Behind-the-scenes Oscars moments that WEREN'T on TV from Leonardo DiCaprio hugging Michael B Jordan to Ethan Hawke kissing Gwyneth Paltrow

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By SAMEER SURI, US SENIOR SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER

Published: 05:16 GMT, 16 March 2026 | Updated: 05:44 GMT, 16 March 2026

Viewers around the world tune in to see the Oscars broadcast each year with bated breath, but some of the choicest moments of the night never make it to air.

This year was no exception, with Michael B Jordan leaving the stage after winning best actor for Sinners and getting a hug from a superstar he had just beaten. 

Leonardo DiCaprio, who was nominated in the same category for One Battle After Another, greeted Jordan with a gracious embrace and the two men clasped fists.

Pedro Pascal, who has been trolled online for his touchy-feely behavior with his co-stars, was glimpsed backstage clasping his co-presenter Sigourney Weaver's hand.

Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, stars of the upcoming A24 film The Drama, mingled behind the scenes after presenting Best Director to Paul Thomas Anderson.

Anderson, who triumphed in several categories for One Battle After Another, could also be seen with them in the wings as they keenly observed the action onstage.

Here, the Daily Mail offers a peek behind the curtain at the Academy Awards...

Michael B Jordan enjoyed a tight embrace from Leonardo DiCaprio after beating him for best actor, more than a decade on from DiCaprio's 2015 win in the same category for The Revenant

In a show of DiCaprio's graciousness and the camaraderie between the two movie stars, he and Jordan could be seen clasping each other's fists

Benicio del Toro, who was up for Best Supporting Actor for One Battle After Another but lost to his absent co-star Sean Penn, congratulated Jordan by kissing his hand

Del Toro, who won Best Supporting Actor for the 2000 Steven Soderbergh film Traffic, gathered together with DiCaprio and the triumphant Jordan

Ethan Hawke greeted Gwyneth Paltrow with an affectionate kiss on the cheek 28 years after they co-starred in Alfonso Cuaron's adaptation of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations

Hawke was a Best Actor nominee that night for his turn as Broadway lyricist Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon, while Paltrow was snubbed for her comeback turn in Marty Supreme

After winning Best Actress for Hamnet, Jessie Buckley left the stage in tears of joy, accompanied by last year's Best Actress winner Mikey Madison of Anora fame 

Jordan also received a bit of affection from Adrien Brody, who had presented him with the award after winning it himself last year for Brady Corbet's The Brutalist

DiCaprio and his One Battle After Another love interest Teyana Taylor demonstrated their warm rapport after their movie was awarded Best Picture

Pedro Pascal - who has been trolled online for his touchy-feely behavior with his co-stars - was glimpsed backstage clasping his co-presenter Sigourney Weaver's hand

Pascal was apparently in conversation with sci-fi icon, who had offered a play on her fan favorite Aliens line: 'Get away from her, you b****' onstage

Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, stars of the upcoming A24 film The Drama, mingled behind the scenes after presenting Best Director to Paul Thomas Anderson

Anderson, who triumphed in several categories for One Battle After Another, with them in the wings as they keenly observed the action onstage

Sentimental Value stars Elle Fanning, Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas - all of whom were nominated for Oscars that night but lost - enjoyed each other's company anyway

Anderson, after winning Best Adapted Screenplay, also posed backstage with Sinners director Ryan Coogler, who had just won Best Original Screenplay

After winning his screenplay prize, Coogler also enjoyed a warm confab with Oscar-winner Robert Downey Jr, who had presented him with the trophy onstage

One Battle After Another star Chase Infiniti walked over for a chat with her co-star Teyana Taylor, who lost Best Supporting Actress that night to Amy Madigan of Weapons

Emma Stone, her husband Dave McCary, Demi Moore and Kate Hudson all posed for a selfie taken by the latter's musician husband Danny Fujikawa

Anderson posed with his decades-long casting director, Cassandra Kulukundis, who had just won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Casting

Sterling K Brown, who memorably parodied Casablanca onstage with the evening's host, Conan O'Brien, was spotted shaking hands with Anderson backstage

During the performance of Golden from KPop Demon Hunters, audience members like Gwyneth Paltrow were given light sticks as if they were at a real concert

Anne Hathaway was spotted backstage with her co-presenter Dame Anna Wintour, whose reign at Vogue she had helped parody in the classic 2006 comedy The Devil Wears Prada

Returning host Conan O'Brien whirled through multiple costumes during his second time compering the ceremony

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