingenue Kate Hudson was considered a shoo in). Though Harden managed to squeeze a lot into her 45 seconds of podium time, backstage the former waitress did admit to one oversight. ”I swore that if I ever won an Oscar that I would say thank you to all the waiters and waitresses who used to cover my shift for me so I could run downtown to audition,” the former New Yorker explained. ”But with 45 seconds, you just can’t give it to the waiters.”

A DIFFERENT KIND OF RED RIBBON Wondering why Best Actor winner Russell Crowe (”Gladiator”) was wearing a medal on his chest? Backstage he explained, ”I’m wearing my grandfather’s MB, which stands for Member of the British Empire. He was awarded this by the Queen of England for his work as a war photographer in WWII. His name was Stanley Weams. He’s not around anymore.” Apparently it brought Crowe more luck than he expected. When he heard his name announced as the winner, he admitted, ”I was sitting there thinking this was a bad taste gag your brain plays on you.” Now if his medal can only ward off kidnappers, he’s golden.

STUCK IN ‘TRAFFIC’ Benicio Del Toro, he of the eternally sleepy eyes, actually had a reason to look pooped after winning his Best Supporting Actor award. Even though he hit the Governor’s Ball after the ceremony, the thought of Monday morning prevented him from letting loose. ”I won and I get to, like, scream and jump a little bit,” Del Toro explained. ”But besides that, I’ve got to go to work tomorrow and get on a plane back to Portland and learn my lines.” So how is he going to celebrate his first Oscar? ”My plans are, like, to tour with [my award] and show it to my dad and say, ‘Hey.”’ Uh, somebody give the guy a script.

WINNER’S REMORSE Another surprise for the night was ”Almost Famous” auteur Cameron Crowe taking home the award for Best Original Screenplay, a win some expected to go to the bigger hit ”Erin Brockovich” or the much admired indie ”You Can Count on Me.” Crowe used his moment on the stage to send his love to his mother and sister, who have been at odds for years (an issue covered in the film). Backstage Crowe hoped his heartfelt tribute might have healed the rift for good. ”I was able to bring them both here and thank them from the stage,” said Crowe. ”And I think the movie, in some wonderful way, brought our family a little more together, which is great.” But Crowe did have one regret. ”When the haze lifts on what it’s like to win an Oscar, you start to think of all the people you could have thanked,” he said. ”And still can thank on Oscar.com.” Hey, if his dotcom speech reads anything like ”Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” we’re all over it.

SHE LOOKS LIKE WHO? Best Makeup award winner Rick Baker (”Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas”) had a backhanded compliment for star Christine Baranski, who played Martha May Whovier in the film. ”She had subtle makeup because she looked like a Who to begin with,” said Baker. Ouch! ”I said to Ron [Howard, the movie’s director], I don’t think she needs an appliance put on her, but he said, I think we should use one, because she might feel bad if everybody has a plastic face and she doesn’t. But we just kind of changed her lip, not her nose.” Gee, whoever said make up improved self esteem?