Hollywood legends can't help but cuddle up on the red carpet this awards season to 'negate negativity' in 'dark world', brand expert says
- This award season celebrities can't help but cuddle on the red carpet
- READ MORE: Has Jennifer Aniston finally found her fairytale ending?
Any Hollywood historian will tell you, that alongside glamour, romance and reels, the tale of Tinseltown isn't complete without mentioning famous feuds.
From the days of black and white films and silent movies, stars with big salaries and even bigger egos would butt heads.
In the 1940s it was Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, in 2022 it was Will Smith and Chris Rock, in between dozens of stars have found rivalry in romance, bickered over back-end and fought over screen time and creative differences.
But it seems that the latest trend in Hollywood - on the red carpet at least - is friendly PDAs.
No longer are movie stars battling it out, instead, they can't help but show how much they love one another.
Hollywood stars can't help but show affection on the red carpet and at reward shows. Pictured is Penelope Cruz and Ryan Gosling 30th Screen Actors Guild Awards
No longer are movie stars battling it out, instead, they can't help but show how much they love one another, Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain are seen hugging
Sterling K Brown and Hannah Waddingham 30th Screen Actors Guild Awards embrace in a hug
This weekend's SAG-AFRA awards saw many nominees and attendees cuddling up, mentioning one another in speeches and praising one another.
This, according to a leading brand expert, is a deliberate move from Hollywood bigwigs to signal peace and happiness.
Jennifer Aniston cosied up to her former co-star Reese Witherspoon, while Reese also cuddled superstar Selena Gomez.
Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Meryl Streep had a Devil Wears Prada reunion on the red carpet, with lots of hugs in-tow.
Others, including Oprah, Hannah Waddingham and Ryan Gosling had some sweet displays of affection.
Speaking to FEMAIL, branding expert Hayley Knight said this is likely a deliberate move to 'negate the negativity in the world'.
'Award seasons are always a joyous occasion for everyone. We see new connections, reunions, friend groups, and there is often always a little bit of drama brewing,' Hayley said.
This weekend's SAG-AFRA awards saw many nominees and attendees cuddling up, mentioning one another in speeches and praising one another. Eilish, Ariana Greenblatt and Pedro Pascal are pictured
Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott at the BAFTAs earlier this month in a sweet hug
'But this season, especially in the film industry, it has been an ongoing display of love, affection, friendship and laughter. Not just in the photos, but also in the speeches.
'From Meryl Streep's reunion with Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway to Pedro Pascal's super cute tipsy speech, and exclamation to make out with competitor Kieran Culkin, love (helped by the free flowing alcohol) has definitely been in the air this year.
'There are several reasons that this could be. Though it is nice, and often somewhat nostalgic to see these connections, and I thoroughly enjoyed Pedro's input, and the responses to Barbara Streisand accepting her Lifetime Award, I must admit it does feel a little orchestrated, as if the entire film industry has told its actors to play nice.
'And just like method dressing during award season, this affectionate dynamic feels a little, well like acting.
'Maybe, there isn't any drama to be shared, but judging by previous years, and highlights that the press love to pick up on, this seems unlikely.
'Maybe we really are living in the Barbie Meta world, where everything is sunshine and rosy. But most likely, it's a branding decision, and maybe it isn't such a bad thing.
'There is so much negativity in the world right now, with disease, war, cost of living and upcoming elections in both the UK and US, all of which is causing mental health issues, sadness, frustration and fear.
Andrew Scott, Ayo Edebiri and Paul Mescal are seen in a public display of affection at the Oscars
Former Orange is the New Black co-stars Uzo Aduba and Danielle Brooks reunite in a hug at the SAG awards
Jessica Chastain and Margot Robbie hold hands at the SAG awards
'Film, TV and music stars are all incredibly influential and award season sets the news trend for a while, and influences people's moods, and the news they share.
'These two aspects combined, it's very possible that they have been advised to keep things positive, inspiring and loving at this year's award ceremonies, to help offset all the bad in the world.
'As humans, we feel good when we see other people feeling good - it's natural. And we love to see celebrities bond and rejoice, it creates happiness and we bond over it.
'And entertainment and culture has a positive impact all over the world, and the award season is a global platform.
'So I feel that this is the industry very consciously doing its bit to show the world some goodness, and connection, when we are all feeling very disconnected right now and ease off on the bad news for a while.
'It's also worth noting that most people photographed showcasing their outfit were smiling, and the majority had their teeth showing.
'Smiles allow us to bond with others, create a sense of ease and peace, and make us feel happy and positive. Showing your teeth is natural when smiling. None of this is coincidental.
'I also feel that creating a sort of modern nostalgia has been on the movie industry agenda.
'The industry has been on its knees due to Covid and cost of living crisis, with people not going to the cinema, and cancelling their streaming subscriptions.
'But the industry has also evolved, and had some strong wins (Barbie and Oppenheimer), which has renewed invested interest in movies and cinema.
'This paired with recent and new projects including Saltburn and Priscilla (both starring young Hollywood's Jacob Eldori, who we have fallen in love with over the summer, alongside Barry Keoghan), the industry wants to monetise these connections as much as possible.
'So the award season this year is all about developing connections with the actors and fans.
'It isn't a coincidence that we were treated with photos of the Streep, Blunt and Hathaway reunion, or Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon were photographed together, as well as lots of celebratory and happy group shots.
'Creating this connection leads to audience investment.'
Oprah, Penelope Cruz, Jessica Chastain, Hannah Waddingham are also known to have cosy love-ins.
Oprah recently cuddled up to Danielle Brooks at the SAG awards, Penelope Cruz and Ryan Gosling also shared a sweet embrace.
Emily Blunt also cuddled up to Jessica Chastain and Cillian Murphy while Hannah Waddingham cuddled Hannah Waddingham cuddled up to Steling K Brown.
The Succession cast all cuddled one another on the carpet, after winning the award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series.
The love-in is vastly different from successful TV shows of the noughties were casts often fought.
Danielle Brooks and Oprah Winfrey cuddled up at the SAG awards
Taraji P. Henson, David Oyelowo, Oprah Winfrey, Kat Graham and Danielle Brooks were cosy together
Sex and the City, saw a bitter fighting in the cast, in particular between Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker.
It was long reported that, Sarah earned a much larger salary than her costars during her time in the show - which eventually led to it going off the air in 2004.
'We've never been friends - we've been colleagues. And in some ways that's a very healthy place to be, as you have a clear line between your professional life, and your personal, too,' Kim said.
Desperate Housewives, another big show of the noughties, also saw much in-fighting.
In 2023, a former Desperate Housewives writer revealed it was a 'miracle' that the hit series ever got made because of chaotic behind-the-scenes drama – adding that staff would actively avoid cast member Teri Hatcher.
Emily Blunt hugged Cillian Murphy in a sweet embrace
The Succession cast also cuddled up to one another
The acclaimed ABC show, which ran from 2004 to 2012, starred Hatcher (Susan Mayer), Felicity Huffman (Lynette Scavo), Eva Longoria (Gabrielle Solis), and Marcia Cross (Bree van de Kamp), and followed the four housewives and the secrets, crimes, and mysteries hidden in their seemingly perfect neighbourhood.
Patty Lin worked as a writer on Marc Cherry's show and has now exposed shocking stories from the set and the writers' room in her newly-released memoir End Credits, in which she readily admits that she was 'boggled' by Desperate Housewives' success.
In 2013, Hatcher, 58, dismissed rumors that she feuded with the Desperate Housewives crew after it was reported that Vanessa Williams, Cross, Longoria and Huffman had sent them a farewell gift of luggage – without her involvement.
'That crew knows I'd have jumped in front of a bus for them at any moment,' she said.
'I was beyond generous throughout those eight years and any crew member will tell you that, so it doesn't matter what anybody writes.
'I don't really know who gave or did what. I know what I did, and I can look in the mirror at myself in a good way about the people I worked with and how much respect I had for them.'