Oscars 2020: Who will be lucky enough to fill the seats next to Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio? (Picture: Getty)

The Oscars 2020 is finally here, with the biggest names in Hollywood and beyond battling it out for a golden trophy to adorn their mantelpiece with.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Joaquin Phoenix and Renee Zellweger are among those getting ready to gather at the Dolby Theatre in LA, preparing their celebratory speeches or awkward gracious loser faces.

But it’s not only the selection of presenters there to ensure the night runs smoothly, but the people that are on hand to fill their seats every time they need the loo, or want to have a natter with someone.

Basically they are there to make sure there are no empty chairs, and are sort of the undercover heroes of Hollywood.




And Maya Tribbitt, who took on the role of a seat filler at the 2018 Emmys, has lifted the lid on exactly what goes down for the most unseen people in the industry.

Speaking to Metro.co.uk, she admitted the organisers were really strict, banning them from taking selfies or even dressing too bright.

Rules they all sneakily flouted, of course.

‘They were really strict about what to wear,’ she told us. ‘No sparkles, no short dresses, no bright colours or white. Basically don’t stand out.

‘We were there a few hours before the show started and we were told not to talk to anyone or take pictures.

‘But as soon as we got into the theatre everyone sneakily took pictures.’

Well, if you’re in a room with Margot Robbie, Meryl Streep or Timothee Chalamet, it would be rude not to…

Maya got the gig by filling out an application form on seatfillersandmore.com – where said fillers are strongly instructed not to outshine whoever they happened to be sitting next to, don’t speak to anyone famous, and don’t even think about getting pictures.

Seat fillers were probably working overtime while this selfie was being taken (Picture: Twitter)

She let slip the celebs she did bump into some pretty big names while bumbling around the bash – but there were some who didn’t quite get why she was plonked next to them.

‘We saw Tiffany Haddish, Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel, and the cast of Stranger Things,’ she continued.

‘A ton of people asked us what was going on, when they saw us lined up about to go into the theatre.’

As well as rubbing shoulders with the elite, she also got to witness a special moment for the Game Of Thrones cast, which is something we would write on our gravestones.

‘At the end of the show I ended up getting stuck backstage in the trophy room, where I saw the Game Of Thrones cast and writers get their trophies engraved,’ she said.

Joaquin Phoenix has been tipped to win big at this year’s Oscars (Picture: WireImage)

‘While a friend I made was able to snag a selfie with Connie Britton and one with Jeff Daniels.

‘When the show started and we were placed people kept asking us how this worked. During the commercials, there was a giant countdown clock and we had to run to find a new seat before the clock ran out.



‘Some people didn’t understand and told us not to sit next to them because their spouse was on their way back.’

Imagine telling Beyonce you’re just sitting in Jay Z’s seat while he’s in the loo? Not ideal.

Unfortunately for those of you planning on making hobnobbing with Brad Pitt and co a regular thing, you might want to think again – or have a lot of money saved up.

The 2020 Academy Awards take place on Sunday, 9 February (Picture: Getty)

According to the Seat Fillers And More website, ‘there is no pay nor is any compensation provided for travel if you are coming from out of town. Being a seat filler is all voluntary and all cost are at your own discretion.’

However, they do take care of parking costs and provide a shuttle from ‘long-distance parking areas’, so there’s that.

But, despite the long hours and not being paid, Maya would definitely give the experience another go.

‘It was a great experience and I’d recommend everyone try it because there’s really nothing like it,’ she added.

A game of musical chairs with some of the most famous people around? Count us in for next year.

The 2020 Academy Awards take place on Sunday, 9 February, at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

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