14 Most Wholesome Moments You May Have Missed at the 2025 Oscars
Hollywood's biggest night had epic celebrity appearances and memorable moments in between.
The 2025 Oscars have come and gone, and boy did the ceremony have its fair share of surprises!
Hollywood's biggest night aired live on March 2, and viewers tuned in to watch some of the biggest names accept accolades for their work in this year's films. From Adrien Brody winning Best Actor to Mikey Madison surprising everyone with her Best Actress achievement, there were plenty of moments that drew the audience's attention. Whether it be during the ceremony itself, on the red carpet or later at the Oscars after-parties, it's clear attendees were all about having a good time — and they wanted to spread the love as well.
When it comes to the best moments people might have missed while watching the Oscars (it's a long show, after all!), we've rounded up a few of our favorite feel-good interactions from throughout the night. These will definitely pull at your heartstrings:
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Ariana Grande Pays Homage to 'The Wizard of Oz'
As Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo opened the Oscars ceremony, the two sang a medley of songs from The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz and their film Wicked. But Ariana's gown featured a sweet detail honoring Dorothy Gale — one that involved her dress and an iconic red ruby slipper. See it here:
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Adam Sandler and Timothée Chalamet Commit to the Bit
In a bit that originally began at the 2025 Golden Globes, actor Adam Sandler seemingly couldn't get enough of his friend and fellow star Timothée Chalamet. In host Conan O'Brien's opening monologue, he called out Adam for his go-to uniform of basketball shorts and a big hoodie. Adam jokingly defended himself on the air, and he couldn't let his moment go without continuing the awards season joke by finding Timothée in the audience.
Kieran Culkin Asks His Wife for More Kids
After winning the Best Supporting Actor award for A Real Pain, Kieran Culkin shouted out his wife Jazz Charton for being his biggest supporter. But much like when he won the Emmy award back in 2024, Kieran couldn't help but beg for more children (they already share daughter Kinsey and son Wilder) in front of a live audience.
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A 'Ghost' Reunion on the Oscars Red Carpet
More than three decades after Whoopi Goldberg won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in Ghost, she had the chance to reunite with Demi Moore on the red carpet! It also was a full circle moment for the two, as Demi was up for Best Actress for her work in The Substance.
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Celebrities Give a Standing Ovation to the LAFD
When host Conan O'Brien brought out members of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) during the show, the audience gave a standing ovation for the incredible work they did during the devastating L.A. wildfires in January. What's more, they helped Conan tell a few jokes that had viewers laughing both in-person and at home.
Selfie Time for the Best Actor Nominees
A group that works together, stays together! During the ceremony, Best Actor nominees Timothée Chalamet, Colman Domingo, Ralph Fiennes, Sebastian Stan and winner Adrien Brody got together for a selfie to remember the moment.
Adrien Brody Bonds With Timothée Chalamet
After Adrien won Best Actor at the Oscars, cameras caught him giving a hug to fellow nominee Timothée Chalamet. What's more, a video of the heartfelt moment went viral on TikTok, making them both social media-worthy.
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Paul Tazewell Is Cheered on by 'Wicked' Cast
As Paul Tazewell made history for being the first Black man to win the Academy Award for Costume Design (he won for his work on Wicked), he received a surprise when delivering his acceptance speech. For his incredible feat, Wicked director Jon M. Chu and actresses Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivogot on their feet and gave him an emotional round of applause.
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Jeff Goldblum Gets Caught Looking at His Red Carpet Pic
Wicked star Jeff Goldblum walked the red carpet at the Oscars, and before the ceremony began, he got caught looking at photos from the big moment on social media. As he jokingly told Entertainment Tonight in defense, "Where are there more pictures of me?"
Andrew Garfield Makes Goldie Hawn Emotional
As actors Andrew Garfield and Goldie Hawn presented the Oscar for Best Animated Film, Andrew shared how special it was to share the stage with Goldie. As he told her while bringing her to tears, he thanked her for bringing his late mother "the most joy, the most comfort" ahead of her 2019 death from pancreatic cancer.
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Marvel Icons Reunite
OK, Avengers — it's time to (re)assemble! In an unexpected Oscars reunion moment Marvel fans may have missed, folks got to see Robert Downey Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson meet up once again on the red carpet.
Zoe Saldaña Shouts Out Her Family
As Zoe Saldaña won the Best Supporting Actress award for Emilia Pérez, she called out a number of important family members in the audience. After finding her mother among the crowd, she shared how her loved ones taught her to take risks in life. She also had to call out husband Marco Perego and how supportive he's been to her and their three sons.
Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal Reference 'When Harry Met Sally'
Fresh off their recent When Harry Met Sally reunion for a Hellmann's Super Bowl commercial, Meg Ryan and nine-time Oscars host Billy Crystal teamed up once again for an epic Oscars moment. On hand to present the award for Best Picture, the two had to mention the movie that brought them both so much success. Before announcing the winner, Billy said: "Because when you have a chance to be an Oscar winner for the rest of your life, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."
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Elton John Enters His Chappell Roan Era
Elsewhere during Oscars night, Elton John (who was nominated for Best Original Song at the ceremony) hosted the Elton John Foundation's annual watch party. As part of the festivities, he got onstage with Chappell Roan to sing a heartfelt rendition of Chappell's hit track "Pink Pony Club."
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As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
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