John Cena made a lasting impression on Oscar viewers when he took the stage seemingly nude save some sandals on Sunday.
The actor, 46, covered his privates with a winners envelope as he walked onstage. But as many viewers predicted, the large envelope wasn’t actually the only thing between Cena’s manhood and ABC’s cameras during the live broadcast.
As part of an elaborate bit involving the Oscars’ history with streakers, Cena wound up presenting the award for Best Costume Design nearly in the buff, and it proved to be one of the funniest, boldest highlights of the night.
After the nominees were read off and the show cut to a video montage, Cena reappeared wearing a massive curtain as a dress to protect his modesty.
However, the Peacemaker star wasn’t truly nude — and we’re not just talking about his sandals. In fact, considering the category he was presenting, Cena employed a tried and true Hollywood technique of careful and deliberate costuming for the bit.
The incredibly buff actor stripped down to as nude as humanly possible without actually exposing himself and covered his privates — both front and back — in precisely positioned, skin tone fabric making up an item of clothing that looked like a cross between a loin cloth and a Speedo.
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For the record, the Oscar went to Holly Waddington for Poor Things. The film beat out Barbie, Killers of the Flower Moon, Napoleon and Oppenheimer.
As for the streaker skit, the whole idea was meant to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the time when a man named Robert Opel faked his way into the 46th Academy Awards in 1974 — supposedly pretending to be a journalist — and streaked across the stage while David Niven was in the middle of introducing Elizabeth Taylor.
The 2024 Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, aired live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 10, at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET on ABC. Follow along at ETonline.com for full Oscars coverage, including red carpet arrivals, the complete winners list and more.
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