GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
The day the Oscars was stolen by a slap
LOS ANGELES — We were shocked and we were saddened by what happened.
We were backstage and most members of the press could not believe what just happened when Will Smith went up onstage to slap Chris Rock.
The expletive that was said... twice! The moment of celebration robbed from the awardees. The standing ovation that was given to Smith by the Oscar audience after the slap, after the emotional speech, after the win. Then photos of him partying after.
It was like a movie scene that you wanted to forget.
As we go to press, Smith has already resigned from the Academy. The Academy will still meet on April 18 to decide what to do with him.
Has Hollywood really changed?
We will never probably stop talking about this for a long time. There are no winners here. Everybody loses.
We were ready to celebrate with Filipino actor Perry Dizon whose film, "Drive My Car" won Best International Feature. We interviewed director Ryusuke Hamaguchi backstage who was very proud of Dizon and his multilingual cast.
We were ready to toast Filipino-American singer H.E.R. who looked radiant in neon green when she presented and represented.
We were ready to do a shout-out to Fil-Am actress-singer Vanessa Hudgens who did so well as a co-host for the Oscars Red Carpet pre-show.
We were happy for "Encanto" which won Best Animated Feature. We knew that Mikee Sevilla and other Filipino animators worked on it.
And, of course, there was Fil-Am actor-educator Rodney To who was chosen from several educators to represent education and be an Oscar trophy presenter that night!
Instead, all these reasons to celebrate were dampened by The Slap!
We asked Rodney to share with us his thoughts on the incident as he was there onstage when all of this was happening.
What are your thoughts on the Will Smith-Chris Rock incident?
By sheer coincidence, I was there when "the slap" occurred. I was standing (stage right) in the wings holding two Oscars in my hands, waiting for the Best Documentary Feature winner to be announced. I was standing there with the assistant stage manager and another presenter watching Chris present. And then, KAPOW!
I remember the stage manager and I looking at each other in utter disbelief. We knew it was not a joke or staged. We were there the whole week rehearsing, so we knew when something went off-script.
The incident was incredibly shocking, disappointing, and unnerving. So much has been said from all fronts; from celebs to journalists to normal, everyday people.
I believe both men are genuinely good people. But along with celebrity and being in a position of power—like Will Smith is—comes an incredible amount of responsibility.
Yes, they are human beings and we all make human mistakes. However, juggernauts like the Pinkett-Smiths have enormous, global influence and the messaging that the incident puts forth is something people in these positions must always be conscious of at every given moment.
Is that asking a heck of a lot? Absolutely. But we are not dealing with "regular" people here, whether we like it or not. Will Smith is an icon, a living legend and someone people always have their eyes on. So this behavior is just incredibly dangerous on a larger scale than he (or Jada) probably would like.
Side note: My very first TV job ever was on The Chris Rock Show back in the late 90s. One of his writers saw me in a play in New York and asked me to audition for a sketch on the show. I got it. I remember Chris being hysterical and the experience was a lot of fun.
So at the Oscars, I wanted to thank him and I was going to walk off with him after the award was handed out and thank him then. Ummm, needless to say it wasn't a good time to chitchat. I'll have to thank him another time. Or Chris somehow ends up reading this, THANKS!
Do you think the Academy should have done something?
Yes. I can't help but think that if any "regular" audience member rushed the stage and assaulted anyone—celebrity or not—I presume security would do something. As we all know, no one did. Not a single soul.
That's how much power Will Smith has. He stunned a theater full of Hollywood juggernauts (and even security) into inertia! I don't believe it was just shock. I believe everyone was thinking, "Oh gosh. Who's going to do anything?! It's Will Smith!"
Will Smith already apologized to Chris Rock and the Academy. Do you think that was enough?
I think Will's (eventual) apology was very important. Should it have been immediate? I believe so. But also, I do believe it was genuine. Should more have been done? I'm going to leave this answer to the Academy and trust that enough conscientious, smart and powerful people are tending to every detail and will make the proper decision regarding any outcome.
More than that, if Will's behavior was any symptom of personal distress, I hope he gets the help he needs and that he and Chris and their families are genuinely able to move through this gracefully.
Did you get text messages after the incident?
When I checked my phone after walking off stage with Chris and the gentlemen of "Summer of Soul," I had more than 100 texts. Thank God I have an unlimited data plan.
Any other memorable events for you while you were there?
So, so, so many. Almost exactly one year prior, Tiffany Haddish and I were in Vancouver shooting Jo Koy's movie Easter Sunday and we took a pic together after a night of sitting tableside singing musical theater. The night before the Oscars, we got to take an almost identical pic together (backstage) at the Oscars. That was awesome.
But so many memories made the whole week special: from chatting with H.E.R about being Filipino, to chatting with Anthony Hopkins about his cat, to effusing to Jamie Lee Curtis about her work in "Everything Everywhere All at Once," to seeing old theater friends from my New York days (Qui Nguyen (Raya) and his wife Abby Marcus, David Korins (Oscars set designer), Toré Livia (steady cam operator), etc. It all became sort of pinch me experience.
But I would say the most profound moment I witnessed first-hand was backstage, the moment before Serena and Venus Williams were able to go on to start the telecast. Serena grabbed Venus' hands and said, "Can you believe we are here?! Who would've thought this would happen?!"
They were genuinely excited, giddy and nervous. But more than that, I saw that they absolutely are the best of friends as well as closest of sisters. After all they've accomplished in their historic careers, to see them still so close and reliant on each other made my heart melt.
Being a massive tennis fan myself, I was already a huge fan of the Williams Sisters. But witnessing this moment made me appreciate them on a whole other level. They are two of the greatest humans I've ever been in the presence of.
—MGP, GMA News
