In the Oscars Audience, the Superstars Were the Superfans

Red carpet photographs are able to convey indelible moments of celebrity magnetism and spectacular glamour. But no step-and-repeat can bottle the crackling anticipation, the eruption of victory, the sting of loss or the quiet exchange between individuals amid a sea of superstars like these candid shots from the audience at Sunday night’s Oscars ceremony.

Inside the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, our photographer captured moments viewers may not have caught otherwise. These images offer a peek at the year’s most celebrated actors and filmmakers interacting with one another, and not the camera, as we usually see them. Whether that be Florence Pugh looking intently at Christopher Nolan as she rests her hand gently on his arm; Messi the Border collie sitting poised and unfazed as a man, who is lying on the floor, claps faux paws in his face; Colman Domingo and Danielle Brooks leaning over a seated Da’Vine Joy Randolph with wowed expressions; or Lily Gladstone, Emma Stone and Ramy Youssef standing inches apart, gripping each other, their faces nearly touching.

Clockwise from top left: Martin Scorsese; Carey Mulligan; the “Godzilla Minus One” team with their trophies for best visual effects; and Dominic Sessa, a star of “The Holdovers.”

Clockwise from top left: Sandra Hüller and Jonathan Glazer, who directed her in “The Zone of Interest”; Cord Jefferson (facing away), director and writer of “American Fiction,” and Jeffrey Wright, its star; Colman Domingo and Zendaya; Christopher Nolan (facing away) and Cillian Murphy.

Audience Report is a series that looks at people looking. Produced by Jolie Ruben and Amanda Webster.

Our Coverage of the 2024 Oscars

The 96th Academy Awards were presented on March 10 in Los Angeles.

• Our Critics’ Take: The Oscars were torn between the golden past and the thorny present. But to our critics Manohla Dargis and Alissa Wilkinson, the show mostly worked.
• A ‘Just Ken’ Spectacle: In one of the most anticipated and exuberant moments of Oscar night, Ryan Gosling took the stage to perform “I’m Just Ken” from “Barbie.”
• Cillian Murphy’s Career: If you’re looking to expand your knowledge of the Irish actor’s work after his now Oscar-winning performance as the physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, here are some excellent options.
• Bro-Brooches: This year, several male stars wore baubles more often associated with granny’s jewel box than Hollywood heartthrobs.
• Inside the After Parties: Here’s what we saw at the Governors Ball and Vanity Fair’s party, where the famous (and the fame-adjacent) celebrated into the night.