Why Leonardo DiCaprio shares his Oscar glory with Chris Rock ???
Yes the night belonged to Leo DiCaprio who finally won an Oscar after like a gazillion years!
But for me the icing on the cake for the 2016 Oscars was also the brilliant Chris Rock.
The first time I met Chris he had me floored literally within 5 seconds of our encounter.
Interviewing him propped up at the bar when we were backstage at the Concert for Diana in Wembley, I began, ‘Chris, can I get you a drink?’
Albeit from the free bar 😉 He shot me this one look and said: ‘No thanks, guuurl. I just got out of rehab!’
I didn’t know if he was joking or not, but whatever. He had me in stitches with his one liners – and that is what he did in epic style at the Oscars 2016 as he attempted to break down the boundaries of cultural diversity with his witty lines.
After calls to boycott the ceremony after the lack of black actors nominated, Chris was actually the star-turn thanks to his rip-roaring opening monologue where he sent up black people, white people, no-one was safe. Though we can safely say he slayed by laying it bare for the world to see.
I’ve got to take my hat off to my main man Leo DiCaprio. I mean, how has this legend not won an Oscar up until now?!
After partying with him over the years when he hit the London circuit, and seeing first hand what a down-to-earth dude he is (who loves to get his groove on to Ol Dirty B***ard, no less 😉 ) this boy who came from the hood and went on to star in mega box office hits like Titanic, and The Revenant, for which he won his long deserved Best Actor Oscar for, is just amazing.
He brought a tear to our eyes as he paid tribute to the number one woman in his life, his mother, when he won his BAFTA earlier this month.
He credited her for driving him 3 hours to school each day, from the LA ghetto, to show him a better life in another neighbourhood – so it was something he could aspire too. Love that! What a superwoman – and for Leo to acknowledge her like that as he held back tears, was just triumphant.
And at the Oscars last night he used his celebrity to raise awareness of climate change – an issue so dear to the environmentalist’s heart.
Ok, so it may not be ‘showbiz’ but he was real.
That’s why it was incredible he got to show that side to himself, after we are so used to seeing the party Leo, surrounded by the world’s hottest women, from Rihanna to more recently Laura Whitmore.
So hats off to this ebony and ivory duo Leonardo and Chris who totally went in harmony at the Oscars 2016. #Boom ???
