Andrew Garfield, Halle Berry arrive on Oscars red carpetStars like Andrew Garfield, Halle Berry, Margaret Qualley, Lily-Rose Depp and Michelle Yeoh arrive to the Oscars 2025 red carpet.Entertain This!LOS ANGELES — The Ellen DeGeneres viral selfie. The Will Smith vs. Chris Brown slap. Anne Hathaway and James Franco’s hosting flub.The Oscars have long produced some of the most memorable moments in pop culture history. Nothing, though, can prepare someone for Hollywood’s biggest night in person. On Sunday, I attended my first Oscars — a fairytale for anyone who grew up in the Midwest, far from the bright lights of Los Angeles with no proximity to famous people.This year’s Oscars, which celebrate achievements in film, was a movie on its own.The ceremony had all the hints of a good drama: A competitive best actress race, with a surprise win for Mikey Madison. Harrison Ford dropping out of presenting last minute after a health issue. The triumph and trouble of Karla Sofía Gascón, the first transgender best actress nominee in history and her controversial comments, who skipped the red carpet. Would Timothee Chalamet break the record for youngest best actor winner, which was previously set by category peer Adrien Brody?But to see it all close up? Even better.I spotted Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco, Coco Gauff and more celebsIt was surreal to walk up the big red steps of the Dolby Theatre that I have seen on TV. As I scanned my ticket, I nearly brushed past Lena Waithe, creator of “The Chi” and partner to best actress nominee Cynthia Erivo. Minutes later, I nearly bumped into “Like A Bird” best original song nominee Abraham Alexander, one of my favorite singers.Just like the movies.Then, I made my way down to scope out the Dolby Lounge, a celebrity hotspot at the ceremony. Attendees were toting glasses of wine, grasping champagne stems. Tennis star Coco Gauff towered over me. I caught Brandi Carlile walking in, watched Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco being whisked to their seats and spotted fellow University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee grad Willem Dafoe.Inside the show, a ‘Kardashians’ star and Oprah cameoAs the show began at 4 p.m., I had a bird’s eye view. It was unbelievable to watch “Wicked” co-stars Erivo and pop star Ariana Grande open the telecast with a medley of songs from the hit movie musical. I was “holding space and finding power in that.” Like most things in life, the show felt even bigger and better in person.From my seat, I caught Chalamet canoodling with “The Kardashians” star and beauty mogul Kylie Jenner. I witnessed the inescapable joy of best actress nominee Fernanda Torres, the journey of the cast of “Anora,” the acceptance speech of Zoe Saldaña.Selena Gomez leaves Oscars early; Kieran Culkin jokes with wife: What you didn’t see on TVDuring commercial breaks, stars greeted each other with hugs. My fellow audience neighbors gave Mick Jagger a well-deserved standing ovation. Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg received one, too, when introducing the tribute to late music legend Quincy Jones.Demi Moore danced and jumped up in her seat during the Jones tribute “Ease on Down the Road.” The crowd jumped on its feet during a Colman Domingo-led dance party during a commercial break. Audible gasps came during the best actress segment when Moore lost. After the show ended, I headed to the Governor’s Ball.At the glitzy afterparty, stars shuffled through a packed room. My fellow guests snacked on Oscar statue-shaped smoked salmon with caviar, sipped on more champagne, and Oscars in chocolate form made everyone a winner. I learned that chicken pot pies, a least favorite of mine, are a fan favorite of annual Governor’s Ball attendees.Conan O’Brien jokes about Karla Sofía Gascón controversy in Oscars monologueA crowd formed as Saldana’s Oscar statue was engraved with her name. I did not know, until last night, that nominees have their statues personalized at the official Academy afterparty. When they receive the Oscar on stage, it is blank. I walked past Queen Latifah and watched Gascón get a hero’s welcome from industry friends. From inside the party, you could not tell that she was the subject of a PR firestorm for Netflix after resurfaced past racist tweets.Then, after all was ate and won, I headed back to my hotel — to go back to real life and a plane ride home in just a few hours.’Hollywood always felt so far away for me'”Anora” actress Mikey Madison is 25 like me. In the midst of her twenties, she won a best actress statue for her role as a sex worker, winning the award over the likes of this awards season darling Moore.”I grew up in Los Angeles, but Hollywood always felt so far away from me,” Madison said during her acceptance speech.Mikey Madison wanted to do sex work ‘justice’ in ‘Anora.’ An Oscar could be next.The California native spoke for so many at the Dolby Theatre, including me. On TV, the Oscars feel like a faraway fairytale. And somehow, in real life, they do, too.Maybe we are supposed to find ourselves in unexpected places, faced with unexpected predicaments, surrounded by more stars than the sky. At least for a few hours in time.Just like the movies.