Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm Chapter 640 - 637: Oscar Award

March 25, 2007 – Evening

The 79th Academy Awards were held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.

The host for the evening was actress Ellen DeGeneres.

(GodOfReader: I just searched her na then Diddy pop-up. HAHAHA!)

This openly gay woman was also a self-professed fangirl of Martin.

No surprise there—after all, Martin was a staunch supporter of both LGBTQ rights and won's rights.

That combination hit all the right notes for Ellen.

"If Martin were a woman, I'd totally pursue him!" she once joked.

Before the ceremony began, the two chatted warmly.

Martin admired Ellen as well.

Back in 1997, she had famously co out on her sitcom Ellen—declaring her sexuality to millions across North Arica.

That bold move didn't tank the ratings. In fact, they went up. But Disney abruptly canceled the show anyway.

At the ti, a magazine described her as "too gay."

Ellen later admitted that coming out had terrified her. She cried even during rehearsals. "I didn't want the world to know," she confessed, "but I knew I had to be honest."

After her show was canceled, Ellen was out of work for three years. No one returned her calls—until she had the idea to write a script for an HBO special.

Then, in 2003, The Ellen DeGeneres Show premiered. It was a massive success.

During their conversation, Martin shared many avant-garde ideas (lifted from his other mories), which deeply impressed Ellen.

She invited him to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Martin didn't commit outright, only saying, "If the opportunity arises, I'll do it."

By the way—her wife, Portia de Rossi, is stunning.

Together, they were one of Hollywood's most iconic and loving couples.

At exactly 8:30 p.m., the Oscars began.

Martin and Leonardo were seated with the team behind The Departed.

Martin Scorsese, who was currently directing Movies (with Martin starring), had flown back just in ti. [Damn, i forgot the na of the movie. pls reply in this paragraph the correct na and i'll edit it out]

Though it couldn't match the buzz of reality shows like Arican Idol or The Voice, the Oscars remained one of the most-watched broadcasts in North Arica.

Even though ratings had declined in recent years, the Oscars still drew an average of 30 million viewers, peaking at 40 million during key segnts.

It was a spectacle—and an advertising juggernaut.

Why did Hollywood studios invest so much in PR for nominations and awards?

Because an Oscar nod or win could imdiately boost a movie's box office—and later, its DVD and VHS sales.

At the end of the day, it was all about profit.

The Departed, funded by yers Films, was no exception. The studio aid to cash in big on post-Oscar tape sales, and Martin lobbied hard for Leonardo—not just out of friendship, but for business reasons too.

At the sa ti, yers Films pushed for Best Picture, while supporting Martin Scorsese's campaign for Best Director.

As for the results?

Just look at Martin's confident expression.

"The nominees for Best Editing are:

The Departed — Thelma Schoonmaker

Babel — Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrione

Blood Diamond — Steven Rosenblum

Children of n — Alfonso Cuarón and Alex Rodríguez

United 93 — Clare Douglas, Richard Pearson, and Christopher Rouse"

"The winner is..."

Kate Winslet smiled as she read from the card:"The Departed — Thelma Schoonmaker!"

Fifteen minutes later ca the next category.

"The nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay are:

The Departed — Martin yers, adapted from Infernal Affairs by Alan Mak and Felix Chong

Borat — Sacha Baron Cohen, Peter Baynham, Anthony Hines, Dan Mazer, and Todd Phillips

Children of n — Alfonso Cuarón, Timothy J. Sexton, David Arata, Mark Fergus, and Hawk Ostby, adapted from the novel by P.D. Jas

Little Children — Todd Field and Tom Perrotta, adapted from Perrotta's novel

127 Hours — Martin yers, adapted from Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston"

"The winner is..."

"Martin yers, 127 Hours!"

Applause erupted.

Will Smith even let out a loud whistle.

Ten minutes later, Leonardo started to fidget.

The Best Actor category was coming up.

"The nominees for Best Actor are:

Forest Whitaker — The Last King of Scotland

Leonardo DiCaprio — The Departed

Ryan Gosling — Half Nelson

Peter O'Toole — Venus

Will Smith — The Pursuit of Happyness

"The winner is..."

Reese Witherspoon opened the envelope and blinked in surprise. Her eyes flicked toward The Departed.

Leonardo's heart stopped.

"Leonardo DiCaprio — The Departed!"

His frozen heart suddenly burst into motion.

Blood surged through his veins as his face flushed red. He jumped from his seat. If Martin hadn't nudged him, he might've forgotten to hug the team.

Bounding up the steps, Leonardo grabbed the statuette, trembling.

He stared at the golden figure in disbelief, unable to speak for a mont.

The audience applauded wildly.

It wasn't clear if they were congratulating him—or urging him to speak.