Missi's Oscar Night Memoir
Monday, December 15, 2014 at 1:33PM We return you to our celebrity guest-host Missi Pyle from Gone Girl (nominated today for 6 Critics Choice Awards)... at The Film Exp The Missi Experience. Just one more post after this gorgeously fun memoir. Enjoy - Editor
ME N OSCAR
The 84th Academy Awards. An Oscar Night Memoir
- by Missi Pyle
I just want to take a minute to talk about The Artist. Holy shit. What an incredible experience that was.
Tiny back story. I left LA in 2008. I had married this guy from Montana with a grizzly bear sanctuary. I bought a geodome in the woods in Montana and moved in with said Grizzly man. I truly don't know what I was thinking. I had made some decent money in the previous year and I thought I could act from Montana? (Spoiler! Only Michael Keaton and Jeff Bridges can act from Montana - I wrote a show about it) Anyway, the marriage didn't work out and I ran out of money and came crawling back to LA.
I randomly had auditioned for, gotten the part and shot the film The Artist. It was really an incredible experience. But in my wildest dreams I never imagined the ride it would take me on.
[OSCAR NIGHT AFTER THE JUMP...]
I was living in a rental in the bario of Echo Park with my little sis and all of the sudden I was getting invitations to go to every major awards show in 2012.
But I never got a plus 1. So I would borrow a gown and some diamonds and walk down the rickety steps of said rental to the waiting limo in my sketchy hood and run off to these fancy shows and then at midnight i'd turn into a pumpkin and get dropped off back at home.
BATH BEFORE
OSCAR NIGHT
My favorite experience was the night of the Oscars. I barely got an invitation. I think the only reason I really got invited to any of the shows was that the two stars were French and nobody knew them. And they just needed some semi-recognizable faces to get people to say...
Oh yeah. Thats the girl from the Parent Trap*.'
MY "TEAM"
SOME RANDOM CHICK IN THE BATHROOM 
ME N JAMIE C IN THE NOSEBLEEDS
ME AND ONE OF THE FRENCHIES
Anyway. We were told if the film won Best Picture we would all get to go onstage. Well we did win and I got on stage. And I was so floored. Tom Cruise walked over to me and kissed me on the cheek. It was so surreal.
Then the show ended. And The curtain came down. And literally. Boom. It was OVER. I remember the French, Berenice Bejo and Jean Dujardin and the director Michael Hazanavicious went one direction and Penelope Ann Miller, James Cromwell and myself stood and waited for someone to tell us what to do.
We waited for like 5 minutes and no one came. We started to panic looking for the press room. Finally some P.A. had mercy on us and took us through several back passageways ala Get Smart and we got there. It was literally like a mile away.
We took some photos. It was super cool but then I didn't have a ticket to the Governors Ball and someone was like, 'Wait here'. Which i did for like 15 minutes and then it became apparent everyone had just left.
I was all alone in the underbelly of the former Kodak theatre and I had no idea how to get out or where to go. I literally went back through the theatre, with my 6 inch heels slung over my back, went back to down the red carpet in reverse, and magically found my car. I happened to run into the Costume Designer Mark Bridges who had won an Oscar for his work in the film. He was a friend and he said 'Hey you wanna go to the Vanity Fair party?' And I said. 'Hell yeah. But I wasn't invited' And he pulled out his Oscar and said. 'I have this. It will get us into any party in town!'
So we went and partied all night. Then we did the TODAY Show at like 6 AM. It was magic. (I remember thinking it was such a ride that maybe I would be really let down when it was all over. But I literally still have a high from that night.)
ME, STILL IN DIAMONDS. PLUS DOGS
Guys I am so cool. And this is how it all ended.
At 7 AM I got home and got in bed. I had an audition for a pilot that day and I had to get some sleep. I literally slept in my diamonds. Until the buff dude from Chopard came and took them away
hahaha - The End.
*I was not in The Parent Trap. That is Elaine Hendrix. But literally once a week, someone tells me they loved me in The Parent Trap.
Reader Comments (27)
LOL on the Parent Trap confusion - I never would have thought of this because I know it wasn't you, Missi, but as soon as you mentioned it, I realized how much you and Elaine Hendrix do look a bit alike.
But of course what we all want to know is: What is Uggie like in real life?!? Is he a TOTAL diva? Or is he as lovable as he is in the film?
I am never ever going to be able to get over that hilarious bathtub selfie... or the clump of hair on the tub wall. GLAMOUR. #BestPostEver
Let me just say, I watched The Wolf of Wall Street last night and Jean Dujardin is one of the sexiest men working in movies. Sex appeal (to me) is unreal. Somehow I had no idea.
That Jessica Chastain photo is a gift. The body language!
Your doggies! <3
This.Is.Genius. ThankU so much Missi for a true behind the scenes peak at the holy night. Fantastic stuff! Chris :-) Plus, love The Artist, of course
Sounds like an amazing, fun filled night! I would be so star struck and in awe of everyone and everything around me!
I am thoroughly enjoying your posts Missi! You're so honest, and so funny and I am extremely jealous that you got to work with Bryan Fuller. He is AMAZING and should cast you in Hannibal ASAP! :)
Bhuray -- i don't want to see her violently offed in HANNIBAL so this may be the only time in history that I have not wished a good job on Missi Pyle.
Laika -- my favorite part of the photo is Missy's caption. HAHA.
haha, what a great post!
plus, that Jessica Chastain pic/caption is everything. Ooh, to see that Alexander McQueen dress in person...
True confession: when I heard Missi was going to be here I went to IMDB to see what else I knew her from besides The Parent Trap. How embarrassing. I wonder if Missi & Elaine run in to each other on auditions/meetings?
And I have to say I had no idea how statuesque Missi is, particularly in that blue gown. However did she fit into the bathtub!?
Love seeing a different perspective. But, hey, at least you got to hold the Oscar!
I WANT MORE!!
Loved this post. Thank you so much.
LOVED this! Such rare insight into something we all obsess over so much. Thanks Missi, this has been incredible!
Yeah, I heard Uggie demanded Perrier in his bowl and was a total a-hole to that dog in Beginners. And that Jean Dujardin can absolutely talk but was just pretending like he couldn't in that film. Spill the tea!
guys you are all so adorable and sweet. thank you for the lovely comments. it has been so fun to write this blog. full disclosure- i was hung over when i wrote most of it. so you know. i posted a picture of me in the tub with a clump of hair on the side of said tub. this may have been filtered out if there was less booze being filtered through my liver. #epicfail
i am so happy you all enjoyed it
also Uggie was cute. a sweet dog. but movie dogs are always a little bit less like real dogs than dogs dogs. they are almost too well behaved and less interested in cuddling. maybe they're just po'd they don't get to spend the money they earn. alas. oh and there were 3 other Uggies around at all times just in case. i am not sure they ever used anyone other than uggie tho. so you know. yes. he is a diva. also he liked me more when i had peanut butter on my fingers...
Missi just seems like she'd be SO MUCH FUN to hang out with! And I love that little satire of Hollywood in her post: "And The curtain came down. And literally. Boom. It was OVER." Haha. So sad and yet so true. Thanks for sharing Missi!
She is so cool.
James Cromwell and Missi Pyle in the nosebleeds on The Artist's big night?!? Who made THAT wrong decision?
OMG I lost it.
This post was amazing. And Oscar night definitely sounds like an experience, I'll give you that haha.
this was AMAZING! what a great post!
i wonder if anyone ever tries to sneak in the parties with fake oscars. they could always say they won for best documentary short film...
I am a cat person but i love that the bed has more dogs than humans.;) Must be freaking warm with all those furry beloveds.
Oh my god. This post was so amazing. Missi is freaking hilarious! Keeping it real the Oscars…love it! Also I legitimately LOLed at the Parent Trap comment.
I died a little when I saw that Chastain picture...
wish the best of luck to Missi, and, girl, you're fun!
Thank you so much for sharing this!
Jase -- the curtain going down and BOOM it was over is how I feel *every year* after Oscar night when suddenly hollywood stops caring about me for another six months. no invites. no emails. no flowers (kidding). no NOTHING.
I always thought that if you got an invite to attend the Oscar ceremony, the Governor's Ball invite was automatic. I guess not.
"Some random chick in the bathroom..."
I actually laughed out loud. This whole piece is amazing.