Behind the scenes with the screen goddesses of the Oscars: The candid images that show what it's REALLY to be part of the biggest night of the showbiz calendar
- Matthew Butson, Vice President, of the Hulton Archive at Getty Images has selected his favourite candid moments
- Includes Grace Kelly looking nervous backstage and Audrey Hepburn fixing her shoes as she rushes in
- Photographer Stefanie Keenan reveals what it's like to cover the ceremony and how actors feel on the big night
- See full coverage of the Oscars 2016 with more behind the scenes pictures and the latest red carpet style
The Oscars have become a global media event, with all eyes on the red carpet fashion, the tearful acceptance speeches and the sore loser smiles, but what is it really like to be a star walking the red carpet and perhaps even ascending the stage to accept the famous golden statuette?
To give an insight into the what it's really like to be part of the awards, Matthew Butson, Vice President, of the Hulton Archive at Getty Images has selected his favourite candid moments from the golden age of Hollywood exclusively for MailOnline.
And Getty photographer Stefanie Keenan has revealed that on the big night Oscar-winning actors are just like the rest of us when you strip away all the glitz and glamour.
Grace Kelly (right) backstage at the RKO Pantages Theatre, during the 28th Annual Academy Awards in 1956, with Audrey Hepburn as they wait to present an award. A month later the actress would marry Prince Rainier of Monaco and become Princess Grace
Elizabeth Taylor left, holding her Oscar for Best Actress in 'Butterfield 8', at the 33rd Academy Awards, Santa Monica, California, 17th April 1961. She wore a Christian Dior gown with a yellow top, a green belt with a larg bow and a red corsage and a white skirt with a scattering of flowers, which she teamed with elbow length white gloves, while her husband Eddie Fisher - father to Carrie - is on her arm
'Having exclusive backstage access, I would say that everyone, even the most senior stars, need a moment after they come off stage with their award,' Stefanie told FEMAIL.
'When you are in the audience or watching the awards at home it all looks so seamless, but I have not seen a single one of those extremely professional actors just get off stage and go to the press room all cool and relaxed.'It seems like all the hard work, all the running around attending luncheons and press events beforehand suddenly releases from them and they are in this private space of thankfulness. It's a very private moment and it's magic. Sometimes I photograph it when I feel it's not too intrusive, but most of the time I leave them in their space.
'You realise in those moments we are all the same, yearning for appreciation for our work. It's beautiful to witness these candid moments and it's so private and rare, you want to leave them alone and have this time.
Audrey Hepburn pauses to adjust her show before entering the NBC Century Theatre for the Academy Award ceremony in New York City on 25th March 1954
Audrey Hepburn (left) looking anxious with her mother Baroness Ella Van Heemstra at the Academy Awards ceremony in New York in 1954 just before she won an Oscar for the movie Roman Holiday. Sitting backstage, Audrey (right) has her make up touched up by an NBC dresser
'Most celebrities can't live a private life any more and have to live gated and reclusive lives. As a documentarian it's a fine line of when to record and when to give them space to be private.'
Of course, over the years, Getty photographers have captured many of the stars' quiet moments of contemplation backstage as well as candid moments during the ceremony.
One of the most intimate images selected by Michael Butson shows a nervous looking Audrey Hepburn and her mother Baroness Ella Van Heemstra at the ceremony just before she won a Best Actress Oscar in 1954.
The star, dressed in a beautiful, white floral Givenchy gown can be seen anxiously chewing on her finger as she awaits the announcement of the Best Actress winner.
'This photo catches a moment of anticipation on Audrey Hepburn’s face as she sits with her mother. Moments after this Hepburn won the Best Actress award for her role in Roman Holiday,' Matthew explained.
The 25th Academy Awards ceremony was held on March 19, 1953. In this photo, we see established Hollywood starlet Elizabeth Taylor enter the awards wearing a beautiful frothy white strapless gown and smiling at the press. This was also the first Academy Awards ceremony to be televised, and the first ceremony to be held in Hollywood and New York City simultaneously
This image shows Elizabeth walking down the aisle to collect her award in 1961 for Best Actress with husband, Eddie Fisher. The angle of this shot really demonstrates the buzz around the award, with all eyes on Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor with her husband, British actor Michael Wilding (right) at the 26th Academy Awards, held at the RKO Pantages Theatre, Hollywood, California, 25th March 1954. Taylor and Wilding presented the award for Best Documentary Feature to Walt Disney for The Living Desert
In a brief but touching speech the actress thanked her supporters and said: It's too much. I'm truly, truly grateful and terribly happy.'
Another shot from the night shows her getting her make up touched up by an NBC dresser at the ceremony, which was held in New York that year.
And while the red carpet these days may be all about posing for the camera and looking perfect, a shot from 1954 shows the actress pausing to adjust her shoe as she arrives at the Century Theatre for the ceremony. She not only presented an award, but was nominated for Best Actress in her role of Sabrina.
She was back at the ceremony in 1956 to present an award alongside Grace Kelly, pictured backstage a month before her wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco.
Another candid shot shows Elizabeth Taylor hoisting up her frothy white strapless gown as she made her way into the 25th Annual Academy Awards at the RKO Pantages Theatre in 1953, the first year the Oscars were televised.
The legendary star features several times in his selection, with another image showing her being assisted down the aisle by her husband Eddie Fisher to accept her Oscar for Butterfield 8 in 1961.
Ava Gardner, right, wears a tiara and a evening gown as she sits in her seat in the audience of the Academy Awards ceremony held at the RKO Pantages Theatre on April 4, 1960 in LA
She wore a Christian Dior gown with a yellow top, a green belt with a red flower and a white skirt with a scattering of flowers, which she teamed with elbow length white gloves.
'The angle of this shot really demonstrates the buzz around the award, with all eyes on Taylor,' Matthew said.
She's also pictured at the dinner table with her Britsh actor husband Michael Wilding at the 1954 ceremony, where they presented the award for Best Documentary Feature to Walt Disney for The Living Desert.
Screen siren Ava Gardner features in Mattthew's selection. Famous for playing the femme fatale, she was married to Frank Sinatra, Artie Shaw and Mickey Rooney.
Wearing a tiara, a sequinned dress, white gloves and clutching a fur stole, she gives the camera a dazzling smile.
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE PART OF THE OSCARS? A RED CARPET PHOTOGRAPHER REVEALS ALL
Photographer Stefanie Keenan said she witnessed Jennifer Lawrence become a woman and true star, without losing any of her quirkiness and innocence
German-born photographer Stefanie Keenan came to New York in 1998 as a model. She started working as a visual artist and director in multimedia formats in 2005, and began working for Getty in 2007, covering a range of exclusive star studded events.
Here she reveals what it's really like to photograph the stars on Oscars night.
It's hugely exciting to be close to the A-list talent. There is a sort of trust relationship that exists with most of the celebrities attending.
They know I would never release a bad image and know they can trust my direction if the dress needs another pose.
They are comfortable being goofy and relaxed with me around. There are only a few of us photographers with exclusive access and it's definitely a working relationship that develops over time. It's particularly nice when they remember your name.
I remember shooting a fairly unknown Jennifer Lawrence at a private screening of Winter's Bone, for which she was nominated for an Oscar in 2011, and literally witnessed her turning into a woman in a matter of months.
What is remarkable is that she didn't lose her sweetness and innocence, but rather felt secure enough to be who she is and keep her quirks.
'Relatable' is the word I like to use to describe Jennifer. Brie Larson for me is this year's transformation.
Mind you, all those ladies were great to begin with and had careers from the get-go of course, but there is something that happens to them where they become 'the star'.
When I first started with Getty Images over 10 years ago, fashion was riskier.
To wear a dress by an up and coming designer or to wear something that would be 'talked about' was more common.
It all started to become safer and more predictable around 2010.
I believe this is partly down to stylists being unsure how far they can go without interfering with the persona of the actor, rather than limitations in what they can pull from designers.
I just shot a couple of private fittings and jewellery events where stylists came in and pulled the accessories the week before, so these are being decided in just a couple days prior to the event.
The final decision of what would be worn took place on Monday and Tuesday and it all comes together essentially Thursday and Friday.
It's understandably very hectic with seamstresses all over town working 15-hour shifts.
A-list stylists rent houses and have private fittings there with their teams ready to adjust; celebrities are in and out in around an hour.
What goes on behind the curtain after the fitting is absolute madness I have to say. They are all doing such a fantastic job.
I think that PR around a celebrity's image has become more polished over the years, but the behaviour hasn't really changed,' she said. 'Celebrities are all nice, and I have yet to meet someone in this industry who has got their A-list status that isn't kind.
'It may be that stars have had a long, hard journey to get to where they are and as a result are hugely appreciative to the people that had a part - albeit very small - to make them recognisable.
Jennifer Lawrence arrives at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre in 2011, the year she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Winter's Bone
One of the most heartwarming shots captures a moment between actress Claudette Colbert and Shirley Temple in 1935.
The child star who won a special juvenile Oscar is congratulated by Claudette who won the Best Actress gong that year for It Happened One Night.
She was the youngest actor ever to win an Academy Juvenile Award in 1935 when she was six years old for the film Bright Eyes, which made her famous and imprinted her face and voice on generations around the world as a result of her performance of the song On The Good Ship Lollipop.
With her hair in ringlets, angelic face and wearing a checked pinafore dress, the unforgettable rendition made her one of the biggest box office draws of the era.
Icons Rock Hudson and Mae West also feature in a rare glimpse into rehearsals for the ceremony in 1958.
'Rock Hudson and Mae West performed ‘Baby, it's cold outside,’ at the 30th Academy Awards,' Matthew said. 'In this comical moment, Hudson is moving in to embrace actress Mae West who has just given him her ‘Come up and see me sometime’ line.'
The actress Claudette Colbert congratulating Shirley Temple for her Oscar at the 7th Academy Awards. Shirley Temple received the first Juvenile Award at age six, making her the youngest Oscar recipient ever
Actor Rock Hudson moving in to embrace actress Mae West who has just given him her, 'Come up and see me sometime' line during rehearsals for 30th annual Academy Awards show at the RKO Pantages theatre
(Left to right) Gregory Peck, Sophia Loren, Joan Crawford and Maximilian Schell stand backstage at the Academy Awards, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Los Angeles, April 8, 1963. Peck won Best Actor for director Robert Mulligan's film To Kill a Mockingbird. Crawford accepted the Best Actress award for Anne Bancroft for director Arthur Penn's film The Miracle Worker. Loren had won the year before for Two Women and Schell for Judgment At Nuremberg, which was only his second film
Another of Matthew's favourite images is the star-studded line up of Gregory Peck, Sophia Loren and Joan Crawford captured backstage just after Peck and Crawford had been on stage to collect awards.
Gregory Peck won Best Actor for his portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, while Joan Crawford accepted the Best Actress award for Anne Bancroft for director Arthur Penn's film The Miracle Worker.
Bancroft was performing in Mother Courage and Her Children on Broadway at the time, and Crawford later presented the award to her in New York.
It was a coup for Crawford who stole the spotlight from Bette Davis who was nominated for Best Actress for Whatever Happened To Baby Jane in which they both starred as embattled sisters.
The pair were bitter rivals in real life, competing over their careers and love interests and it would not have gone down well with Davis that Crawford ended up on stage accepting an award when she wasn't even nominated, while she missed out on a gong.
A tender moment between actor Rod Steiger and actress Katy Jurado was captured on camera as they attended the Academy Awards in Los Angeles in 1955. Rod was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in On The Waterfront with Marlon Brando, although he missed out on a gong. Mexican-born Katy, who was one of the first Latin American actresses to hit Hollywood, won the Oscar for best supporting actress in Broken Lance
Irish-born actor Barry Fitzgerald (left) holds his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor while Bing Crosby holds his Oscar for Best Actor, both for their roles in 'Going My Way,' at the 1945 Oscars. Sylvester Stallone (right) gives a statue a playful punch after winning Best Actor for his portrayal of Rocky Balboa in 1977
Singer Ben Vereen (left) attends the rehearsals for 52nd Annual Academy Awards on April 13, 1980 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. Vereen presented the music Award alongside Dolly Parton. Singer and actor Frank Sinatra (right) attends the 27th Academy Awards at the RKO Pantages Theatre on March 30, 1955 in Los Angeles
A tender moment between actor Rod Steiger and Katy Jurado at the 1955 Oscars also made it on to Matthew's list of favourites.
Rod was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in On The Waterfront with Marlon Brando, although he missed out on a gong. Mexican-born Katy, who was one of the first Latin American actresses to hit Hollywood, won the Oscar for best supporting actress in Broken Lance.
She's seen in animated conversation with Steiger who leans closer to hear what she's saying as they tuck into a dinner of steak and chips.
A fun shot from the 1945 Oscars shows Irish-born actor Barry Fitzgerald and Bing Crosby holding their gongs for their roles in 'Going My Way,' looking slightly bemused. Ftizgerald is smoking a cigarette, while Crosby is toking on a pipe.
'The 17th Academy Awards marked the first time the complete awards ceremony was broadcast nationally,' Matthew said. 'This was also the first and last time an individual was nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for playing the same role in the same film: Barry Fitzgerald for the character of Father Fitzgibbon in Going My Way. He won for Best Supporting Actor and was beaten to Best Actor by Bing Crosby his co-star.'
Sacheen Littlefeather holds a written statement from actor Marlon Brando refusing his Best Actor Oscar on stage at the Academy Awards on March 27, 1973 in Los Angeles, California. In the letter, Brando critiqued the film industry's discrimination and mistreatment of Native Americans
Benjamin Burtt Jr. creator of the alien, creature and robot voices in the film Star Wars poses alongside Mark Hamill, who portrays Luke Skywalker, making the movie one of the biggest winners at the 50th Academy Awards in 1978
In 1973 Marlon Brando refused his Best Actor Oscar for The Godfather criticising the film industry for its discrimination and mistreatment of Native Americans.
Sacheen Littlefeather, Native American actress Maria Cruz, read a written statement from actor Marlon Brando refusing his Best Actor Oscar on stage at the 45th Academy Awards on March 27, 1973 in Los Angeles, California. In the letter, Brando critiqued the film industry's discrimination and mistreatment of Native Americans.
One of the biggest winners at the 50th Academy Awards in 1978 was Star Wars, which performed well in the technical categories. Matthew has chosen an image of Benjamin Burtt Jr. creator of the alien, creature and robot voices in the film posing alongside Mark Hamill, who portrayed Luke Skywalker.
Sylvester Stallone added some humour to proceedings by giving a giant Oscar statue a playful punch after winning the Best Actor gong for his role as the boxer Rocky Balboa in 1977.
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