MTV Movie & TV Awards: What You Didn’t See on TV
By Anna Tingley
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Many of the biggest stars in movies and television — including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jada Pinkett Smith, Kiernan Shipka, Sandra Bullock, Tessa Thompson and Brie Larson — came together to present and receive honors at the 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards, hosted by “Shazam!” star Zachary Levi. And while non-attendees are able to enjoy the show from the comfort of their homes, there are plenty of moments that the cameras didn’t capture. Here are some of the highlights:
Plane party: The Santa Monica Airport’s Barker Hangar, which is a popular event space for Hollywood events and galas (including past MTV Awards), got a makeover Saturday night for the big show. A long red carpet was rolled out in front of the hangar, which is located on the south side of the airport, while the inside of the venue was decked out with glitzy balloons, decorated tables and a sectioned-off area for guests to stand during the night’s musical performances.
Sleep deprived: Shipka, along with her “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” co-stars Gavin Leatherwood and Ross Lynch, booked it straight from the set in Canada to the red carpet Saturday night in order to present best kiss award together on stage. The trio was only able to cram in a couple of hours of sleep on the plane before getting glammed up for the evening’s events. “It’s kinda surreal ‘cause we were on set at 4 a.m. in Vancouver this morning, so I don’t know how we got here,” Lynch told Variety on the carpet before the show.
Meal time: Movie-themed snacks were passed out to attendees throughout the taping, with bags of kettle popcorn and a variety of candy to choose from (including Skittles, peanut M&Ms and Snickers bars) so guests didn’t leave the ceremony hungry. Boozy drinks were also a hit for attendees 21 and older. Guests were treated to an open bar outside the venue before the show kicked off, while servers offered homemade cocktails and canned alcoholic drinks, including lime margaritas and Moscow mules, once the event began.
Vaping during the taping: Though attendees’ phones were locked in air-tight bags before they entered the venue, security wasn’t as strict on other electronics at this year’s show — especially when it came to guests’ vape devices. While most people controlled themselves during the taping of the ceremony itself, vape smoke filled the air during commercial breaks.
Rock on: Of all the big moments that went down on stage Saturday night, like Lizzo performing at her first awards show or comedians Tiffany Haddish and Nick Kroll presenting awards, many attendees were most excited to be in the same room as the Rock, who was receiving the Generation Award. “Euphoria” star Storm Reid and Colton Underwood of “The Bachelor” were just two of the bold-faced names who told Variety they wanted to meet the actor and producer. “I can’t wait to see the Rock; I’ve been a huge fan of him,” Underwood told Variety. “I think everything he’s gone through in life, the adversity he’s faced and the man he is today is super inspiring to me and I can’t think of anybody more deserving of the Generation Award.”
