30 Most Memorable Oscar Moments From The Last 30 Years

26. The "Did Marisa Tomei Really Win?" Controversy (1993)

cousin vinny
20th Century Fox

Marisa Tomei's Best Supporting Actress win for My Cousin Vinny was so wildly unexpected that a rumour quickly emerged that presenter Jack Palance had a "senior moment" and somehow ended up reading the wrong winner.

Tomei was up against industry vets Judy Davis (Husbands and Wives), Joan Plowright (Enchanted April), Vanessa Redgrave (Howards End) and Miranda Richardson (Miranda Richardson), making her win for a comparatively frothy comedy that much more peculiar.

Though the urban legend persists, the Academy confirmed that Tomei was the legitimate winner of the award, and as was made clear in 2017 with the infamous Best Picture kerfuffle - which we'll get to later - procedures are in place to quickly correct an erroneous winner announcement.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.