A black television reporter from Montreal didn't settle for simply asking a question. He wanted to touch Poitier's honorary Oscar for career achievement.

The actor obliged, holding out the gold statuette as journalist Herby Moreau approached him.

An excited Moreau grabbed the Oscar and spoke into the microphone.

Speaking in French, Moreau said, "Mom, Dad, I think I made it because not only am I at the Oscars, I'm with Sidney Poitier."

Moreau, 33, said Poitier was the first black actor Moreau had ever seen on television.

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Julia Roberts, who won the best-actress Oscar last year for "Erin Brockovich," connected briefly on the red carpet with Tobey Maguire, star of the upcoming "Spider-Man."

Roberts said she recently visited the actor on the set of the film.

"It was a little distracting," he said.

"Nice costume," Roberts countered about the skintight suit he wears to play the superhero.

Roberts was a presenter this year, handing out the award to Denzel Washington for best actor.

"When a friend wins, who also happens to be the most fantastic actor, you can't ask for more than that," she said.

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"Moulin Rouge" director and producer Baz Luhrmann wasn't a winner on Sunday, but his wife Catherine Martin took home two Oscars for costume design and art direction for the film.

While accepting her awards, Martin made sure her husband got some of the credit.

"You come up with ideas that even I sometimes think are crazy," she said. "But you've taught me to live the dream, that anything is possible through ideas, hard work and discipline."

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Songwriter Randy Newman may have won his first Oscar in 16 tries, but it seemed like he was just as excited about being next to Jennifer Lopez.

She presented the best original song award to Newman for "If I Didn't Have You" from the "Monsters Inc." soundtrack.

"Walking out here and having someone as beautiful give me an award, I'll never get to heaven, but that's as close as I'll get, I think," he said.

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A New York street performer caused a big stir on the red carpet.

The singularly named Thoth wore a gold lame loin cloth, a red feather on his head and gold chains while playing the violin and leaping around the carpet.

At one point, he used his voice to imitate the sounds of musical instruments as unflappable best actress nominee Judi Dench did an interview next to him.

Three security guards didn't realize Thoth was the subject of a nominated documentary short and confronted him.

The makers of the documentary, Sarah Kernochan and Lynn Appelle, who later won the Oscar, stepped in and explained who he was.

"I was laughing so much because I am being barred from an event that I am about to be celebrating," he said. "It was wonderful."

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Ryan O'Neal and Ali McGraw were reunited as presenters 32 years after they co-starred in the tearjerker "Love Story."

They gave the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Arthur Hiller, who directed the 1970 classic about star-crossed lovers who meet, marry and then discover McGraw's character is dying of cancer.

O'Neal, who turns 61 next month, has been treated for chronic myelogenous leukemia.

"He's doing very well and is in remission and going back to being fine and dandy," Hiller said backstage.

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Academy Awards host Whoopi Goldberg brought down the house with her entrance to start the show.

Dressed as a burlesque performer, she was lowered on a swing - a la "Moulin Rouge" - from the ceiling.

Once on stage, she took aim at the competition for Oscar votes that turned ugly in recent weeks.

"So much mud was thrown this year, all the nominees look black," she said.

She even ended the show with a quip.

"Well, kids, that's our show. It's time to start the mudslinging for Oscar 75," she said about next year's show.

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After 20 years of acting in movies and television, Lisa Blount finally won an Oscar - for her work behind the camera.

She shared the award for live action short with her husband, Ray McKinnon, and friend Walton Goggins. They were executive producers on "The Accountant."

Blount, 44, is best known for her role in "An Officer and a Gentleman" in 1982. She also guest-starred on such 1980s TV series as "Murder, She Wrote," "Magnum, P.I." and "Moonlighting."

Blount said she turned to producing when good roles grew scarce.

"Ageism is a problem in Hollywood. As a younger woman, I had a larger range of roles to choose from, and I just wasn't happy with the roles coming my way," she said.

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Oscar nominees tried just about anything to keep their nerves in check Sunday.

Marisa Tomei, nominated for best supporting actress for "In the Bedroom," had a massage. Halle Berry brought her mom to the awards.

Peter Jackson, director of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," wore a lucky pin.

Ron Howard, who won the Oscar for directing "A Beautiful Mind," kept two letters tucked into his jacket. He said two of his three daughters wrote him letters and told him not to read them until he gets nervous.

Not everyone arrived with a case of the jitters, however.

Will Smith made a relaxed entrance with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

Asked how he stays calm, the star of "Ali" didn't hesitate: "Don't give a damn," he said. "You cannot allow yourself to care."