Leonardo DiCaprio’s K-pop light stick, Timothée Chalamet’s classy reaction and other moments you didn’t see

Inside the Dolby Theatre on Oscars night, the energy always hits a little differently. Like every year on Hollywood’s biggest night, some of the best moments happen when the cameras aren’t rolling.

I was lucky enough to once again be inside the room with the stars, and I have to admit, there’s just always a little extra magic in the air when you’re actually there.

There were joyful standing ovations, hallway catch-ups and at least one moment involving Leonardo DiCaprio enthusiastically waving a K-pop light stick that would’ve been instantly meme-worthy if it had been shown in the broadcast. Between commercial breaks, celebrities slip out to the lobby bar, catch up with friends and react to the night’s biggest surprises in real time.

When deciding what behind-the-scenes scoop to share, I realized I already had a pretty good road map: the texts and questions I was getting all night from friends and family watching from home.

So let me take you inside.

How did Timothée Chalamet take the Oscars loss?

The best actor race was a nail-biter between Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme) and Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), and you could feel the tension in the room as Adrien Brody walked onstage to present. People were quite literally on the edge of their seats. “I’m so anxious,” one person next to me said. “And I have nothing to do with either film!”

When Jordan’s name was called, fellow nominee Leonardo DiCaprio was one of the first to jump to his feet, sparking a standing ovation that felt like one of the most joyful reactions of the night. Chalamet wasn’t far behind. He and girlfriend Kylie Jenner clapped and cheered as Jordan soaked in the moment. After the speech wrapped, Chalamet stood once more, applauding his peer and giving him a few approving nods.

During the commercial break that followed, Jenner leaned over to say something to her boyfriend as they clearly processed the moment. Sitting just behind them, Elle Fanning — who starred opposite Chalamet in last year’s Bob Dylan film A Complete Unknown — joined the conversation, leaning forward to chat with the pair. Chalamet was smiling, tapping his legs together and taking it all in stride, not outwardly letting any disappointment dampen his night.

He and Jenner later headed to the Vanity Fair afterparty, where the PDA was turned all the way up — not exactly a surprise given how locked in they seemed all evening. Unlike many stars who bounced between the theater and the lobby bar, the couple stayed in their seats most of the night, engaged with the show and each other, just like last year.

Is Hollywood as obsessed with Michael B. Jordan as everyone else?

Yes.

If you couldn’t tell from the raucous applause, the love for Jordan was impossible to miss inside the room. It’s something that’s been building all awards season. He’s what people in the industry call an “actor’s actor,” and practically everyone seems to have a story about how well he treats the cast and crew.

When Jordan returned to the theater after taking home the trophy, he shared a particularly sweet moment with DiCaprio, who looked genuinely proud, and Benicio del Toro. Jordan could hardly get to his seat without peers rushing up to congratulate him.

One interesting thing I overheard multiple people discussing in the lobby: Many felt the narrative shouldn’t be about Chalamet losing the race, but about Jordan’s win — especially given the complexity of his performance playing twin brothers. It wasn’t just one conversation, either. That sentiment seemed to pop up again and again throughout the room.

Any great Leonardo DiCaprio moments?

My personal favorite came during the live performance of “Golden.” Singers Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami from KPop Demon Hunters brought the house down, and Leo seemed to be having a great time. Most guests had light-up wristbands taped to their chairs ahead of the number — a hint that something big was coming.

During the commercial break just before the performance, staffers handed out light sticks to the A-list crowd on the floor.

I had Teyana Taylor and DiCaprio directly in my line of sight — and Taylor, as was her vibe all night, was absolutely living for the moment. The energy was clearly infectious for her One Battle After Another costar. DiCaprio was fully committed, waving his light stick in the air and keeping time with the beat of the song.

It had instant meme potential. I wish I could post the video, but I’d also like to be invited back for an 11th Oscars next year — so we’ll respect the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rules on that one.

What stars did you see at the bar?

No one really wants a camera in their face for four hours straight, so during commercial breaks, celebrities often slip out for a quick refreshment and bathroom break. And if there’s one star you can almost always count on spotting there, it’s Emma Stone.

Stone and her husband, Dave McCary, made a couple of appearances throughout the night, at one point holding court with Alicia Silverstone. During one break, Stone walked into the lobby bar with Chalamet’s sister. Stone also spent time chatting with Kate Hudson, who spent the first commercial break — adorably — catching up with her parents, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.

For a brief moment it seemed like Hudson might be worried about missing something important inside the theater, but after checking with one of the staffers who knows the run of show, she breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, I’m good!” she said, happily returning to hang with her parents.

Nicole Kidman also stopped by — and it must be said, she looked absolutely stunning in person. I spotted Stellan Skarsgård grabbing a drink after his category as well. He didn’t seem to have any hard feelings after losing best supporting actor to Sean Penn, and appeared to be in a celebratory mood all night.

Another familiar face making the rounds was Jacob Elordi, whose date for the evening was his mom. He was spotted talking for a while with his Frankenstein costar Mia Goth.

The group I was most tempted to insert myself into — but resisted — was Paul Mescal, Gracie Abrams and Shaboozey. Mescal and Abrams were holding hands and looked very cute, while the trio spent several minutes chatting and catching up before heading back inside.

Was the room into Conan O’Brien?

Very much so.

Leading up to the Oscars, Conan O’Brien said hosting the ceremony means walking “a very thin line” when asked whether he’d address politics or what’s happening in the world. From the reaction inside the room, it seemed like he navigated the tightrope just right.

From the opening Weapons-inspired segment — which had Jessie Buckley cracking up — the comedian had the audience fully engaged. There were plenty of cheers throughout the monologue, and honestly, I didn’t hear a single jeer.

The joke that seemed to get the biggest reaction in the room: “It’s the first time since 2012 there are no British actors nominated for best actor or best actress.” He then added, delivering the punchline in a mock British accent: “A British spokesperson said: ‘Yeah, but at least we arrest our pedophiles.’”

Who was the funny voice popping in from London?

That would be comedian Matt Berry — and his preshow announcement set the funny tone for the night.

About five minutes before the ceremony began, Berry’s booming voice played over the speakers to welcome nominees and lay out the “rules.” Broadcasting “live from a studio in London,” he jokingly apologized that he wouldn’t be able to “make love or hell-raise with any of you after the show,” before noting O’Brien would soon take over.

Berry congratulated the room — with a caveat.

“Tonight is your night,” he said, before adding: “Well, that is for one out of every five nominees.”

He then ran through the house rules: Turn off phones (“You’re not driving or pretending to watch your children”), sit back and act like you’re having a great time (“You work in Hollywood — your whole life is a lie”) and, most importantly, keep acceptance speeches short.

His best advice? Save the emotional oversharing for later “when you’ve trapped Emma Stone in the drinks line and she’s too polite to tell you to f*** off.”

Do you get served food at the Oscars?

Not exactly — but this year’s host made sure no one went completely hungry.

O’Brien left a small surprise under guests’ seats before the show began. Each box came with a note addressed to nominees, plus-ones and even the seat fillers.

“I hope you enjoy this Conan O’Brien ‘Moderately Happy Meal,’” the note read alongside a sketch of the comedian. “These snacks may not look like much but in any movie theater they would run you $85. Good luck tonight, have fun, and remember that loud, enthusiastic laughter is good for your health and my ego.”

Inside the box: a bottle of water, a small bag of popcorn and candy — mine had Mike and Ikes.

If you wanted something slightly more substantial, trail mix was available in the lobby bars, where many guests slipped out during commercial breaks. But a full dinner service? That’s not part of the Oscars experience.