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Ben Stiller was one of the select stars chosen to present at the Oscars on Sunday (March 2), but his time in front of the crowd took a hilarious turn when a malfunction kept him just off stage.
The bit started when the Zoolander actor seemingly missed his cue to walk out to present the award for Production Design. Just as his name was repeated, Stiller began to rise up on a platform from beneath the stage before it abruptly stopped short, leaving him only half in view.
As he spoke about the pivotal work of production and set designers, the platform began to rise again, but just as you thought he would finally be level with the stage, the platform stopped and began to sink even further than before until he was no longer visible. Ever the professional, Stiller repeatedly jumped into frame to introduce the nominees.
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"Production designers bring the visual world of a screenplay to life," he said. "It is a field where the slightest miscalculation could lose the trust of the audience and humiliate the performers on screen."
The visual joke, which caused laughter to ripple throughout the crowd, highlighted just how important production design is to filmmaking to ensure that everything goes exactly as planned.
For those worried Stiller was completely stuck off stage, don't worry. He managed to hop off the platform and roll onto the stage just in time to present the award to Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales for Wicked.
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Hosted by Conan O'Brien, the 97th Academy Awards honored the best of film and all those who made it possible. Catch up on all of the night's biggest winners and see the best red carpet fashions from Hollywood's biggest night.