Keisha's Oscar diary

Keisha Castle-Hughes, the girl from Glen Innes, writes exclusively for the Herald about her time among the glitterati.


I'm not a lot different to any other teen in NZ. I like to hang out with friends, I shop and I'd be lost without my phone!

But the past two weeks have been different. The Oscars.

On February 21, my Mum, Aunty Renske, brothers Rhys, Liam and me boarded an Air NZ flight for LA.

It was Rhys' birthday when we left but wasn't when we got there. Two birthdays, just what I've always wanted!

First day was light. Then it started!

The SAG, (Screen Actors Guild) Awards were Sunday afternoon.

That red carpet was really freaky! So much madness!

I wore a blue baby-doll style dress by Liz Mitchell. Mum and I sat with Charlize Theron, her mum, Gerda, Forrest Whittaker, his wife, Keisha (!), Liz Brambilla from Newmarket films and others.

I really wanted to meet Rachel Evan Wood, (actress from Thirteen), so made my way to her table. Naomi Watts and Heath Ledger stopped me on the way for a chat.

Monday I had Access Hollywood follow me around Frederic Fekkai's salon. It's on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and is very, very cool.

That night we went to two diamond parties. Kwiat Diamonds and the Diamonds are Forever party. Macy Gray was performing and Mum and my Aunty were having a ball. I met Carmen Elektra - my guy friends will be so jealous!

Tuesday Mum, Linda, (a producer of Whale Rider), my agent, Graham Dunster, and I went to Chicago, for the taping of the Oprah show.

Chicago was so cold. We rugged up like Eskimos. Oprah is so very nice ... that was surreal, me on the Oprah show. Sean Astin, Liv Tyler, (LOTR), Sir Ben Kingsley (House of Sand and Fog), Djimoun Hounsou (In America) and Holly Hunter (Thirteen) were other guests.

Thursday we had a Whale Rider party at the coolest apartment I've even seen. Had so much fun because it was with people who've been involved with Whale Rider.

We got in just after midnight and the staff at the hotel had a cake for Liam as it was his birthday.

Friday had chocolate cake and ice-cream for breakfast.

That night we had the NZ Oscar party. I wore Trelise Cooper and so did Mum. Met lots of people from LOTR. Viggo Mortensen was a hit with Mum and Aunty Renske.

Saturday was the Spirit Awards. Whale Rider won best foreign film.

The day ended with the Newmarket Party held for Charlize and I. I did the haka by the pool and was afraid I'd fall in. (Doing Kapa Haka in 4-inch heels is not recommended)

And then ... it was Sunday. Day of the Oscars.

Had lost my appetite so only managed steak and eggs for breakfast. Frederic himself came to our hotel to do mine and Mum's hair. Access Hollywood turned up with a surprise they said. Sure was. A video message from Johnny Depp, wishing me luck and telling me to have fun.

THAT was the best thing EVER.

I had a beautiful gown from Liz Mitchell in my favourite colour, pink. It has Swarovski crystals NZ ferns over it - just gorgeous. A friend of my makeup artist gave me a barrette to wear in my hair. I carried a Santi beaded pink bag and Mum carried a Swarovski clutch. Her top was beaded, (a Liz Mitchell tux skirt and jacket as well), so the idea behind our bags, was that we would be carrying a part of each other.

We left early to do the pre-show with Billy Bush. The limo ride was nerve-racking and by the time I had to get out, there were pterodactyls in my stomach! I haven't seen the footage, but apparently there's an absolute look of horror on my face as I stepped out of the limo.

Had to go through a security check, like an airport scanner, before hitting the Red Carpet. The press were on my left and fans on the right.

It wasn't as frightening as I'd thought, once I got started.

Once inside, we found our seats in the front row. Good spot but not, as I wanted to text my friends but didn't want to get busted by the cameras.

So I saved the texting for the ad breaks. My all-time favourite actors are Johnny Depp and Julia Roberts and they were sitting behind us. Didn't know how to approach them so a friend took me to meet Julia.

As I was talking to her, Billy Bush came rushing in and took me to meet Johnny ... that was the BEST part of the night. Meeting my two heroes.

It was a long time before my category came up. Again the pterodactyls came. I grabbed Mum's hand and we waited. When they called Charlize's name, it hit me. Me, a kid from GI, had been nominated for an Academy Award.

It was an amazing night for New Zealand. Afterwards, I went back to the hotel as we were starving!! Partied with my brothers, my Aunty, Graham, Liz and a friend, Pablo.

We were exhausted and got to bed about 2am ... the earliest night of the two weeks. The next morning, I slept in for the first time in a long time.

Sir Ben Kingsley said on Oprah the applause at the end of a performance was a great way to release from one character and become yourself again. For me, that is what the Oscar was about.

Saying goodbye to Pai and beginning again as Keisha.