Dwayne Johnson & Jharrel Jerome Relive THAT Oscars Mix-Up
On The Graham Norton Show, Dwayne Johnson and Jharrel Jerome shared an unforgettable moment as they relived the infamous Oscars mix-up that occurred during the 2017 Academy Awards. Jharrel Jerome, who was part of the cast of Moonlight, reflected on his early career, admitting that winning the Oscar was a surreal experience—especially considering it was just his first job. “I auditioned for Moonlight on my 18th birthday,” he shared, recalling how it all began for him. But it wasn’t just any audition—it was one that would lead to him walking the red carpet and stepping into the whirlwind of the Oscars. Little did he know, the night would go down in history for an unexpected reason.
The 2017 Oscars will forever be remembered for the unforgettable La La Land and Moonlight mix-up, a moment that shocked everyone in the Dolby Theatre. Jharrel described the moment in vivid detail, admitting he thought the announcement that Moonlight had won was part of a joke. “I thought he was doing a Kanye thing,” he said, referencing the infamous Kanye West interruption of Taylor Swift’s 2009 MTV Video Music Awards speech. But the mix-up wasn’t a joke. The La La Land producer’s announcement—only for it to be corrected moments later—sent the audience into a state of confusion. The cameras captured the shock on Jharrel’s face as he, along with his Moonlight castmates, realized they had won Best Picture.
Dwayne Johnson, who was also a guest on the show, couldn’t help but laugh at the chaos. “It was surreal,” he recalled. “You’re sitting there, and it’s happening in real time. Do I need to step on stage and stop this?” The tension in the room was palpable as the producers of La La Land handed the Oscar statuette to Moonlight by mistake, only for them to hurriedly return it. Dwayne added his own take on the iconic moment, sharing that he had been watching the scene unfold live and felt as if he was witnessing a real-life spectacle that couldn’t have been scripted.
The moment where the wrong winner was announced and the chaos that followed was a mix of confusion, disbelief, and humor. Dwayne Johnson, always quick to jump in and lighten up a situation, joked about saving the day. “I was ready to step in,” he said with a smile. The situation certainly needed some comic relief, and who better to deliver it than Dwayne, known for his charisma and ability to turn any chaotic moment into a lighthearted one.
Jharrel Jerome also reflected on how the mix-up left him feeling for a while after the ceremony. The surreal nature of the event made him question whether it was all a dream. “I thought, ‘Did I really just win an Oscar?’” Jharrel admitted, noting that the moment was both a triumph and a whirlwind of emotions. And who can blame him? His film Moonlight had just made history as the first LGBTQ film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards, a monumental achievement in Hollywood’s history.
As they relived the moment, both Jharrel and Dwayne laughed, but there was no denying the gravity of that night. It wasn’t just about the Oscars—it was about the significance of Moonlight’s win, the way it reshaped the conversation around inclusion and representation in Hollywood. The mix-up might have overshadowed the announcement for a few moments, but it couldn’t take away from the groundbreaking achievement of Moonlight and its place in history.
In the end, the Oscars mix-up is a reminder of how unpredictable live events can be—and how even in moments of confusion, stars like Dwayne Johnson can bring levity to an otherwise tense situation. Whether it was La La Land’s producer trying to correct the mistake or Dwayne’s readiness to save the day, that night will forever remain one of the most talked-about events in Oscar history.
