Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron are two-time co-stars who shared one other key thing in common at the Oscars on Sunday: their plus ones.
No, the “Sweet November”-starring duo did not arrive at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards together with Enya scoring their entrance, but instead, they each brought their mothers with them to the big show.
Jazzing up the red carpet with a special dose of love, Reeves and mom Patricia Taylor linked arms in complementary black-and-white suits, and also conducted press interviews together at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Yes, when E! Host Ryan Seacrest pushed Taylor for details about the Oscar presenter’s upcoming “The Matrix 4” reboot, well, “mum” is the word.
“Nothing,” said Taylor — a costume designer — during E!’s live red carpet broadcast about what she can say about the long-awaited sequel. “[I can] only [talk] about ‘The Matrix’ one, two, and three.”
Taylor certainly knew how to keep these secret Hollywood details under wraps, proving few can make a judgment call better than moms. Still, this is one of the first public appearances for the pair since the 2006 premiere of Reeves’ film “The Lake House” in Los Angeles.
So, perhaps that’s one of the reasons why outlets like The Hollywood Reporter briefly confused Taylor for the Toronto-raised “Toy Story 4” actor’s girlfriend, visual artist Alexandra Grant. Last November, the 47-year-old Grant’s likeness was compared to Dame Helen Mirren. Mirren is 74 years old.
Comedian Whitney Cummings summed up this identification confusion best:
Mistaken identity aside, attending the Oscars as a presenter is a really big deal. A nomination is an even bigger honour, and Best Actress nominee Theron had a “Bombshell” of her own, telling E!’s Giuliana Rancic that her mom’s presence alone is worthy of a trophy.
“I win the award for best date, for sure,” said Theron.
Theron and her mother, Gerda Jacoba Aletta Maritz, go beyond the traditional mother-daughter roles, too, and actually co-parent the “Atomic Blonde” star’s two children, Jackson and August.
In 2018, Theron spoke of their dynamic to Elle magazine, saying, “To not acknowledge her in co-parenting my children would be a lie ... I would feel pretty alone if I didn’t have a partner-in-crime in all of this.”
All the more reason for a double night out, then! Dressed in midnight blue, a harmonious hue to Theron’s onyx Dior Haute Couture gown, Maritz was spotted savouring the Oscars experience inside the telecast.
Maritz joined Theron and the rest of the front row VIPs to cheer on the “Parasite” cast and crew to continue their Best Picture acceptance speeches after the allotted 45-second time in order to further reflect on their historic wins.
And then there’s the three generations represented by newly-minted Oscar winner, Laura Dern.
Dern won her first little gold man for Best Supporting Actress in “Marriage Story” on Sunday, and reveled in her accolade by having proud mom Diane Ladd, as well as her two children, Jaya and Ellery Harper, by her side.
“Some say, never meet your heroes,” said Dern, while clutching her first Oscar in hand on the eve of her 53rd birthday.
“But, I say, if you are really blessed you get them as your parents. I share this with my acting heroes, my legends, Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern. You got game! I love you … thank you all for this gift; the best birthday present ever.”
The perfectly-timed cutaway shot of a tearful Diane Ladd, an Oscar nominee herself, gave Dern’s golden moment an extra boost of sentimental and significant maternal energy.
In fact, Oscars performer and ceremony opener Janelle Monáe also got the Big Mom Energy memo, posing with her mom, Janet Summers, on the red carpet in show-stopping metallic looks.
Check out the best and most surprising Oscars 2020 red carpet looks:
Oscars Red Carpet 2020
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