10 famous stars who didn’t show up for their Oscar win
Woody Allen and Eminem (collage by RBC-Ukraine)
Just days away: On March 15, the Oscars ceremony will take place in Los Angeles. However, throughout its history, some stars have won but never appeared on stage.
Eminem
In 2003, Eminem won an Oscar for the song Lose Yourself from the film 8 Mile. However, the rapper did not attend the ceremony.
It later became clear that he hadn’t expected to win and chose to stay home and get some sleep rather than go to the award presentation.
Eminem (photo: Getty Images)
Michael Caine
Michael Caine won an Oscar in 1987 for Best Supporting Actor for the film Hannah and Her Sisters.
However, he did not attend the ceremony. At the time, the actor was busy filming Jaws: The Revenge, which later proved unsuccessful, but it was his work commitments that made him miss his moment of triumph.
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Michael Caine (photo: Wikipedia)
Paul Newman
Paul Newman had pursued this award for many years. After seven nominations and nearly three decades of waiting, he finally won an Oscar for his role in The Color of Money. Ironically, he did not attend the ceremony that year.
Later, the actor admitted he regretted missing such an important moment.
Paul Newman (still from The Color of Money)
Woody Allen
Woody Allen has long been known for his skeptical attitude toward film awards. The director often stated that art cannot be judged as "better" or "worse," so the Oscar held little significance for him.
Despite numerous nominations and wins, he skipped the ceremony for years. He made an exception only in 2002, to show support for New York after the September 11 attacks.
Woody Allen (photo: Getty Images)
Marlon Brando
One of the most famous Oscar boycotts in history was by Marlon Brando. In 1973, he won the award for Best Actor for The Godfather but did not attend the ceremony.
The actor protested the treatment of Native Americans in the U.S. and Hollywood. Instead, a representative of the Native American community went on stage, a gesture that sparked a huge reaction from the audience.
Marlon Brando (scene from The Godfather)
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick won only one Oscar in his entire career—in 1969, for visual effects for 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Even then, the director did not attend the ceremony. Others accepted the award on his behalf, and his absence was attributed to work commitments and a busy schedule.
Stanley Kubrick (scene from Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Film)
Elizabeth Taylor
In 1967, Elizabeth Taylor won an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
She did not attend the ceremony because of her husband, Richard Burton. He did not want to attend after his own previous losses, and Taylor chose to stay by his side rather than go receive the award separately.
Elizabeth Taylor (still from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?)
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn still holds the record for the most wins in the Best Actress category — she received four Oscars.
The awards were for her roles in Morning Glory, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, The Lion in Winter, and On Golden Pond.
Despite such success, the actress never attended the ceremony, as she did not consider these honors truly important.
Katharine Hepburn (still from Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner)
George C. Scott
George C. Scott openly criticized the very format of the film award. He disliked the idea of competition in the acting profession and even called the ceremony a “two-hour meat parade.”
So when he won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1971 for the film Patton, he did not attend the ceremony. After that, the actor even asked that he no longer be nominated for an Oscar.
George C. Scott (still from Hardcore)
Roman Polanski
In 2003, Roman Polanski won the Oscar for Best Director for the film The Pianist.
However, he could not receive the award in person because he was wanted in the United States at the time over a case involving the sexual assault of 13-year-old Samantha Gailey. For that reason, the director did not attend the ceremony.
Roman Polanski (photo: Wikipedia)
