Mary Steenburgen Added This Sweet Touch to Her Oscars Ensemble as a Tribute to Her 1981 Win
Celebrities love to send a message through their wardrobe, and Oscars night is one of the biggest Hollywood stages to make a statement. Lupita Nyong’o did it with her blue Armani Privé gown to honor the 10-year anniversary of her Oscars win for 12 Years a Slave. And now, one eagle-eyed fan discovered that Mary Steenburgen made a similar move.
The 71-year-old actress cut an elegant figure on the red carpet, posing next to husband Ted Danson. She wore a chic, black column gown with a patent leather and gold embellishment at the neckline. It was simple yet made a statement. The drama came in when she added this particular detail during the presentation for Best Supporting Actress at the start of the show. Steenburgen wore the same floral jacket she won her Oscar in 43 years ago.
Back in 1981, the Academy Awards were a simpler affair. Actresses often did their own hair and makeup — there was no glam squad getting them ready for the big show. Steenburgen looked gorgeous the night she collected her Oscar for Melvin and Howard with a flower tucked behind her hair and the long duster enveloping her and her black gown. It worked in 1981, and it worked in 2024.
Steenburgen has mixed emotions about the win because she was only two years into her Hollywood career after being discovered by Jack Nicholson. “Part of me certainly desperately wanted this, and part of me was scared of it. It was very magical. I was still very much focused on being a brand-new mom, and it was the first time I ever left my child to go away for a few hours,” she recalled to Gold Derby in 2014. It was the aftermath from the Oscars win that she struggled with.
“In many ways, I didn’t handle it very well. It was too much for me. I really kind of ran away from it all,” Steenburgen added. “I moved a few hours outside of Los Angeles, and I didn’t really do too much press. I didn’t capitalize on the Oscar at all in terms of trying to find the right script. I really ran away from it, so I probably wouldn’t give someone else that advice.”
Steenburgen’s presence at the 2024 Oscars was an important one because she’s thriving in this season of life. From her Book Club movie franchise to her starring role on Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, that Oscar win is one of the highlights of a very long career — and her floral jacket deserved another night to shine on the Oscars stage.
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