For over six decades, Hollywood’s most glamorous event has captivated audiences worldwide. Dave Karger’s “50 Oscar Nights” takes readers behind the scenes with exclusive interviews featuring actors, filmmakers, musicians, and craftspeople, offering invaluable insights into the prestigious awards ceremony.
Dave Karger is renowned as Turner Classic Movies’ host, interviewer, journalist, and film expert. With a rich background in the industry, he has served as a host on Turner Classic Movies and has been NBC’s Today show’s resident Oscars expert since 2000. Additionally, Karger spent over 15 years covering the Oscars for Entertainment Weekly and co-hosted ABC’s Live from the Red Carpet pre-show. His contributions to the entertainment industry were recognized with the Publicist Guild Press Award in 2015, honoring his outstanding work as an entertainment journalist. Hailed as this generation’s mass media cinematic ambassador by The Wrap and beloved entertainment guru by The Hollywood Reporter, Karger continues to be a prominent figure in the world of film and television.
As a lifelong fan of the Oscars, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to attend this special event on January 28, held at the Ted Mann Theater at The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Beverly Hills. It was the perfect occasion to learn about the stories behind the iconic trophies just ahead of the Oscar awards on March 10th.
During the event, Karger graciously signed copies of his book, and I was impressed by his promptness and warm demeanor. It was especially meaningful to me as Karger recognized me from previous events such as the La Costa Film Festival and the first Oscar Night at the Academy Museum. Additionally, we have connected on Instagram, adding another layer to our interaction.
Despite his many accomplishments in the movie industry, Karger remains down-to-earth. Following the signing, he was joined by actor Topher Grace (known for That ’70s Show) for a moderated discussion about his book, providing further insights into the world of Oscars and Hollywood.
During the conversation, Karger mentioned that the chapter on Meryl Streep in his book is particularly exciting. He expressed, “The Meryl Streep chapter is pretty exciting for me in many ways. I mean, she was the one that I had to extend the deadline for. Asked many, many times. It was a lot to get her. Once she agreed to it and we worked it out with her schedule because she had a lot going on, she’s very busy. She was amazing.” Karger recalled the moment he connected with her over Zoom, saying, “I just remember sitting with her, like… Oh my God, I have Meryl Streep for my Oscar book, I got her.” He noted that for those featured in the book with more than one Oscar, like Streep who has three, he allowed them to choose the year they wanted to discuss. Streep chose to talk about “Sophie’s Choice,” which Karger considers “the best performance by any actor in any movie of all time.” He expressed his excitement that she selected that particular film.
I also asked Karger about his “aha moment” regarding writing his book “50 Oscar Nights.” He shared, “Winning an Oscar wasn’t entirely a positive experience. That was a big ‘aha’ for me because I mean, I interviewed Octavia and for her, it was the Cinderella moment that came true and it was amazing. But there’s a lot of people… Mira Sorvino we haven’t talked about (during the conversation), Marlee Matlin we haven’t really talked about (during the conversation), for whom this Oscar win was and is something that they feel conflicted about or that has memories associated with it that are not entirely positive. That was the kind of eye-opening thing for me, working on it and putting it all together.”
As a trusted authority on all things cinema, Karger’s work continues to resonate with audiences and industry professionals alike, solidifying his legacy as an essential voice in the world of entertainment.
You can follow Karger on Instagram.
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