It's hard to ever get jaded — even for biggest, brightest A-listers — about the Academy Awards. On Saturday, Feb. 23, a who's-who of Hollywood stars converged upon the Dolby Theatre (many of them dressed way down) to rehearse their presentations and performances ahead of Sunday night's Oscars telecast, to be broadcast on ABC at 8:30 p.m. EST.
Among those cracking jokes and marveling at the imminent spectacle, according to the Associated Press: Jessica Chastain, Meryl Streep, Ben Affleck, Reese Witherspoon, Richard Gere, Jennifer Aniston, Octavia Spencer, John Travolta, Nicole Kidman, Jack Nicholson, Halle Berry, Jane Fonda and the reunited cast of Chicago (Gere, Renee Zellweger, Queen Latifah and Catherine Zeta-Jones).
In typical casual gear of jeans, sneakers and a baseball cap, Robert Pattinson's love Kristen Stewart appeared for her presentation — and, the AP reports, appeared to be limping on her right foot from an unexplained recent injury.
Said Argo director Affleck, 40, while checking out the empty seats: "This is like the most memorable aspect of the Oscars . . . You see all these place cards (at rehearsal), then you come back and they're all here!" Best actress nominee Chastain, 33, chuckled at her place card: "Oh, wow. That's a very dramatic picture of me."
Kidman, 45, brought husband Keith Urban and older daughter Sunday Rose, 4, who watched The Hours actress rehearse her segment from the audience. Fellow Best Actress winner Berry, 46, tripped during her rehearsal. "Woohoo!" Berry said, redoing her entrance with a fall. "Made it."
