Saying the 2023 Oscars was a star-studded event would be the understatement of the year. From iconic appearances like Halle Bailey and Sofia Carson, all eyes were on the red carpet on Sunday, March 12. However, there were a few celebrities that were *shockingly* absent. Keep reading for all of the Academy Award no-shows!
Celebrities who were notably absent included Zendaya, Tom Holland and Avatar: The Way of Water director James Cameron.
Another celebrity who was actually *in* attendance was Lady Gaga, who performed her Oscar-nominated track “Hold My Hand” on the 2023 Academy Awards stage after false reports said she would be ditching the performance. The track was nominated for Best Original Song from the 2023 film Top Gun: Maverick.
While it’s generally expected for all Best Song nominees to perform during the Academy Awards, Oscars director Glenn Weiss originally explained that Lady Gaga was too busy filming Joker: Folie à Deux to prepare a performance for the ceremony, he announced during a press conference on March 8.
“I would love to say, ‘No I can’t confirm,’ but you know what? I’m gonna tell you,” Glenn told reporters. “So here’s where we are: We actually invited all five nominees — we have great relationships with Lady Gaga and her camp — [but] she is in the middle of shooting a movie right now, and here we are honoring the movie industry and what it takes to make a movie.”
“After a bunch of back and forth, it didn’t feel like she can get a performance to the caliber that we’re used to with her, that she’s used to,” he explained. “So she is not going to perform on the show.”
However, the Oscar-winner was definitely present on stage for a surprisingly emotional performance.
Another star we know and love who performed on the Academy Awards stage was Sofia Carson! The Disney Channel alum performed the Oscar-nominated track “Applause,” which was written by 13-time Oscar nominee Diane Warren for the film Tell It Like A Woman.
“I still pinch myself about the very real reality that I am talking about the Oscars,” she told The Hollywood Reporter days ahead of the Academy Awards, while explaining how her collaboration Diane came to be.
“I’ve always longed to work with [Diane], of course. Diane [sent] a DM and said that she had a song that she thought was perfect for me, very much in line with who I was as a woman, as an artist and as a female activist,” the Descendants star shared. “The moment I heard the song, I knew it would be one of the greatest honors of my life to be the voice of that anthem. It was something greater than all of us.”
Scroll through the gallery below for all of the stars who were noticeably absent from the 2023 Oscars.
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