Entertainment

Dwayne Johnson: I wanted to jump on stage during Oscars mix-up

Sitting in the audience, the actor was so visibly stunned he became part of an internet meme.
Sitting in the audience, the actor was so visibly stunned he became part of an internet meme. Sitting in the audience, the actor was so visibly stunned he became part of an internet meme.

Dwayne Johnson has said he wanted to run onto the stage and “kick some ass” during the now-infamous Oscars blunder last year.

The US actor was within the first few rows when Hollywood legends Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway incorrectly declared the winner of the best picture Oscar as La La Land, rather than the actual winner Moonlight.

The major error – caused by an envelope mix-up – was quickly realised and it is now considered one of the most awkward moments in awards show history.

The Graham Norton Show
The Graham Norton Show Dwayne Johnson and Naomie Harris on The Graham Norton Show (Isabel Infantes/PA)

Johnson, who became part of an internet meme due to his stunned face while watching the drama unfold, told The Graham Norton show: “I was about to jump up on the stage and kick some ass.

“I really thought something was going down, like a hijack or something.”

Naomie Harris, who starred in drama Moonlight, said she couldn’t believe what was happening at the ceremony in February 2017.

“I eventually went up on stage but I was glued to my seat to begin with – I couldn’t believe what was happening,” she told chat show host Norton.

“I guess a moment like that will never happen again so it was kind of cool.”

Harris and Johnson appear together in new sci-fi monster film Rampage, in which a gorilla explodes in size after being exposed to a rogue genetic experiment.

On taking the role, the British actress said: “It is a massive leap, but after Moonlight I got lots of offers that were really just the same role with different names.

“Rampage is a 100 million miles from that character. It is a brilliant script and fantastic film.”