Will it be Olivia’s Colman’s night at tonight’s Oscars?

Will it be Olivia’s Colman’s night? It’s too Close to call!: All the talk of Tinseltown ahead of tonight’s Oscars

Olivia Colman could also claim the Oscar for best actress – although, with some irony, she isn’t the favourite. That honour goes to Hollywood legend Glenn Close

She has already been crowned with a Bafta for her commanding performance as Queen Anne in The Favourite.

And tonight Olivia Colman could also claim the Oscar for best actress – although, with some irony, she isn’t the favourite. 

That honour goes to Hollywood legend Glenn Close, who is overwhelmingly odds-on to win at her seventh attempt.

But one Academy voter said: ‘Olivia has charmed a lot of people and there were a lot of last-minute ballots cast in her favour.’

Whatever the outcome, Ms Colman will look very different from her role in The Favourite, for which she put on two-and-a-half stones while filming in 2017.

She has since shed the weight thanks to gruelling 60-minute workouts three times a week with trainer Dalton Wong. 

He included exercises to strengthen her back, shoulders and abdominal muscles to improve her posture and to help her look ‘lean and strong’ on the red carpet tonight.

Ms Colman has joked she put on the weight easily ‘by eating triple portions’ but it took her a year to shift it: ‘It was quite depressing. It goes on so easily but gosh, it doesn’t come off as easily,’ she said.

Top fashion designers from Chanel to Valentino have been vying to provide the Oscars dress for the actress, who is one of four British stars nominated tonight.

Her co-star in The Favourite, Rachel Weisz, is hoping to scoop best supporting actress.

Christian Bale is up for best actor for his portrayal of former US Vice-President Dick Cheney in Vice – he topped Ms Colman’s weight gain by putting on 3st for his role.

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  Richard E. Grant continues his heartwarming award season joy…

  
  Lily James is every inch the English rose as she goes…

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But Remi Malek, is favourite for his role as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. The band will be playing at tonight’s ceremony.

Withnail and I star Richard E. Grant has received his first Oscar nod for best supporting actor in the comedy-drama Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Spanish language film Roma is hot favourite to win best picture and best director for Alfonso Cuaron. 

Rachel Weisz, pictured above, plays a lesbian in the Oscar-nominated The Favourite

All the talk of Tinseltown before tonight’s awards

Rachel: I’ve become a lesbian pin-up!

Rachel Weisz plays a lesbian not only in the Oscar-nominated The Favourite, right, but also the recent film, Disobedience, set in the Orthodox Jewish community. 

She recently told how a woman came up to her and said: ‘On behalf of all lesbians, I wanted to say thank you.’ 

Now Ms Weisz, married to James Bond star Daniel Craig, proclaims: ‘I want to be a lesbian icon.’

Is it payback time for Glenn Close?

Glenn Close is the overwhelming favourite to take best actress for The Wife

She has been nominated for an Oscar six times in the past for roles in The Big Chill, Dangerous Liaisons and Fatal Attraction among others, but Glenn Close has yet to win an Academy Award.

Now the 71-year-old star, above, is the overwhelming favourite to take best actress for The Wife, a drama about a troubled marriage.

Hollywood favourite Paul Newman suffered seven disappointments before his victory for The Colour Of Money in 1987.

Ouch! Critic calls Roma a ‘home movie’ 

Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron’s recreation of his 1970s childhood, Roma, below, is up for best film – and has been backed by a £20 million Oscars campaign from streaming giant Netflix. 

But the black-and-white drama is ‘very slow’, ‘rather indulgent’ and the ‘most expensive home movie ever made’, according to one Academy voter, speaking anonymously. 

He was also baffled by the nominations for Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star Is Born.

Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron’s film Roma has been backed by a £20 million Oscars campaign from streaming giant Netflix

Many have observed that the design is uncannily redolent of President Trump’s hair

Does that stage remind you of someone…?

Does the shimmering gold wave that dominates the set at the Dolby Theatre look familiar? 

Many have observed that the design is uncannily redolent of President Donald Trump’s hair. 

Adorned with 250 Swarovski crystal strands and 40,000 red roses, the set is meant to signify ‘inclusion’. 

Adorned with 250 Swarovski crystal strands and 40,000 red roses, the set is meant to signify ‘inclusion’

The dopiest goodie bag of all time

Now that cannabis is legal in California, marijuana-infused beauty products (including bath oil, right, and bath bombs, left), cannabis edibles and membership of a cannabis users’ club are among the £80,000 of freebies in goodie bags for nominees.

Marijuana-infused beauty products (including bath oil, right, and bath bombs, left), are among the £80,000 of freebies in goodie bags for nominees

And the Oscar for dad-dancing…

Richard E. Grant can be forgiven this display of embarrassing dad-dancing as he shared his gleeful excitement at being a nominee with daughter Olivia. 

Speaking to The Mail on Sunday at an Oscars party at the British Consulate in Los Angeles on Friday, he said: ‘I don’t have a hope in hell of winning but I’m having the most brilliant time.’ 

He is so convinced that Mahershala Ali will win in his best supporting actor category for Green Book that he ‘hasn’t even thought’ of an acceptance speech. 

Since being nominated, Grant has posted a string of joyous selfies to the delight of fans.

Richard E. Grant can be forgiven this display of embarrassing dad-dancing as he shared his gleeful excitement at being a nominee with daughter Olivia

Speaking at the tea party to celebrate the UK’s Oscar nominees at the British Consul General’s residence in Los Angeles, Consul General Michael Howells said six of this year’s eight Best Picture nominees have British talent in key roles behind the camera on on-scree. 

He said: ‘This has been a fantastic year for British film. We showed the world we can do an entirely new type of costume drama and that a middle-aged Brit in a fat suit can play an American vice president entirely convincingly. 

‘Britain produces some of the most creative and talented people in the world. And together with our friends in the US we make the world’s best film and television together. 

‘Nine out of the top 20 box office films last year were joint UK-US productions.’ 

Mr Howells praised the ‘diversity’ of British talent which ‘only strengthens the film and TV sectors’ and added the UK received over pounds 1.6 billion of outside investment in feature film productions and co-productions last year, much of that from Hollywood. 

He said: ‘This has been a banner year for Brits in Hollywood and we could not be more proud of all our nominees.’ 

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