{"id":655586,"date":"2026-03-14T17:54:19","date_gmt":"2026-03-14T17:54:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/655586\/"},"modified":"2026-03-14T17:54:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T17:54:19","slug":"how-stars-arrive-at-the-oscars-on-time-and-in-one-piece","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/655586\/","title":{"rendered":"How Stars Arrive at the Oscars on Time and in One Piece"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tWhen you\u2019re ferrying hundreds of A-listers to the Academy Awards<\/a>, the last thing you want is rain.<\/p>\n

\n\tIf it pours, the convoy of chauffeured vehicles slows, gridlock ensues and the up-to-the-second schedule for red carpet arrivals collapses. Plus, it\u2019s not safe. \u201cTraffic in itself is a security risk,\u201d says David Seelinger, CEO of EmpireCLS \u2014 among the event\u2019s largest suppliers of luxury transport \u2014 since a bottlenecked parade of stars can become a target for paparazzi, rabid fans or worse. \u201cAnd safety is our No. 1 priority, for attendees and for our staff.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSeelinger\u2019s staff on Oscar night is prodigious. \u201cWe\u2019ll have around 300 cars<\/a> working the event this year,\u201d he says. Vehicles are drawn mainly from Empire\u2019s local fleets, though supplements arrive from as far away as San Francisco and Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tHarrison Ford and Calista Flockhart rolled up in a Prius at the Kodak Theatre (now the Dolby) in 2003. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAmy Sancetta\/AP Images<\/p>\n

\n\tIf this were the 20th century, most of these rides would be stretch limos. If it were the 2000s, a good number of stars would be rolling up in Priuses, as Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz and Harrison Ford did. These days, stars prefer SUVs. \u201cThe Cadillac Escalade is the No. 1 request,\u201d Seelinger says. \u201cIt\u2019s comfortable, and when a client steps out of it, it\u2019s a very elegant look.\u201d Empire runs a large fleet of battery-powered Escalades, alongside gas versions, and supplies six-figure electric Lucid Air sedans for those who prefer a traditional car. \u201cSome studios will only hire electric vehicles for events,\u201d he adds, and for the major nominees, studios often cover transport.<\/p>\n

\n\tFor attendees who travel in groups or with a stylist, Seelinger has other options. \u201cWe use luxury Mercedes Sprinter vans,\u201d he says. \u201cThey\u2019re very spacious, with high ceilings and a low step-out to the red carpet, so for the ladies \u2014 or whoever\u2019s wearing a gown, I should say \u2014 it\u2019s easier to get in and out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe cars are stocked with bottled water, and the chauffeurs often provide snacks. Still, passengers occasionally make supplemental \u201cunique\u201d requests. Though NDAs prohibit Seelinger from detailing these (or naming his clients), he attests that Empire does its best to accommodate. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter what it is, we\u2019ll typically do it, as long as it\u2019s not against the law,\u201d he says with a laugh. Since it\u2019s a long night, chauffeurs are fed a gourmet dinner by the company at the staging area while their passengers are at the event.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tOutside the Shrine Auditorium in 2001.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEric Ford\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\n\tThe procession to the Dolby Theatre is as carefully choreographed as a K-pop video. Coordination among the Academy, municipal organizations and first responders starts months in advance. \u201cFor all planned events, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation develops a comprehensive traffic management plan that identifies the required road-closure timing and locations, parking restrictions and [traffic] signal timing changes,\u201d says LADOT spokesperson Colin Sweeney.<\/p>\n

\n\tFor the Oscars<\/a>, road closures begin as early as two weeks prior and reach their full extent the night before. The department also coordinates with Metro\u2019s public transit system to reroute buses around the caravan and implement subway station closures, Sweeney adds.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe actual chauffeured route to drop-off is top secret and includes contingencies. \u201cThere\u2019s always a primary, secondary and tertiary route, so if something happens, we can switch mid-stream,\u201d Seelinger says.<\/p>\n

\n\tAll Empire vehicles have tracking devices, sharing location and timing information with scores of transport and Academy staff via two command centers \u2014 one at corporate headquarters in El Segundo and one at the Dolby. Both sites are equipped with triple redundant communications and logistics software and satellite WiFi. \u201cNobody pulls up without notification being given to the Academy folks on site,\u201d Seelinger says. Sweeney adds that LADOT\u2019s representatives \u201coperate their own unified command structure to manage traffic flow, control congestion and respond swiftly to any disruptions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tThe 1990 Oscars at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJoe Sohm\/Visions of America\/Universal Images Group\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\n\tWhen arriving at the theater, movements are tightly controlled. For example, at a typical airport or corporate drop-off, chauffeurs would get out and open the door for the client. When they pull up to the Dolby, they\u2019re instructed to stay in the vehicle. \u201cWe can\u2019t have the chauffeur walking on the red carpet,\u201d Seelinger says.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tSandra Dee and Bobby Darin made an entrance in 1961. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPictorial Parade\/Archive Photos\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\n\tRemaining behind the wheel also guarantees occupant safety. \u201cThat way, the driver\u2019s ready in the event that they have to get the client out of there quickly,\u201d Seelinger says. When asked if Empire employs armored vehicles, Seelinger demurs: \u201cWe have to keep that stuff quiet.\u201d But he admits that chauffeurs \u2014 who are background-checked and subjected to a three-week drivers academy \u2014 are trained in \u201cwhat to do in emergency situations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tArrivals at the 35th Academy Awards at the Santa Monica Civic in 1963.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAP Images<\/p>\n

\n\tVehicles are typically engaged for 12 hours on Oscar night, Seelinger says, so a similarly coordinated ballet takes place for departures: \u201cNo one waits. People are swooped up pretty quick and taken to one of the countless events all through the\u00a0night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSeelinger demurs again when asked how much a studio or individual might pay for this service and won\u2019t even entertain our guesstimates, which hover in the $6,000 to $12,000 range.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI can\u2019t really say the exact cost because of our NDAs. And it depends on who it\u2019s for. But it\u2019s a fair price,\u201d he says. \u201cLet\u2019s just say, if you\u2019re shopping at Louis, you know what it costs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tPhyllis Diller arrived in 1968. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUPI\/Bettmann Archive\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\n\tThis story appeared in the March 11 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When you\u2019re ferrying hundreds of A-listers to the Academy Awards, the last thing you want is rain. If…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":655587,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5123],"tags":[5800,1582,276,419,2961,224,5337,15801],"class_list":{"0":"post-655586","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles","8":"tag-awards","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-california","11":"tag-cars","12":"tag-la","13":"tag-los-angeles","14":"tag-losangeles","15":"tag-oscars"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116228815008863229","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/655586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=655586"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/655586\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/655587"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=655586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=655586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=655586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}