As many of us sat in our sweatpants on Sunday night glued to the television watching Ellen DeGeneres host the Academy Awards, a thought may have crossed our minds. I want to be there in a beautiful dress like hers! Then realization set in that a college student in small town Iowa is probably not stepping foot on that glorious red carpet anytime soon. Or are they?
   As it turns out, one does not have to be famous to be a part of some of Hollywood’s biggest nights. Anyone can apply to play the role of seat filler at the Oscars. Although you won’t get paid, you will get to see everything that goes on before the show starts. Along the red carpet are 600 bleacher seats that people can apply to sit in. In early September, www.oscars.org offers applications for people to fill these seats, but they are only available for a limited time. If you prefer to see the actual show, there is always a need for seat fillers when celebrities get up for a break or to use the restroom. Enter a very calm volunteer to sit next to a celebrity to keep the theater looking full for those sitting at home. We’re not joking about the calm part, one of the requirements of this job is to avoid disrupting the show and talking to celebrities. All applicants have to go through a background check, and the Academy has certain types of people that they are looking for to fill these positions. As long as you show up looking nice and follow the producers directions, you will be just fine and on your way to an exciting night with the hottest celebrities.
   If you are ambitious, you could also try to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. However, to be in this prestigious group one must have their name somewhere in the credits of at least two or three movies of note depending on your profession (i.e. directors and producers are different from actors and actresses). As a member of this group, though, you are not guaranteed a seat in the Kodak Theatre. There are roughly 6,000 members but only 3,300 seats in the theater. Unless you are a nominee, presenter, ambassador or date of one of the above your name will get put into a lottery system to see which member can get fancied up for the big night and which ones will be just like the rest of us watching from home.
   Our last suggestion for getting to the Oscars comes in light of recent events. There is always the option of opening a really good pizza place around the Kodak Theatre and hoping that the host will get hungry and order your pizza. The chances of that happening again are slim, so we suggest applying to be a filler.
   Although this year’s awards shows are wrapping up, be sure to look for ways to be a part of these big nights next year. After all, who said you have to be famous to be on TV?
Photo courtesy of www.lostremote.com