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Follow our live chat as Times columnists Mary McNamara and Glenn Whipp break down the big winners, best performances, most memorable moments and more from the 2026 Oscars.<\/i><\/p>\n
Winners list<\/a> | Best red carpet looks<\/a> | Complete coverage<\/a> <\/p>\n 4:09 p.m. <\/b>First Chalamet opera and ballet joke: \u201cThey\u2019re just mad you left out jazz.\u201d \u201cThings could get political; there\u2019s an alternate Oscars hosted by Kid Rock.\u201d And a Ted Sarandos joke. I swear they are reading our comments, Glenn! \u2014 M.M.<\/i><\/p>\n Is Sean Penn there? No on-camera reaction shot. Also, the best picture race is so close this year<\/a> I was trying to determine which movie got the loudest applause, \u201cSinners\u201d or \u201cOne Battle After Another.\u201d \u2014 G.W.<\/i><\/p>\n 4:06 p.m. <\/b>\u201cI can\u2019t believe I learned Norwegian for this\u201d: High point of Conan O\u2019Brien racing through scenes from best picture nominees as Amy Madigan\u2019s character in \u201cWeapons\u201d to open the show. \u2014 M.M.<\/i><\/p>\n I have fond memories of Billy Crystal\u2019s Oscar openers, but that was the best. I can\u2019t stop laughing. Almost sad it had to end. \u2014 G.W.<\/i><\/p>\n 3:51 p.m. <\/b>The time is throwing me too, especially so close to the daylight savings change-up. I keep thinking about Maggie Smith\u2019s great line in \u201cCalifornia Suite\u201d: \u201cNo woman can be expected to look good at 4 p.m. except Tatum O\u2019Neal\u201d \u2014 who was a child at the time. Which is just another way of me saying \u201cI miss Maggie Smith.\u201d \u2014 M.M.<\/i><\/p>\n Maggie Smith would be my dream red-carpet interviewer. It\u2019s hot! We need a little frostiness! \u201cSo, Mr. Chalamet … have you brought your opera glasses to the show?\u201d \u2014 G.W.<\/i><\/p>\n 3:46 p.m. <\/b>Quick question, Glenn. Will this be the hottest Oscars ever? As in, literally. Today has been a bit cooler than last few days, and next few days, but still. My weather app just said 85 degrees in Hollywood, which is pretty hot for March. No one seems to be visibly sweating, probably because most of red carpet is covered. And I guess it\u2019s better than rain. Still I feel for those in long sleeves and\/or tons of sequins. \u2014 M.M.<\/i><\/p>\n It feels like September Emmy weather, Mary! And I\u2019m still getting used to this new start time. There\u2019s too much daylight for the Oscars to be starting in 10 minutes. \u2014 G.W.<\/i><\/p>\n 3:40 p.m. <\/b>Here we are again at the Oscars, Mary, once again an hour earlier and with more questions than usual heading into the ceremony. Who is going to win the lead actor Oscar<\/a>? Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet? Michael B. Jordan? Leonardo DiCaprio? I\u2019ve misread this category so thoroughly this year they could open the envelope, say the name of an actor not even nominated and I would think, \u201cYes! Of course!\u201d Will Sean Penn win his third Oscar? Will Paul Thomas Anderson<\/a> have his first three Oscars by the end of the evening? Will the academy troll Chalamet (and the rest of us) with an interpretative dance performance<\/a>? What\u2019s on your mind as we prepare to watch this year\u2019s show? \u2014 G.W.<\/i><\/p>\n Glenn! Is this the man normally so clear and confident about his well-calculated predictions that I, with my more emotion-based hopes, often want to scream? Already the show is more interesting and it hasn\u2019t even started! I have been rooting for \u201cSinners\u201d<\/a> since I saw it almost a year ago \u2014 vampires haven\u2019t been used with such spot-on metaphoric resonance since Bram Stoker wrote \u201cDracula.\u201d And as I have said before, Michael B. Jordan gives two fine, powerful performances to his fellow nominees\u2019 one. I imagine there will be a ballet\/opera joke or two, though that brouhaha occurred after voting closed so if Chalamet does not win, no hate should be directed at the Royal Opera company. I am mostly interested in if\/how current events, including the war in Iran and the protests against ICE, are mentioned in any way. Especially given the politico-cultural themes of some of the top nominees. \u2014 M.M.<\/i><\/p>\n