76th Annual Academy Awards®
FEBRUARY 29, 2004 – HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA:
Kodak Theatre
Story and Photos are © Lee Roth / Roth Stock Digital Media
Links to Celebrities go to the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
It’s Hollywood’s biggest night and everyone wants to be at the party. While actors always say it’s an honor just to be nominated, as a photographer, it’s also an honor to be cleared! Out of all the photographers from around the world who apply, only 70 are selected to photograph arrivals on the red carpet. And only 65 are selected to photograph in the Press Room, and they are not necessarily the same as the people cleared for the red carpet. It’s a night of fashion and jewelry like no other. Even the photographers and our assistants have to be in tuxedos and gowns.
If working a blockbuster movie premiere is a frenzy, working the Oscars® is absolute pandemonium! There are literally hundreds of people on the red carpet; talent, publicists, security, guests, friends, friends of guests, guests of friends … well, you get the idea!
Angelina Jolie was so surrounded that it was impossible to get a full length shot of her white satin gown by Marc Bouwer. But her jewelry was amazing!
And the noise! Besides all the normal yelling from the photographers, there are also several hundred fans in bleachers yelling and cheering for their favorite celebrities at the top of their lungs! It makes it extremely difficult to get the attention of the talent for that all important eye contact in the photos. It’s also an absolute challenge to get some of them isolated for a full-length fashion shot.
Despite the uproar, the talent is having a blast, as evidenced by this beaming smile from Julia Roberts in a satin gown by Giorgio Armani.
The previous year’s Best Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones was stunning in red Versace.
Yes, even celebrities can make mistakes. Looking gorgeous in her beaded gown from Gucci, the year’s Best Actress Charlize Theron also looked a bit orange in the early days of spray-on tanning!
Sandra Bullock always looks great, but were the feathers of her white Oscar de la Renta gown maybe just a bit too much?
Strutting her way down the red carpet was Jennifer Garner in a beautiful boldly colored vintage Valentino.
Patricia Clarkson looked fantastic in a very form fitting Bill Blass.
Other celebrities in attendance included; Julie Andrews, Phil Collins, Sean Connery with his wife Micheline Roquebrune, Chris Cooper with his wife Marianne Leone, Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia Coppola, Elvis Costello with Diana Krall, Jamie Lee Curtis, Johnny Depp, Paul Giamatti, a very pregnant Marcia Gay Harden, Djimon Hounsou, Holly Hunter, Peter Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Diane Keaton, Sir Ben Kingsley with his wife Alexandra Christmann and son, Alison Krauss, Jude Law, Heath Ledger, Kelly Lynch, Maria Menounos, Julianne Moore, Samantha Morton, Ron Perlman, Shaun Robinson, Susan Sarandon, Jason Schwartzman, Howard Shore, Ben Stiller, Sting with his wife Trudie Styler and daughter, Stuart Townsend, Uma Thurman, Ted Turner and guest, Liv Tyler, fashion designer Vera Wang, Ken Watanabe, Naomi Watts, the always laughing Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, and Oprah Winfrey.
Click the thumbnails below
to view full-size photos.
Micheline Roquebrune
Marianne Leone
Diana Krall
and Thaddaeus Scheel
Alexandra Christmann
Trudie Styler
and Daughter
Stuart Townsend
Stuart Townsend
Stuart Townsend
and Guest
Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger
Owen Wilson
Additional Resources:
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
- Nominees and Winners List from the 76th Academy Awards®
- Hollywood & Highland Center
- Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
- Hollywood Walk of Fame
Fashion Designers Mentioned In This Story:
Photos and Text are © Lee Roth / Roth Stock Digital Media – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
For Licensing Information, Please Contact Roth Stock Digital Media
Red Carpet Photo Blog 
One thought on “Hollywood’s Biggest Night: The Academy Awards®”
Comments are closed.