Known as the "first lady of television" and "queen of the small screen," Betty White made her debut in 1939. She was the first woman to produce a national TV show and to star in a sitcom thanks to her variety show, "Life with Elizabeth" (1953-1955). She was also one of the first women to be nominated for an Emmy.

She's best known for her roles on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (1970-1977) and "The Golden Girls" (1985-1992), both of which earned her Emmys. She made many appearances on game shows and even hosted a few like "Just Men!" (1983); White became the first woman to win an Emmy for outstanding game show host.

She won another Emmy for her episode of "Saturday Night Live" in 2010 where she hosted and drew in over 12 million viewers. She then won a Guinness World Record for having the longest TV career as a female entertainer, spanning around 80 years.

After her death on December 31, 2021, White's legacy lives on, especially through the many female TV entertainers she's influenced and inspired.

"The Carol Burnett Show" (1967-1978) was a variety and comedy series that featured Burnett and other comedians performing various sketches. Her infectious presence, slapstick comedy, and signature ear tug were favorites across the nation. It was cited as one of the best sketch-comedy TV shows by Rolling Stone in 2020.

Burnett had a pool of entertainers like Betty White, Lucille Ball, Cher, and Sammy Davis Jr. guest star on her show, too.

Her contributions to comedy and TV have been so great that the Golden Globes created the Carol Burnett award in 2018, which has been given to Burnett, Ellen DeGeneres, Norman Lear, Ryan Murphy, and Ted Danson.

The first ever sitcom broadcast on network television was "Mary Kay and Johnny" (1947-1950) and starred real-life couple Mary Kay and Johnny Stearns. They were the first small-screen married couple to share a bed, which was taboo and uncommon, and wasn't seen more consistently for another decade.

In 1948, Stearns was pregnant, so it was written into the show, making her the first onscreen pregnant character.

Stearns died in 2018 at the age of 93.

From her start on the comedy "I Love Lucy" (1951-1957), Lucille Ball changed the world of television many times over. When "I Love Lucy" premiered, she advocated for her Cuban husband, Desi Arnaz, amidst the racist mentalities surrounding interracial relationships.

The real-life and on-screen couple created their show and filmed it in a new format: live in front of a studio audience and with three cameras rolling rather than one. Ball even helped invent syndication and was successful with "I Love Lucy" being filmed on tape, rather than being broadcast live.

Ball made TV history (similar to Mary Kay Stearns) with her second pregnancy being written into her character's storyline. In 1953, the subject almost wasn't allowed on TV, and the word "pregnancy" wasn't used either. The episode where the character gave birth was also aired the same night the actress actually gave birth, and a record-breaking near 72% of homes with television sets tuned in to watch, MeTV reported.

After co-founding Desilu Productions in 1950, divorcing Arnaz in 1960, and buying the company from him in 1962, Ball became the first woman to own and run a major television production company. It went on to produce "The Lucy Show" (1962-1968), "Star Trek" (1966-1969), and "Mission: Impossible" (1966-1973).

She died in 1989 at 77 years old.

While "I Love Lucy" primarily focused on the wife in the married duo, "The Donna Reed Show" (1958-1966) was the first family sitcom to do the same.

Donna Reed, who lived until 1986, was an Academy Award winner before she had her own TV show and helped develop the series. Reed's impact of placing the focus on the wife rather than the husband, and touching on controversial and important topics like women's rights, was all groundbreaking during the 1950s.

Roker, who died in 1995, played neighbor Hellen Willis in the "All in the Family" (1971-1979) spinoff series, "The Jeffersons" (1975-1985). The Black actress was married to a white man on the show (and also in real life), making her part of the first Black and white interracial couple on TV.

This came at a time when there were still strong prejudices against interracial relationships. But Helen and Tom were a strong and positive representation of what love could look like.

One of the first and most significant interracial kisses on TV was on "Star Trek" (1966-1969). In 1967, on an episode entitled "Plato's Stepchildren," Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) kisses Lieutenant Uhura (Nichelle Nichols). 

Although interracial kisses had been seen between white and Asian characters on TV, this was the first with a white man and Black woman. Nichols made history, first breaking the typecast for Black actresses and second for being part of this significant kiss and moment in TV history. She died in 2022 at the age of 89.

The first sitcom to focus on a female lead who was single was "That Girl" (1966-1971). Living on her own, unmarried, and without children, actress Marlo Thomas' real-life experience matched that of her character, Ann Marie.

Despite few women being leads on TV before this, they were typically wives and mothers. Thomas helped represent and normalize independent, single women.

Mary Tyler Moore's most notable contributions to TV were through her role as Mary Richards on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (1970-1977). A single, 30-something-year-old woman who was career-oriented and freely dated, Moore's character was distinctly different from the typical TV housewife.

She was a role model for women entering the workforce in the '70s, and was also sex-positive, something that wasn't highly represented. In one episode, it was likely the first time birth control was mentioned on television, with Richards' mother telling her, "Don't forget to take your pill," The New York Times reported.

She died in 2017 at the age of 80.

On "Murphy Brown" (1988-1998), Candice Bergen's character decided to raise her child as a single mother in the 1992 season finale. This caused a debate that even prompted Vice President Dan Quayle to comment.

On May 19, 1992, Quayle delivered a speech during his re-election campaign with George W. Bush, where he added, "It doesn't help matters when prime-time TV has Murphy Brown, a character who supposedly epitomizes today's intelligent, highly paid professional woman, mocking the importance of fathers by bearing a child alone and calling it just another lifestyle choice," The Washington Post reported.

This turned Quayle into the butt of the joke and only heightened Bergen's profile. After already winning two Emmys for her role, Bergen won a third after the pregnancy episode and after Quayle's speech — the actress sarcastically thanked him as she accepted the award.

It's not a shock that in 1972, a year before Roe v. Wade was originally decided, abortion was a highly sensitive and controversial topic, especially to be discussed on TV. So, on the sitcom "Maude" (1972-1978), when Bea Arthur's lead character became pregnant at 47 years old when she was already a grandmother, an abortion storyline was highly taboo.

Over the course of the two-part episode, Maude decided to go through with an abortion. This sparked protest, but it also made Arthur an icon for the feminist movement.

Arthur, who died in 2009, continued to take roles that defied societal and gender norms, ageism, and that touched on feminist topics, most notably as Dorothy in "Golden Girls" (1985-1992).

Cicely Tyson became the first Black woman to star in a TV drama in "East Side/West Side" (1963-1964). She played a social worker's secretary. While her character's job wasn't revolutionary for women, her representation was revolutionary for Black women. Tyson is also widely reported to be one of the first Black women to wear her natural hair on TV.

She told Parade magazine in 1972 that she refused to play a drug addict or a maid, according to the National Portrait Gallery.

"I won't play that kind of characterless role any more, even if I have to go back to starving," Tyson said.

The trailblazer died at 96 years old on January 28, 2021.

Diahann Carroll was the first Black female lead on TV in a non-stereotypical role. On "Julia" (1968-1971), Carroll was a nurse, widow, and single mother. Single mothers weren't typically represented on TV, so her role broke boundaries.

In 1969, Carroll became the first Black actress to win a Golden Globe for her performance in "Julia," the Golden Globes reported.

Earlier in her career, she also became one of the first Black actresses nominated for an Emmy.

Carroll died in 2019 at the age of 84.

The legendary choreographer, actor, director, and producer starred as Lydia Grant in the film and television adaptation of "Fame," which ran from 1982-1987.

While appearing on the show, Allen became the first Black woman to win a Golden Globe for best actress in a television series — musical or comedy in 1983, an award that wouldn't belong to a Black woman again until 34 years later when Tracee Ellis Ross won for her role in "Black-ish."

She also served as the show's lead choreographer, winning two Emmys for outstanding achievement in choreography in 1982 and 1983, respectively, and later became its director.

Allen's career has progressed to include a large range of acting, directing, producing, and choreography credits which range from projects like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Insecure" to "Dolly Parton's Christmas On The Square."

Allen has won a total of five Emmys, receiving a total of 21 nominations, Emmys.com reported.

Some of her other achievements include five NAACP Image Awards, four honorary doctorate degrees, one of which came from her alma mater Howard University; entry to the Television Academy Hall of Fame, a Governors Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Frederick, who died in 1990, had many significant firsts in her career and made impactful differences in the world of news for women. In 1948, she became the first full-time female news correspondent on ABC. This early success broke ground for other newscasters. She went on to work for NBC, where she covered the United Nations for 21 years.

In 1976 she made history again when she was the first woman to moderate a televised presidential debate. This transformative moment was for Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford's campaigns.

After writing and producing women's interest stories on the "Today" show, Walters became its first female co-anchor in 1974. She also became the first female co-anchor for ABC's "Evening News" in 1976.

She created the daytime talk show "The View" in 1997, which gives other female voices a platform and is still on the air. Walters' popularity with viewers and interviewees furthered her success. She also appeared on other shows like "World News Tonight" and "20/20" until her retirement in 2014. 

In 2022, she died at the age of 93.

Couric made TV history when she became the first woman to be a solo anchor for an evening news broadcast.

Following in the steps of Barbara Walters, Couric co-anchored for years before taking the helm in 2006 with "CBS Evening News with Katie Couric" (2006-2011).

Not many people are known worldwide by their first name alone or are as successful as the one and only Oprah.

Winfrey was the first woman to own, produce, and host her own talk show with "The Oprah Winfrey Show" (1986-2011). In 1987, she won the Daytime Emmy for outstanding talk show, an award she'd win three more times throughout her career.

Her success helped revolutionize talk shows and helped her create an empire. Winfrey started her own TV network, OWN, in 2011.

She became the world's first Black billionaire and now has an estimated net worth of $3 billion, Forbes reported.

DeGeneres' character on the sitcom "Ellen" (1994-1998) came out as gay in 1997. She was the first actress to do this, and the coming out was also in sync with DeGeneres' real-life announcement of her sexuality, which was shared on an iconic Time magazine cover on April 14, 1997.

"The Puppy Episode," where she came out, aired on April 30, but it caused a stir among conservative organizations and sponsors before it was even broadcast. The groundbreaking two-part episode became a phenomenon, though, with an outstanding number of views.

However, "Ellen" had "parental advisory" warnings on the following episodes and was canceled after its fifth season in 1998. Both DeGeneres and Laura Dern, who guest-starred on "The Puppy Episode," couldn't find work for a couple of years after the episode.

DeGeneres had a revival and new phase of her successful TV career, though, with her talk show, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" (2003-2022). She's beloved by audiences and uses the tagline "be kind to one another," although accusations by guests and crew members in 2020 painted a less-than-kind picture of the host. In a letter to staff that July, DeGeneres said she was "disappointed to learn" that people working for her did not feel happy or respected.

The show ended in 2022  after running for 19 seasons.

Kerry Washington played Olivia Pope, a White House communications director, on the acclaimed political drama "Scandal" (2012-2018). She was the first Black female lead in a network TV series since 1974, when Teresa Graves played a police officer on "Get Christie Love!"

Washington's performance highlighted the importance of seeing Black women in multidimensional leading roles. Washington won her first BET Award for best actress in 2013 for her role.

While Viola Davis is perhaps best known for her work on the big screen, she made great strides on TV, too. Starting at the age of 49, Davis played the role of a lawyer and criminal law professor in "How to Get Away with Murder" (2014-2020).

Davis became the first Black woman to win an Emmy for lead actress in a drama series in 2015.

In 2018, Davis' "How to Get Away with Murder" and Kerry Washington's "Scandal" had a monumental crossover episode, bringing two powerhouse actresses and characters together.

Davis has received an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, an Oscar, and a Tony Award.

Alfre Woodard was the first Black actress to play a US president on TV in "State of Affairs" (2014-2015). Her role mimicked actual possibilities and her real-life experience of previously working in politics.

She has also been widely recognized for her work since the 1980s, winning a Golden Globe and four Emmys, and earning nominations for two Grammys, a BAFTA, and an Academy Award.

In 1975, Lynda Carter took on the role of Wonder Woman, becoming one of the first female superheroes on television. (Cathy Lee Crosby previously played the character in a TV movie of the same name).

Carter led the series until 1979 and is still considered one of the most iconic actresses to have played the part, with the role not welcoming a new face until 2017 with Gal Gadot.

Carter also appeared in a post-credits scene in Gadot's "Wonder Woman: 1984."

Jodie Whittaker made history in 2017 when she became the first woman to play the Doctor in "Doctor Who."

Her episode debut brought in the biggest "Doctor Who" audience in over a decade, with 8.2 million viewers, Bustle reported; and she quickly became a fan-favorite.

Whittaker helped design her character's costume and decided to make it comfortable and gender non-specific, specifically with fans in mind, according to an interview with Radio Times.

She left the series in 2022.

In 2007, Candis Cayne played a transgender mistress on ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money," which was groundbreaking because she was an LGBTQ+ actress playing an LGBTQ+ character, rather than a cis actor playing a transgender person.

Her role helped set the landscape for more transgender actors to be hired for meaningful roles.

Cayne didn't realize the impact of her presence on TV until the 2017 GLAAD Media Awards when a scene of hers was played and the audience erupted in applause.

"That was the first time I realized, 'Yeah, this is a lot more than me just getting a gig. This is moving our community forward.' So it was impactful, finally, in that moment," Cayne told "Today" in 2021.

Transgender actress Nicole Maines was the first person to play a transgender superhero on TV.

Maines played reporter turned superhero Dreamer on CW's "Supergirl" (2015-2021), breaking more boundaries for the trans community.

Before this contribution to the superhero universe, Maines was also in documentaries about the trans experience.

"I've been doing a lot of auditions lately because a lot of different shows have been really eager to tell the story of transgender people," Maines said at Comic-Con in 2018.

Maines has most recently appeared in the second season of "Yellowjackets."

Laverne Cox is one of the figureheads of the transgender community because of her contributions to entertainment and transgender representation and activism during her career.

She's best known for her role as inmate Sophie on Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black" (2013-2019). Cox was the first transgender actress to be nominated for an Emmy in 2014, and she banked three nominations throughout the show's run.

She executive-produced the TV special "Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word" and won a Daytime Emmy for it in 2015, becoming the first transgender woman to win the award. And in 2016, she played Frank N. Furter (a part originally played by a cis actor, Tim Curry) in the TV special remake "The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again."

Cox has appeared in multiple comedy and drama shows and was most recently in Amazon Prime Video's "Chrome Jesus" (2025).

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez appeared in shows like "Nurse Jackie" and "The Carrie Diaries" before her big role in "Pose" (2018-2021).

"Pose" (2018-2021) followed the stories of drag performers and transgender people during the ballroom scene in the '80s and '90s. Its cast was predominantly made up of LGBTQ+ actors, including Rodriguez, Billy Porter, Indya Moore, and Dominique Jackson. 

Rodriguez was nominated for an Emmy in 2021, and in 2022 she became the first transgender person to win a Golden Globe.

In 2018, Janet Mock made history as the first transgender woman of color to write for a television show: Ryan Murphy's "Pose." She was also a producer and director for the series.

"So it's an indescribable feeling to be on set sitting in a chair with my name on it, directing a script that I also wrote, watching these actresses, some of whom have never been on a set before, be given a chance to truly shine," Mock wrote for Variety ahead of the series' season one premiere.

Sandra Oh is best known for her 10-year-arc playing Dr. Cristina Yang on "Grey's Anatomy" (2005-present). She also played MI5 security officer Eve Polastri on "Killing Eve" (2018-2022).

Oh was the first Asian woman to host the Golden Globes in 2019, and ultimately became the second Asian woman to win a Golden Globe for best actress at that same ceremony. The first was Yoko Shimada, who won nearly 40 years prior for her role in "Shōgun."

"I don't think I can explain to you how profound I feel it meant to not only myself and my parents, but for a lot of people in my community," Oh said of her win to USA Today in 2019.

Best known for Netflix comedy specials like "Baby Cobra" and "Hard Knock Wife," Ali Wong has gracefully ventured into acting with roles in the romantic comedy "Always Be My Maybe" and the award-winning dark comedy "Beef."

In 2024, for her role in "Beef," Wong became the first Asian woman to win a Primetime Emmy award for a leading role, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. (Sandra Oh previously won an Emmy in a supporting role.)

Wong won the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a limited or anthology series or movie; and as an executive producer on the show, she brought home the Emmy for best limited series, too.

She also made history as the first Asian actress to win the Golden Globe for best actress in a limited series, CNN reported.

The 3LW and "Cheetah Girls" alum joined the cast of "The Real" in 2013, becoming the first Latina to host a daytime talk show in the US.

In 2018, Bailon-Houghton won the Daytime Emmy award for outstanding entertainment talk show host alongside her co-stars, Loni Love, Jeannie Mai, and Tamera Mowry-Housley.

Houghton told OprahMag.com later that year, "We recognize that we are four women of color on television every day, speaking to an audience that includes so many women of color. We have an opportunity to make a difference in history — in the way women of color are viewed. We're in an era where this really matters, and we don't ever want to take that for granted."

After "The Real" was canceled in 2022, Bailon-Houghton worked as co-anchor for "E! News" until late 2023. She also runs her own fashion and accessories brand, La Voûte.

While Ferrera was in the headlines last year for her Oscar nomination for "Barbie," the industry veteran began her career over 20 years ago, appearing in projects like "Real Women Have Curves," "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," "Ugly Betty," and "Superstore."

In 2007, she made history as the first Latina to win a Primetime Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her role as Betty Suarez in "Ugly Betty," E! News reported. The same year, she also won a Golden Globe for best actress in a television series — musical or comedy and a SAG award.

During her Golden Globes speech, Ferrera said, "Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press for recognizing the show and this character who is truly bringing a new face to television and such a beautiful message about beauty that lies deeper than what we see."

Ferrera has been vocal about diversity, or the lack thereof, in the industry throughout her career. In a 2024 interview with The New York Times she said it brings her no joy to be the only Latina to win an Emmy in a lead category and that she hopes Latinos can have more opportunities throughout the industry.

"There's a lot out there that is very transactional in terms of checking boxes to claim diversity," she said.

Of starring in "Barbie," she added, "One of the most exciting things to me about the movie was, as a Latina woman, being invited to be a part of something so adventurous and joyful and fun. Gloria is Latina, but being Latina was not her reason for being in this story."

At only 24 years old, Mindy Kaling became a staff writer on "The Office," where she was the only woman and person of color on the team. She also starred on the show as Kelly Kapoor.

In a 2019 interview with Elle, Kaling recalled how in order to receive a nomination for outstanding comedy series, the Television Academy required her to "fill out a whole form and write an essay about all my contributions as a writer and a producer," she said. "I had to get letters from all the other male, white producers saying that I had contributed, when my actual record stood for itself."

The Television Academy had originally stated that the show had too many producers to credit, but with her efforts, her name was included in the official nomination.

Kaling went on to become the "first woman of color to create, write, and star in a primetime sitcom" with "The Mindy Project," which aired from 2012 to 2017.

In recent years, Kaling has produced the hit Netflix show "Never Have I Ever," Hulu's "Four Weddings and a Funeral" series, and HBO's "Sex Lives of College Girls." Her latest project is another Netflix series, "Running Point," starring Kate Hudson.

She also runs her own production company, Kaling International.

As the creator, executive producer, and lead in "Abbott Elementary," Brunson's 2022 Emmy nominations included outstanding comedy series, lead actress in a comedy, and writing for a comedy series.

In a 2022 interview with The New York Times, Brunson talked about what sets "Abbott Elementary" apart from other network TV sitcoms.

"There have been recent sitcoms — 'Black-ish,' 'Fresh Off the Boat' — really good sitcoms, but my generation was starting to get tired of race as the only focal point," she said. "The white shows got to just be white, but a lot of the shows with people of color were about the color of the people and not about stories of the people. So 'Abbott' also feels like a shift in that way."

In 2019, she also starred in the first season of HBO's "A Black Lady Sketch Show," the first sketch comedy series written by, directed by, and starring Black women.

Korean actress and model Jung Ho-yeon made history at the 2022 SAG awards when she won outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series for her performance as Kang Sae-byeok in Netflix's "Squid Game."

Her win, along with that of co-star Lee Jung-Jae, made "Squid Game" the first non-English-language television series to win at the SAG awards, Vanity Fair reported.

The show marked Jung Ho-yeon's acting debut, and became one of Netflix's most popular TV show releases to date, drawing 1.65 billion watch hours in its first four weeks, Netflix reported.

At the 2020 Emmy Awards, Zendaya made history when she won the award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for her role in "Euphoria." In 2022, she won the award again. In addition to being the second Black actress to win this award, and the first Black actress to win the award twice, she is also the youngest woman to have won the award.

Rue Bennett, Zendaya's character on "Euphoria," has been recognized for providing representation to those struggling with drug addiction. A CNN opinion article discussed the groundbreaking nature of the character, stating, "Most people do not know what a young Black woman experiencing addiction looks like because we are not used to seeing Black women publicly battling anything."

In 2022, Time named her one of the 100 Most Influential People of the year, calling her an "autonomous creative force" and "a cultural icon in the making."

Zendaya returned to filming season three of "Euphoria" in February 2025.

Inspired by her own experience with sexual assault, Michaela Coel created, wrote, produced, co-directed, and starred in the critically acclaimed show "I May Destroy You" in 2020.

That same year, she was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People, with Lena Waithe writing, "Usually, with Black women protagonists, everyone's mission is to make you like or root for them. But Michaela shows us that sometimes we can be our own worst enemy. She reminds me that the only person who can destroy me is myself. She's showing us a piece of ourselves that is rarely captured onscreen."

In 2021, Coel became the first Black woman to win the Emmy for oustanding writing for a limited series, movie, or dramatic special, dedicating the story to "every single survivor of sexual assault."

Coel has also starred in "Chewing Gum," "Black Mirror," and "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." Her most recent role was as a guest star in the 2024 television adaptation of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith."

Julia Louis-Dreyfus began her career in 1982 when she joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" at just 21 years old, People reported.

But the role that truly made her stand out was that of Elaine Benes on "Seinfeld," which aired from 1990 to 1998 and also starred Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, and Michael Richards. In 1996, she won her first Emmy for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series.

Louis-Dreyfus has gone on to win 10 more Emmys, nine of which came from her work on "Veep," in which she starred as lead Selina Meyer and served as an executive producer throughout its run from 2012 to 2019.

While on "Veep," she won a record-breaking six consecutive Primetime Emmy awards for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series, becoming the actor with the most Emmy wins in a singular role, Entertainment Weekly reported.

Throughout her career, Louis-Dreyfus has also won nine Screen Actors Guild awards and a Golden Globe.

In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2023, she talked about how younger generations are enjoying "Seinfeld" on Netflix.

"I mean, I gotta say, I just think funny is funny! It was superb writing and dare I say, a superb cast that supported the writing — and perhaps even elevated it sometimes," she said.

For more than 25 seasons, fans have listened to the iconic intro of "Law & Order: SVU" and watched as Mariska Hargitay embodied the role of Olivia Benson.

The show is the longest-running drama in American prime time television, with Hargitay's Benson becoming the longest running character ever on a prime-time drama series, People reported in 2024.

Two years prior, Hargitay spoke about her character's longevity in an appearance on "The Drew Barrymore Show."

"I feel very satisfied, sated, because I'm having I think more fun now than I ever have. So I feel grateful. I love my cast. I love them, they're like family now," she said. "I'm also mostly grateful that the show that's the longest running show on television is about believing victims and so that for me is the most rewarding thing."

"Are you more of a Carrie or a Miranda?" "Are you Team Big or Team Aidan?"

These are the kinds of questions that entered public conversation during and after the airing of "Sex and the City," the influential, albeit problematic, show about four women in their 30s and 40s navigating their careers, relationships, and friendships. The original series aired between 1998 and 2004.

Sarah Jessica Parker played protagonist and narrator Carrie Bradshaw. Parker won a total of six Golden Globes, four for best actress in a comedy series and two for best television series — musical or comedy. She also won two Primetime Emmy awards and three Screen Actors Guild awards.

"Sex and the City" was groundbreaking in its open discussion of women's issues and sex, though it has since been criticized for its lack of diversity, with writer Hunter Harris describing the show as "simultaneously progressive and regressive, where people of color were either stereotypes or punchlines" in a 2018 article for Refinery29.

The show was rebooted in 2021 as "And Just Like That..." with Parker reprising her role as Carrie Bradshaw in a series that seemingly attempts to overcome the original version's shortcomings.

In 2017, Waithe became the first Black woman to win the Primetime Emmy for comedy writing thanks to the episode "Thanksgiving" in "Master of None," which was co-written with Aziz Ansari.

In her acceptance speech, Waithe addressed her LGBTQIA "family" with the message, "The things that make us different, those are our superpowers. Every day when you walk out the door, put on your imaginary cape and go out there and conquer the world, because the world would not be as beautiful as it is if we weren't in it."

Alaqua Cox is the first Indigenous woman to play a superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Cox plays the lead in Marvel's miniseries "Echo," which centers on the character Maya Lopez (Echo), a deaf Native American superhero.

Cox, who is a deaf amputee woman of Menominee and Mohican descent, told Teen Vogue in January 2024, "I'm so happy that Indigenous people are showing our authentic stories and breaking down barriers. I grew up never seeing myself represented on the screen. I'm excited for audiences — kids especially — to see people like me with different disabilities or diversities on TV so that they understand they are beautiful just the way they are."

2024 was a landmark year for Lily Gladstone. In January, she became the first Indigenous actress to win a Golden Globe and in July, she became one of the first Indigenous actresses to be nominated for an acting Primetime Emmy.

Gladstone, who was raised on the Blackfeet Reservation, was nominated for outstanding supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie for her role as Cam Bentland in the crime drama, "Under the Bridge."

Making history alongside Gladstone as one of the first Indigenous women to be nominated for an acting Primetime Emmy was "True Detective: Night Country" star Kali Reis.

Reis, who is of Wampanoag and Cape Verdean descent, was also nominated for outstanding supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie.

She told The Hollywood Reporter in March 2024, "It's really empowering to finally be in a place where I don't feel like I have to keep my head down and not be accepted. I get to represent two very resilient, amazing people that are still here."

Culkin got his start acting alongside his brother, Macaulay Culkin, in the '90s classic "Home Alone."

Since then, he's appeared in projects like "The Mighty," "Igby Goes Down," and "Succession." For the latter, he earned two Critics' Choice awards, an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and two Screen Actors Guild awards.

Culkin won his first Oscar on March 2 for best supporting actor in "A Real Pain." For the role, he also won a Golden Globe, a SAG award, Critics' Choice award, and a BAFTA.

At the Screen Actors Guild Awards on February 23, Jodie Foster shared that her first audition was for a Coppertone commercial when she was 3 years old. Foster won the part, and as she told the audience, "the rest is history."

From there, Foster appeared in television shows like "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" and "Paper Moon," as well as films like "Napoleon and Samantha" before embarking on more mature roles.

Foster famously starred in Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver" when she was just 12 years old. The actor told Deadline in 2024 that her mother put her up for those types of roles because "she wanted me to have a career that had a lot of longevity, where I was taken seriously, or because she wasn't because she came from a pre-feminist era."

Throughout her career, Foster has been nominated for five Oscars, winning two; first in 1989 for her role as Sarah Tobias in "The Accused" and second in 1992 for her role as Clarice Starling in "The Silence of the Lambs."

From his Oscar-winning role as Hugh Glass in "The Revenant" to memorable performances in "Titanic," "The Wolf of Wall Street," "Romeo + Juliet," and more, it's easy to argue that Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the greatest actors of his generation.

His prolific career began back in the late '80s when he started acting in commercials. He later earned more roles in television series like "Parenthood" and "Growing Pains," before two breakout roles in "This Boy's Life" and "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" in 1993. The latter earned him his first Oscar nomination — he was nominated for best supporting actor at the 1994 ceremony, when he was 19.

DiCaprio has been nominated for a total of seven Oscars, winning once in 2016.

Best known for roles like Elle Woods in "Legally Blonde" and Madeline Mackenzie in "Big Little Lies," Reese Witherspoon has also been acting for decades.

The actor and Hello Sunshine founder made her debut in 1991 when she was just 15 years old in Robert Mulligan's "The Man in the Moon."

She went on to win her first, and so far only, Oscar in 2006 for her performance as June Carter Cash in "Walk the Line."

Before she was known as Jamie Stemple Buchman in "Mad About You," Helen Hunt got her start acting as a child in the 1970s.

One of her earliest roles came in 1973 in the film "Pioneer Woman" alongside William Shatner.

However, despite acting during her childhood, Hunt told Vulture in 2011 that she "was never a child star."

"I was in school every year and had normal friends and I loved it and here I am," she said, adding that she didn't wish she started acting later but that a movie set is "a very adult place to be."

Hunt won the Oscar for best actress in 1998 for her role as Carol Connelly in "As Good as It Gets."

Natalie Portman started in the industry in 1992 as an understudy in the play "Ruthless!"

Two years later, when she was just 13 years old, Portman starred as Mathilda in "Léon: The Professional." She's since gone on to star in a number of projects, including the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy, "V for Vendetta," "The Other Boleyn Girl," and "Black Swan."

For the latter, Portman won the Oscar for best actress in 2011. She has received a total of three Oscar nominations, the most recent of which came in 2016 for her portrayal of former first lady Jackie Kennedy in "Jackie."

When she was just 14 years old, Regina King won the role of Brenda Jenkins in the show "227," which followed the lives of people in a Northeast DC apartment building.

In 2020, King told People that her mom required her to stay in public school while filming the series, adding, "It was instrumental in me becoming a person who can find balance on shaky ground."

"It's not an easy thing, living your life on display, and it's particularly hard when you're young," King told the outlet.

After "227," King continued acting in projects like "How Stella Got Her Groove Back," "Ray," and "Southland." In 2019, she won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her performance in Barry Jenkins' "If Beale Street Could Talk."

In addition to acting, King has pursued writing and directing; she was nominated for the 2021 Golden Globe for best director for "One Night in Miami."

In 1987, a 13-year-old Christian Bale started his acting career in Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun."

However, his breakthrough came in the 2000s thanks to performances in "American Psycho," "The Machinist," and Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" trilogy.

Bale has been nominated for four Academy Awards throughout his career; his first and only win so far came in 2011 for his role as Dicky Eklund in "The Fighter."

Joaquin Phoenix started acting in the '80s alongside his siblings in projects like "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," "Murder She Wrote," and "SpaceCamp."

He received critical acclaim throughout the 2000s thanks to performances in films like "Gladiator," "Signs," and "Walk the Line."

Phoenix has won one Oscar from four nominations; his win came in 2020 for his portrayal of Arthur Fleck in Todd Phillips' "Joker."

In 2002, Jennifer Connelly won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role as Alicia Nash in "A Beautiful Mind," 18 years after she made her acting debut at 14 years old in "Once Upon a Time in America."

Connelly had originally worked as a child model before pivoting to acting. Some of her career credits include "Labyrinth," "Blood Diamond," "Top Gun: Maverick," and "Snowpiercer."

In 2018, the late Kobe Bryant and animator Glen Keane won the Oscar for best animated short film for "Dear Basketball." Bryant became the first professional athlete to win an Oscar with the win.

For the history-making occasion, he wore a charcoal-grey tuxedo with black trim and a black bowtie, while his wife, Vanessa Bryant, wore a burgundy off-the-shoulder mermaid gown.

In his acceptance speech, Bryant thanked his wife and daughters, telling them, "Ti amo con tutto il mio cuore," or "I love you with all my heart" in Italian.

Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams worked with image architect Law Roach for her Oscars look in 2022. Williams and her sister, Serena Williams, served as executive producers of the film "King Richard," based on their father, which was nominated for six awards that year.

"Throughout awards season, I just wanted to keep raising the bar and making the most of every moment," Williams told Vogue then. "I'm usually stepping off a tennis court or in workout clothes when the cameras are on me, so it was fun to get dressed up and dive into the glitz and glam over these past few weeks."

Vogue reported that Elie Saab created Williams' gown and that she accessorized with Tiffany & Co. Bone cuffs by Elsa Peretti, a detail she told the outlet "tied the entire look together, giving it this futuristic yet elegant feel."

Shortly after the 2018 Olympic Games concluded in PyeongChang, South Korea, Team USA figure skater Mirai Nagasu attended the Oscars in a cornflower-blue embroidered gown by Tadashi Shoji.

She told Access Hollywood that year that she took inspiration from Lupita Nyong'o, who famously wore a baby-blue Prada gown with a deep V-neck when she won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 2014.

Nagasu also had the perfect accessory stashed in her clutch: Her bronze medal.

For 2020's Oscars ceremony, former NFL player turned writer and director Matthew A. Cherry put a twist on a classic black tuxedo by opting for a velvet jacket.

He and producer Karen Rupert Toliver took home the award for best animated short film for "Hair Love."

In his acceptance speech, Cherry said "Hair Love" was created "because we wanted to see more representation in animation. We wanted to normalize Black hair."

Super Bowl XLII winner Michael Strahan is a staple on the Oscars red carpet thanks to being a cohost for "Good Morning America." The Oscars and GMA air on the same network, ABC.

In 2020, he wore a dark teal and black tuxedo from his own M by Michael Strahan collection.

Twenty-time Grand Slam singles champion Roger Federer made his second Oscars appearance in 2024.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, he wore a Prada dinner jacket, sunglasses from his collection with Oliver Peoples, and a Rolex Daytona Le Mans.

After the event, Federer told the outlet, "It was so exciting to be back at the Oscars," adding that Ryan Gosling's performance of "I'm Just Ken" from the "Barbie" movie and the acceptance speech for "Oppenheimer" star Cillian Murphy, who won best actor, were two of the night's memorable moments.

Lindsey Vonn attended the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in a vibrant-red draped gown by Balenciaga and black Manolo Blahnik heels, W Magazine reported.

The three-time Olympic medalist also tagged Rolex on Instagram for her accessory.

Five-time Grand Slam singles champion Maria Sharapova attended the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in a sleeveless olive-green gown by Emilia Wickstead, which she paired with long black gloves and black heels.

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White and his now fiancé Nina Dobrev were among the best-dressed couples at the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.

While Dobrev shined in silver, White wore a cream tuxedo jacket and coordinating bowtie, which he paired with black slacks and shoes.

Serena Williams attended the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in a long black gown by Off-White with red and white detailing. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion accessorized with coordinating gloves and Messika jewelry.

Williams told Vanity Fair's YouTube Live hosts Michelle Buteau and Tan France that the party is "way more nerve-racking than like being on the tennis court" but added that it's a "super fun environment."

Director and animator Richard Williams spent about three decades working on the animated movie "The Thief and the Cobbler," but the finished product never lived up to his vision.

In 2021, Collider reported that in the 1960s, Williams was commissioned to illustrate books for author Idries Shah about the folklore character Nasruddin. In addition to the illustrations, Williams was working on preproduction for a film about the character, too. When deals between Paramount Pictures and Shah fell through, Williams was allowed to keep the characters he'd created for the film.

Still, production delays and increasing budgets made it difficult to find and secure investors throughout the '70s and '80s. However, Williams' two Oscar wins for "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988) earned him the confidence of Warner Bros.

The studio agreed to help him finish the project with the stipulation that if Williams was unable to do so, the film would be given to The Completion Bond Company to complete for him. Ultimately, Williams and his team were unsuccessful in finishing their version on time, so in 1993, "The Princess and the Cobbler" was released by Allied Filmmakers internationally and in 1995, two more cuts — "The Thief and the Cobbler" and "Arabian Knight" — were released by Miramax.

Legendary director Stanley Kubrick spent decades developing "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" as an adaptation of Brian Aldiss' 1969 short story, "Supertoys Last All Summer Long," before his death in 1999.

The Ringer reported that Kubrick shared the narrative for his "Supertoys" adaptation with another famed director, Steven Spielberg, in 1984.

Over the years, Kubrick reportedly employed a slew of writers, including Aldiss, Bob Shaw, Ian Watson, Arthur C. Clarke, and Sara Maitland, to tackle the screenplay, but to no avail.

Still, in 1993, Warner Bros. announced Kubrick's next film would be "A.I.," but he set it aside again in 1995 and pursued what would be his final film, "Eyes Wide Shut."

Spielberg, who'd been privy to Kubrick's creative struggles over the years, took over the film after his death, writing the screenplay in a matter of weeks and hiring actor Haley Joel Osment.

"A.I. Artificial Intelligence" was released in 2001. It was nominated for best visual effects and best original score at the Oscars.

James Cameron famously wrote the first treatment for "Avatar" in the '90s, but shelved the project for years when he realized that the available technology wouldn't live up to his expectations.

Cameron told Entertainment Weekly in 2007 that he and the studio, Fox, decided to push forward with "Avatar" in August or September 2005, citing inspirations like Peter Jackson's Gollum from "The Lord of the Rings," "King Kong," and even Davy Jones from "Pirates of the Caribbean."

"I wrote an 80-page treatment 11 years ago," he told EW. "We were working from the treatment in designing the world and the creatures and so on. I wrote the script the first four months of 2006."

"Avatar" was released in 2009 and nominated for nine Oscars, winning best director, best cinematography, and best visual effects.

Of course, this wasn't the only "Avatar" film to spend years in production — fans waited another 13 years for its sequel, "Avatar: The Way of Water" (2022).

Richard Linklater's "Boyhood" was shot from May 2002 to August 2013, with its same principal cast, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Ellar Coltrane, and Lorelei Linklater, reuniting every year.

Richard Linklater told Time in 2014, "I was trying to tell a memory, of what it was like to grow up. Things you would remember from your past. There was no one thing. It was more of a tone, just a series of moments."

Coltrane was 6 years old when he won the role and 18 when the movie wrapped.

"It's a totally bizarre experience to have worked on it, and even more so to watch it now," he told Time. "Watching myself age, watching myself change like that, it's indescribable. It causes a lot of catharsis and a lot of intense emotion. It's a very elusive part of life, the way we change over time."

"Boyhood" was nominated for six Academy Awards, including best picture, best supporting actor and actress, best director, best original screenplay, and best film editing.

There was a 30-year gap between the third and fourth installments in George Miller's "Mad Max" saga.

Screen Rant reported that the reasons for production delays for "Mad Max: Fury Road" included everything from the economic impacts of the September 11 terrorist attacks to recasting lead actor Mel Gibson and issues with filming locations.

Pre-production for "Fury Road" began in 2009, and Tom Hardy was cast in 2010. Filming finally began in 2012, and the movie was released in 2015.

It was nominated for 10 Oscars, including best costume design, best production design, best director, and best picture.

Orson Welles' final movie, "The Other Side of the Wind" was posthumously released in 2018 by Netflix after 48 years in development.

Welles began shooting the film in 1970, but after six years, Welles only had a 40-minute cut to show for it, Business Insider's Jason Guerrasio reported in 2018.

After his death in 1985, there was confusion about who the film belonged to. Producer Filip Jan Rymsza told BI, "Everyone wanted the film to be completed, they just wanted it done on their own terms. It was a minefield. And if you made an enemy with this group you made an enemy for life, so that was the tricky part."

After decades in limbo, Netflix announced it would fund the movie's completion and it was released in November 2018.

Terry Gilliam's "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" took so long to make that a documentary was made about his first attempt at the film, "Lost in La Mancha" (2002).

In 2021, the British Film Institute (BFI) reported that Gilliam had first decided to create "Don Quixote" in 1989, but when he finally started shooting in 2000, production lasted just five days.

"Rotating casts, illness and financial woes," including actor Jean Rochefort suffering a double herniated disc, delayed the film, Forbes and the BFI reported.

In 2013, Gilliam told The Hollywood Reporter that the film had "been around too long and it's like a tumor," adding, "I just want to get rid of it."

Five years later, in 2018, "Don Quixote" finally premiered, starring Adam Driver, Jonathan Pryce, Olga Kurylenko, Stellan Skargård, and Joana Ribeiro.

When Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio first signed on to "Killers of the Flower Moon" in 2017, they were ready to tell a completely different story.

DiCaprio was originally slated to play FBI agent Tom White, but at an early table read, he proposed he play Ernest Burkhart instead to better show the love story between Burkhart and his wife, Mollie.

Scorsese told IndieWire in 2023, "And then finally Leo said, 'If I play Ernest, we could turn it upside down and go in from the ground level.' And I said, 'Absolutely.'"

But then came the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing the shooting start from early 2020 to April 2021, and causing Paramount Pictures to team up with Apple Studios to finance and distribute the film.

The film was originally slated for a November 2022 release, but in an effort to make it more competitive for the Oscars, it was delayed to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023 and released theatrically in October, Screen Rant reported.

"Killers of the Flower Moon" went on to receive 10 Oscar nominations, including best actress, best director, best supporting actor, and best picture, but was shut out completely at the 2024 ceremony.

Collider reported that famed director Francis Ford Coppola ("The Godfather," "Apocalypse Now") started developing "Megalopolis" in the 1980s, but studios in Hollywood wouldn't fund it after his box-office failure, "One from the Heart" (1982).

After directing more commercial successes in the '90s, the outlet reported that Coppola hosted table reads for the project with actors like Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Uma Thurman, but the September 11 terrorist attacks placed it on hold indefinitely.

In 2019, "Megalopolis" was reintroduced, but Coppola had to finance the more than $100 million movie on his own.

Despite its star-studded cast (Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza), the timing didn't pay off and the film received poor reviews from audiences and critics when it was released widely in September 2024.

More than 20 years ago, when producer Marc Platt first optioned Gregory Maguire's novel, "Wicked," he envisioned its material as a film — a phone call from composer Stephen Schwartz changed everything.

"And the lightbulb went off in my head. I thought, 'That's what's been missing from these screenplays. I don't feel the magic because it's a story that wants to sing,'" Platt told NBC Universal in 2024.

"Wicked," of course, went on to become one of the most beloved Broadway musicals of all time after premiering in 2003 with Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel in the lead roles, but the idea of a film was never too far away.

In 2010, Deadline reported that Platt, Schwartz, and Winnie Holzman (who wrote the book for Broadway's adaptation) were meeting with filmmakers; and in 2016, Collider reported that Stephen Daldry was selected to direct the film.

However, "Wicked" was put on hold in favor of another movie musical adaptation, "Cats," which was released by Universal in 2019, and then because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When Daldry was forced to drop out of the project, Platt brought on Jon M. Chu ("Crazy Rich Asians," "In The Heights") in 2021.

Filming — of parts one and two— finally commenced in December 2022, but was halted in July 2023 with 10 days left because of the SAG-AFTRA strike. They later wrapped in January 2024, and part one of the movie was released in November 2024 to critical and box-office success.

It is nominated for 10 awards at the Oscars, including best actress (Cynthia Erivo), best supporting actress (Ariana Grande), best picture, best costume design, and best makeup and hairstyling.

Average price in 1975: $0.36 per pound

Adjusted for inflation: $2.20

Average price in 2025: $1.93 per pound

A grain shortage — caused by excessive exports to Russia following a 1972 deal — helped push up bread prices across the US, The New York Times reported.

Average price in 1975: $0.785 per half gallon

Adjusted for inflation: $4.79 per half gallon

Average price in 2025: $4.03 per gallon

The 1970s were also marked by a shortage of dairy products. In 1973, dairy prices rose by 30%, History.com reported.

Average price in 1975: $1.03 per pound

Adjusted for inflation: $6.28

Average price in 2025: $2.42 per pound

Average price in 1970: $0.61 per dozen

Adjusted for inflation: $5.13

Average price in 2025: $4.95 per dozen

Though egg price data was not available for 1975 from the BLS, we'd be remiss not to include this grocery staple. Data from the agency's Consumer Expenditure Survey found that the average price of eggs in US cities in 1970 was $0.61 per dozen.

Bird flu has affected the American egg industry for three years in a row as one of the largest animal-based pandemics ever, Maurice Pitesky, an associate professor at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, told BI in January. This continued decrease in supply has heightened demand, leading to increasing prices.

Average price in 1975: $1.89 per pound

Adjusted for inflation: $11.52

Average price in 2025: $8.28 per pound

The American Farm Bureau Federation wrote in 2024 that rising beef costs could be attributed to a decrease in supply caused by drought and the increasing costs for feed grains.

Average price in 1975: $0.134 per pound

Adjusted for inflation: $0.82

Average price in 2025: $0.973 per pound

Average price in 1975: $0.47 per pound

Adjusted for inflation: $2.87

Average price in 2025: $1.01 per pound

Average price in 1975: $0.34 per pound

Adjusted for inflation: $2.07

Average price in 2025: $1.26 per pound (Red Delicious)

In November 2024, NPR reported that apple prices are falling because of a decrease in demand from consumers and processors.

Average price in 1975: $0.232 per pound

Adjusted for inflation: $1.41

Average price in 2025: $0.621 per pound

Banana prices have remained low despite rising costs for other commodities as a result of factors like lower labor costs and free trade agreements, Axios reported in March 2024. However, Forbes reported in February that tariffs could lead to increased prices in the future.

Average price in 1975: $0.57 per gallon (leaded)

Adjusted for inflation: $3.48 per gallon

Average price in 2025: $3.34 per gallon (all types)

In October 1973, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) enacted an oil embargo on the US after President Richard Nixon requested Congress provide billions in emergency aid to Israel during the Yom Kippur War. Though the embargo was lifted in March 1974, oil prices remained significantly high.

WalletHub's 2025 report estimated that it will take $57.7 million to put on the Academy Awards.

This is just a fraction of the money spent by the actual nominees, though. "Wicked" — which is nominated in 10 categories this year, including best picture — had a budget of $150 million, higher than all the other best picture nominees except "Dune: Part Two."

That's not the only high figure associated with the red carpet: Its installation takes 600 hours and a 500-person crew, WalletHub reported.

Celebrities will begin gracing the red carpet several hours before the ceremony's 7 p.m. ET start time.

The estimated cost of each 24-karat gold-plated statue awarded to winners is about $400.

The Academy gives out awards in 24 categories, and a winner is not allowed to sell their statue without first offering to sell it to the Academy for $1, according to its policy.

Each year, the highly anticipated, ultra-glamorous event hosted by Vanity Fair is attended by Hollywood's biggest stars, often after they've had a change of wardrobe.

WalletHub estimates that the value of each goodie bag given to Oscar nominees is $170,000.

But, the "Everybody Wins" bags aren't actually gifted by the Academy, they're the work of LA-based marketing agency Distinctive Assets, PRNewswire reported.

Some of this year's gifts include the full line of Miage skincare products, a four-night stay in the Maldives, a five-star hotel stay in Barcelona, and more than $1 million of "personalized disaster recovery services from Bright Harbor."

"While our gifts may be famous for being fun and fabulous, they also serve as a means to elevate small businesses, minority-owned brands, female entrepreneurs and companies that give back. This year, on the heels of the historically tragic LA fires, we have found even more ways that our celebrity swag can do good in our community," Distinctive Assets founder Lash Fary said, per PRNewswire.

He added, "Whether they pamper themselves or share these bountiful gifts as a care package for a friend who may have recently lost their home, we give these gifts not based on the recipients' needs but out of a desire to brighten someone's day and to acknowledge a job well done."

While A-listers wear multi-million-dollar looks, the cost of dressing a first-timer at the Oscars is $266,000, WalletHub reported.

Because the cost of a look varies based on a person's stardom, the average cost of a look at the Oscars is about $1.5 million.

In 2014, Cate Blanchett made Oscars history when she wore an $18.1 million look; but her $100,000 Armani Privé gown was the least expensive element of her outfit — her jewelry alone was estimated to cost $18 million, per The Hollywood Reporter.

The only person to wear even more expensive jewelry was Lady Gaga in 2019, whose 128-carat yellow diamond Tiffany & Co. necklace cost more than $30 million.

Last year, an average of 21 million people tuned in to watch the show, WalletHub reported. That was a 6% increase from 2023, so it's no surprise that running an ad during the live event's commercial breaks is expensive.

It costs $1.95 million to buy 30-seconds of ad time during the Oscars, WalletHub reported, which is 72% less than the $7 million it cost to run an ad during the Super Bowl.

WalletHub estimated that ABC, the TV network that hosts the awards, makes $127 million in ad revenue on the day of the Oscars.

Upwards of $20 million of that revenue comes from the pre-show red-carpet coverage.

Turns out, winning an Oscar requires much more work than just releasing a movie.

In 2023, The New York Times reported on the competitive nature of Oscars campaigns, in which professional strategists seek to shape public opinion on films, actors, and opponents.

WalletHub estimates that more than $100 million is spent on lobbying each year — that's more than the budgets of best picture nominees "Anora," "The Brutalist," "A Complete Unknown," and "I'm Still Here" combined.

The Academy has gone digital. Rather than paying millions of dollars to send physical copies of the year's nominated pictures to voters, the group has turned to streaming, which costs $20,000 per film, WalletHub reported.

Gordon Hollingshead — whose movie career spanned from 1916 to his death in 1952 — won his first competitive Oscar for best assistant director in 1933, a category that would only exist through 1937.

He also won three best short subject (two-reel) awards, two best short subject (one-reel) awards, and one best documentary (short subject) award.

These categories have also been redefined since his victories in the 1940s and 1950s; they are now known as the awards for best live action short film and best documentary short film.

"Tom and Jerry" producer Fred Quimby received his first Oscar nomination and trophy in 1944 for best short subject (cartoon) for "Yankee Doodle Mouse."

His other six wins would all come from the same category, which is now called best animated short film.

Director and sound designer Gary Rydstrom was awarded best sound and best sound effects editing for "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," "Jurassic Park," and "Saving Private Ryan."

He also has a best sound award for "Titanic," bringing his total award count to seven.

Richard Day won seven awards for best art direction (now known as best production design), beginning in 1936 with "The Dark Angel" and concluding in 1954 with "On the Waterfront."

Described by the Oscars as a "lifelong 'monster kid,'" makeup artist Rick Baker has made significant contributions to the world of movie makeup across genres, winning seven Academy Awards throughout his career.

In 1981, Baker received his first nomination and win for best makeup for "An American Werewolf in London."

In the '90s, he had multiple wins with "Ed Wood" (1995), "The Nutty Professor" (1997), and "Men in Black" (1998).

Another memorable contribution includes transforming Jim Carrey into the Grinch for the 2000 movie "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

Working alongside esteemed art director Cedric Gibbons, set designer Edwin B. Willis won eight Oscars in 15 years for his contributions to set design within the art direction category.

His first win came in 1941 for his work in interior direction on "Blossoms in the Dust," and his final win came in 1956 for his work in Set Decoration on "Somebody Up There Likes Me."

Disney fans can say a big thank you to composer Alan Menken, the mind behind the music in "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin," and "Pocahontas."

Menken won two Academy Awards for each of these films, winning in the scoring and original song categories.

Dennis Muren won eight Academy Awards for his contributions to visual effects on iconic films like "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "Jurassic Park."

Muren's work had a significant impact on popular films throughout the '80s and '90s, like "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial," "Innerspace," and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day."

In addition to his competitive Oscars, Muren also won a technical achievement award in 1981.

The beautiful costumes worn by Audrey Hepburn in the classics "Roman Holiday" and "Sabrina" came from eight-time Oscar-winner Edith Head.

Known for her "distinctive personal style" and "forthright personality," according to the Oscars website, Head built a career dressing some of the most famous movie stars of her time, like Elizabeth Taylor, Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly, and Steve McQueen. In all, she received 35 nominations and is the winningest woman in Oscars history.

Other winning films she designed costumes for include "The Heiress," "All About Eve," "Samson and Delilah," "A Place in the Sun," "The Facts of Life," and "The Sting."

Alfred Newman, who was known for films like "The King and I," won nine awards for his work as a composer.

He won his first Oscar in 1938 for scoring "Alexander's Ragtime Band" and his final Oscar in 1967 for "Camelot."

Cedric Gibbons won best art direction 11 times out of 38 nominations.

His first award came in 1930 at the second annual Academy Awards ceremony for "The Bridge of San Luis Rey." He won his final Oscar in 1957 for "Somebody Up There Likes Me"

Walt Disney dominated the best short subject (cartoon) category (now awarded as best animated short film) throughout the 1930s with projects like "Flowers and Trees," "Ferdinand the Bull," and "The Ugly Duckling."

His films continued to win awards throughout his life, and he won his final competitive Oscar posthumously in 1969 for "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day," bringing his total to 22 awards from 59 nominations.

In addition to his competitive awards, Disney was also the recipient of four non-competitive special awards for the creation of Mickey Mouse, the significance of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in animation, the use of sound in "Fantasia," and his work as a creative producer, for which he won the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.

Adams has earned six Oscar nominations throughout her career, thanks to her roles in films like "Doubt," "The Fighter," and "American Hustle."

Her most recent nomination came in 2019, for her role as Lynne Cheney in Adam McKay's "Vice."

Cooper has been nominated for 12 Oscars across five categories, including best actor, best supporting actor, best picture, best adapted screenplay, and best original screenplay for films like "Silver Linings Playbook," "A Star Is Born," and "Maestro."

In 2024, Cooper's Oscars campaign for "Maestro" was widely criticized; as Business Insider's Olivia Singh wrote, "Cooper's effort to pay homage to the late musician was earnest, but his TMI approach to promoting the film during the press tour and awards season gave people the ick."

It may come as a surprise that Henson has only earned one Oscar nomination in her career despite starring in critically acclaimed films like "Hustle & Flow" and "Hidden Figures."

Still, her only nomination came in 2009 for best supporting actress for her role as Queenie in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

Despite being just 30 years old, Ronan has earned an impressive four Oscar nominations without taking home the trophy.

Her first nomination came in 2008 — when she was only 13 years old — for her role as Briony Tallis in "Atonement," and her most recent nomination was in 2020 for her role as Jo March in Greta Gerwig's adaptation of "Little Women."

Speaking of Gerwig, the American director and screenwriter also has been nominated for four awards throughout her career.

Her most recent nomination came in 2024 for best adapted screenplay for the cultural phenomenon "Barbie." Cord Jefferson ultimately took home the award for "American Fiction."

Thanks to his work on films like "There Will Be Blood," "Phantom Thread," and "Licorice Pizza," Anderson has earned 11 Oscar nominations across four categories, including best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, and best original screenplay.

Close has been nominated for eight Oscars across the best actress and best supporting actress categories.

She earned her first nomination in 1983 for her role as Jenny Fields in "The World According to Garp" and her last in 2021 for her role as Mamaw in "Hillbilly Elegy."

The iconic character actor has earned four nominations throughout his impressive career. His last nomination was in 2003 for best supporting actor in "The Hours."

Cheadle has only been nominated for an Oscar once for his role as Paul Rusesabagina in "Hotel Rwanda." Jamie Foxx ultimately took home the award for best actor for his performance in "Ray."

Still, Cheadle is one of few actors to have been nominated for every component of an EGOT, or Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award.

Fiennes has earned three Oscar nominations, including a best actor nod this year for his role as Cardinal Lawrence in "Conclave."

He was previously nominated in the category in 1996 for "The English Patient," and in 1994 he was arguably robbed of the award for best supporting actor for his role in Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List."

Since the ending of "Dawson's Creek," Williams has proved she's much more than just another teen soap star.

Throughout her career, she's earned five nominations, the most recent of which came in 2023 for her leading role in "The Fabelmans."

Norton has been nominated for four Academy Awards thanks to his work in "Primal Fear," "American History X," "Birdman," and most recently, the Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown."

This year, Norton will compete against Yura Borisov, Kieran Culkin, Guy Pearce, and Jeremy Strong for best supporting actor.

Fincher has three Oscar nominations for best director for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Social Network," and "Mank."

His distinct style and impressive line of work — including "Seven," "Fight Club," "Zodiac," and "Gone Girl" — is bound to get a win one day.

This year, Erivo is nominated for her third Oscar thanks to her gravity-defying performance as Elphaba Thropp in Jon M. Chu's "Wicked."

In 2020, she was nominated for best actress and best original song for her work in "Harriet." She lost the former to Renée Zellweger and the latter to Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

If she wins the Oscar this year, Erivo will reach EGOT status.

Weaver has been nominated for three Oscars, including a best actress nod in 1987 for her role as Ripley in James Cameron's "Aliens."

In 2015, while promoting the film "Chappie," Weaver told Digital Spy that the science fiction genre "doesn't get enough respect when you consider how many issues sci-fi brings up that we need to deal with."

"I think part of it is the Academy is mostly people like me who are over a certain age and they're still probably looking for the more conventional movie. I think all that's going to change because some of the work being done in sci-fi is some of the most interesting, provocative work out there," she added.

Though he's arguably best known for his work in action films like "Mission: Impossible," Cruise has delivered Oscar-worthy performances, too.

His ambitious work in Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia" got him a best supporting actor nomination in 2000, but he lost to Michael Caine for his work in "The Cider House Rules." He's also been nominated for lead roles in "Born on the Fourth of July" and "Jerry Maguire."

Bening has earned five nominations spanning from 1991 to 2024.

Her latest nomination was for her portrayal of Diana Nyad in "Nyad," which she lost to Emma Stone for her performance as Bella Baxter in "Poor Things."

Producer and current president of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy has been nominated for eight Oscars for best picture.

Some of these nominees include iconic films like "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," 1985's "The Color Purple," and "The Sixth Sense."

The stylish director has been making feature films since the late '70s, but he has only been nominated for four Oscars.

Though "Gladiator" took home the award for best picture in 2001, Scott lost out on the Oscar because he wasn't one of the film's producers. He was, however, nominated for best director, but ultimately lost to Steven Soderbergh.

Scott's other nominations include best director nods for "Thelma & Louise" and "Black Hawk Down," as well as a best picture nomination as a producer of 2015's "The Martian" starring Matt Damon.

Neeson's sole Oscar nomination came in 1994 for his performance as Oskar Schindler in "Schindler's List."

He lost the best actor award to Tom Hanks, who played Andrew Beckett in Jonathan Demme's "Philadelphia."

Award won: Best adapted screenplay

For: "The Descendants"

Year: 2012

Jim Rash may be best known for playing Dean in "Community," but he's a writer, too.

Rash put his skills to good use for "The Descendants," a dramedy starring George Clooney and Shailene Woodley. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including best picture, best actor, and best adapted screenplay, which Rash took home alongside cowriters Nat Faxon and Alexander Payne.

Award won: Best live action short film

For: "Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life"

Year: 1995

Capaldi is internationally known for playing the Doctor in "Doctor Who," but fans might not realize he became an Oscar winner nearly two decades prior to taking on the role.

Capaldi won the award for best live action short film alongside Ruth Kenley-Letts for "Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life." Their film actually tied for the award with Peggy Rajski and Randy Stone's "Trevor."

Award won: Best original song

For: "I Just Called to Say I Love You" from "The Woman in Red"

Year: 1985

In comparison to his 25 Grammy wins, it's easy to see how Stevie Wonder's Oscar win in 1985 could fly under the radar. The song itself was a massive hit upon its release in 1984, selling millions of copies.

Award won: Best original song

For: "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp" from "Hustle & Flow"

Year: 2006

Three years after Eminem's win, Three 6 Mafia became the first hip-hop group to take home the Oscar for best original song for "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp" from "Hustle & Flow."

Award won: Best original song

For: "Lose Yourself" from "8 Mile"

Year: 2003

In 2003, Eminem became the first rapper to win the Oscar for best original song with "Lose Yourself" from Curtis Hanson's drama "8 Mile," which he also starred in. Though he wasn't present to accept the award back then, he gave a surprise performance of the song 17 years later, at the Oscars ceremony in 2020.

Award won: Best supporting actress

For: "The Piano" 

Year: 1994

Paquin's acting career started off with a bang, winning best supporting actress for her debut film, "The Piano," at just 11 years old.

Since then, she's appeared in the "X-Men" trilogy, "True Blood," and Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman," but hasn't received another Oscar nomination.

Award won: Best supporting actress

For: "Precious"

Year: 2010

Though Mo'Nique may be best known for her comedy, she had a standout role as abusive mother Mary Jones in Lee Daniels' "Precious" and took home the award for best supporting actress.

However, five years after her win, Mo'Nique told The Hollywood Reporter that Daniels told her she was "blackballed" because she "didn't play the game."

Mo'Nique famously did not campaign for her award, and in the opening line of her acceptance speech said, "First, I would like to thank the Academy for showing that it can be about the performance and not the politics."

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Daniels said, "Her demands through 'Precious' were not always in line with the campaign. This soured her relationship with the Hollywood community."

Mo'Nique and Daniels reconciled in 2022, and she starred in his 2024 horror film, "The Deliverance."

Award won: Best original song

For: "Say You, Say Me" from "White Nights"

Year: 1986

Richie has won one Oscar from three nominations for best original song. His win came in 1986 for "Say You, Say Me" from "White Nights," starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines.

Award won: Best supporting actress

For: "Mighty Aphrodite"

Year: 1996

Before she starred as the iconic Romy White in "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion," Sorvino was recognized by the Academy for her role as Linda Ash in Woody Allen's "Mighty Aphrodite."

Since then, she's appeared in other films and television projects like "Norma Jean & Marilyn," "Human Trafficking," and more recently, "Sound of Freedom."

In 2017, Sorvino was one of more than a dozen women to speak out against producer Harvey Weinstein in an article published by The New Yorker. She told the publication that she felt her career was hurt after rejecting Weinstein's advances and reporting the harassment she faced.

"There may have been other factors, but I definitely felt iced out and that my rejection of Harvey had something to do with it," Sorvino said.

In a statement in 2017, Weinstein denied he'd been involved in blacklisting Sorvino.

Weinstein was convicted of third-degree rape of one woman and of first-degree criminal sex act against another in 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison. His conviction was overturned in April 2024 and he was indicted on new charges in September; his retrial is set to begin in April.

Award won: Best documentary feature

For: "An Inconvenient Truth"

Year: 2007

OK, technically the award for best documentary feature was given to director Davis Guggenheim, but former vice president and 2000 presidential nominee Al Gore was its subject, highlighting his educational presentation about the dangers of global warming.

He even took to the stage with Guggenheim after its win, telling the crowd, "My fellow Americans, people all over the world, we need to solve the climate crisis. It's not a political issue, it's a moral issue. We have everything we need to get started, with the possible exception of the will to act. That's a renewable resource. Let's renew it."

Award won: Best documentary feature

For: "The Cove"

Year: 2010

The "Short Circuit" and "Succession" actor won the best documentary feature award in 2010 after producing "The Cove," which detailed the dolphin-hunting industry in Japan and called for a change in Japanese fishing practices.

That same year, Stevens cofounded Insurgent Media, a documentary film company.

Award won: Best animated short film

For: "Dear Basketball"

Year: 2018

The basketball legend made history when he took home an Oscar in 2018, becoming the first former professional athlete to do so.

Bryant narrated the animated short, which features a 2015 letter he wrote for The Players' Tribune announcing his retirement.

The short was directed and animated by Glen Keane, who had previously worked on animated Disney classics like "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Aladdin." John Williams, the 54-time Academy Award nominee behind the scores for films like "Jaws," "Star Wars," and "Jurassic Park," created the score.

Bryant's emotional acceptance speech ended with the athlete thanking his wife, Vanessa, and daughters Natalia, Gianna, and Bianka, telling them, "ti amo con tutto il mio cuore," which translates to "I love you with all my heart" in Italian.

Award won: Best original song

For: "Writing's on the Wall" from "Spectre"

Year: 2016

Alongside cowriter Jimmy Napes, the British singer-songwriter won the award for best original song for their 2015 Bond theme for "Spectre."

In their acceptance speech, Smith talked about being the "first openly gay man to win an Oscar," which they weren't. His comments sparked backlash from the LGBTQ community, and the singer, who acknowledged the mistake, temporarily quit X, formerly known as Twitter.

Adams was born in this quiet cottage in rural Massachusetts in 1735.

In the summer months, John Adams' father, John Adams Sr., would till the 6 acres of land their cottage sat on, and in the winter, he would practice cordwaining, a form of leather shoe making, the National Park Service reported.

Buchanan, the United States' 15th president, was born in this unpretentious log cabin in Cove Gap, Pennsylvania, 1791.

In 1953, the cabin was moved to The Mercersburg Academy in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania.

The site of Buchanan's original birthplace is open to the public at Buchanan's Birthplace State Park.

Polk grew up on a humble homestead, which has been recreated for a National Historic Site.

The 150-acre farm in North Carolina where Polk was born in 1795 now features vintage 1800s log buildings — including a cabin, barn, and kitchen — and furnishings similar to those on the original property, North Carolina Historic Sites reported.

Polk lived on the property until he left for Tennessee at age 11. He would later return to North Carolina to attend the University of North Carolina.

Fillmore, who was born in 1800, spent his childhood in this log cabin near what's now Summerhill, New York. He was one of eight children, and his parents were farmers.

Though the birthplace of the 13th US president is no longer standing, a state historical marker now commemorates the location.

Lincoln was born in 1809 in a one-room log cabin on his father's Sinking Spring Farm near Louisville, Kentucky.

Lincoln's family lived at the cabin until he was 2 ½ years old. His father, a carpenter and farmer, then moved the family to another farm 10 miles away.

The original cabin is no longer standing but a replica, pictured, is on display at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park. 

Grant lived in this quaint cottage for less than a year after his birth in 1822.

The family paid $2 a month in rent before moving to Georgetown, Ohio, where he lived until he was 17.

The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a historic house museum operated under the Ohio Historical Society. The inside is furnished with items that once belonged to Grant. 

Garfield was born in 1831 in what's now Moreland Hills, Ohio.

Though the original cabin no longer stands, a replica cabin, statue, and plaque commemorate his birth site.

In 1843, William McKinley was born in an upstairs bedroom of a two-story Ohio home that his parents were renting.

The original structure burned down in 1937, but it was recreated at the McKinley Birthplace Home and Research Center in Niles, Ohio.

Hoover was born in 1874 and spent the first three years of his life in this two-room cottage in West Branch, Iowa.

The National Park Service reported that one of the rooms was used as a bedroom for Hoover, his parents, his older brother and, after her birth, his younger sister. The second room was a living and kitchen area. The family later moved to a two-story house.

Hoover later said, "This cottage where I was born is physical proof of the unbounded opportunity of American life."

Truman was born in this small house in Lamar, Missouri, in 1884.

It is now a Missouri State Historical Site and free tours are available for visitors. The inside of the home has furnishings that reflect what life was like when Truman was growing up in the late 1800s.

In 1908, Lyndon B. Johnson was born in a ranch-style home near Stonewall, Texas.

The home where Johnson was born and spent his childhood was constructed in 1889 by his grandfather Samuel Ealy Johnson, Sr., according to the National Park Service. His parents sold the home in the 1920s and it was later demolished, per the Texas State Historical Association.

In 1964, LBJ hired an architect to reconstruct the birth home for people interested in learning more about his heritage.

According to the NPS, Johnson's birthplace home "has the distinction of being the only presidential birthplace reconstructed, refurbished, and interpreted by an incumbent President."

Reagan was born in an apartment above a bakery turned bank building in downtown Tampico, Illinois, in 1911.

Though he only lived in the apartment for four months after his birth, it was refinished to reflect how it looked when he was born, the Tampico Historical Society reported.

President Richard Nixon was born in this single-family home in 1913 in Yorba Linda, California.

Nixon's father built the home on his citrus farm using a kit, a popular housing method in the early 20th century, according to the National Park Service. Nixon would spend the first nine years of his life here before moving to Whittier, California.

Although ownership of the home changed over time, it was restored prior to the opening of Nixon's Library in 1990 and is now a National Historic Landmark open to visitors.

Carter was the first US president to be born in a hospital, but the Plains, Georgia, farm he grew up on initially had no running water or electricity and relied on wood stoves for heat.

The family had moved to the farm in 1928, when Carter was 4 years old. He helped his father, James Earl Carter, Sr., raise cotton, corn, peanuts, and sugar cane, all of which they sold at a country store near their house.

"The early years of my life on the farm were full and enjoyable, isolated but not lonely. We always had enough to eat, no economic hardship, but no money to waste. We felt close to nature, close to members of our family, and close to God," Carter said, per the NPS.

Biden's family moved in with his maternal grandparents in Scranton, Pennsylvania, during the early years of his childhood, after his father faced economic hardship, The New York Times reported.

The family stayed in the home (pictured above) until 1953, when his father moved the family to Delaware for work. Biden was born in 1942.

George W. Bush was born in Connecticut in 1946, but grew up in Texas. His family lived in this 1,400 square foot home in Midland, Texas, from 1951 to 1955.

The house is now a Texas Historical Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places. It was restored to reflect its 1950s appearance and is open to the public for tours.

Ali Wong and Randall Park are childhood friends who reconnect as adults. Though their lives have taken them in different directions, there's still a lot of laughs and love between them.

But things really go up a notch when suddenly Park's character has to compete with Keanu Reeves, starring as a hilarious fictionalized version of himself.

Jessica Williams plays the title character in this indie rom-com that follows her character as she gets over a breakup by casually dating a guy she met on a blind date (Chris O'Dowd).

Unlike the typical Hollywood rom-com, this one has some realness to the characters and the warts-and-all relationship being formed.

Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell — who play assistants to demanding bosses and genuinely have great on-screen chemistry — decide the best way to make their lives easier is to get their bosses to date each other.

While you may predict the outcome of this one, it's still a fun, sweet movie that helped modernize the rom-com genre on Netflix.

Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Alison Brie, and Leslie Mann star as single women in New York City navigating personal and romantic relationships.

Though reviews were mixed, it's an easy, humorous watch — just don't take it too seriously.

This popular teen rom-com franchise — "To All the Boys I've Loved Before," (2018) "To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You" (2020), and "To All the Boys: Always and Forever" (2021) — follows high schooler Lara Jean Song-Covey (Lana Condor) as she navigates the fallout after love letters to her crushes get sent out.

Based on a best-selling book series by Jenny Han, it's a sweet coming-of-age story about being true to your feelings.

Jennifer Lopez stars as Mary Fiore, a wedding planner who's been down on her luck with love until a chance meeting with pediatrician Steve Edison (Matthew McConaughey).

But the love-match proves to be much more complicated when she learns that her next — and most important — wedding to plan is that of Edison and heiress Fran Donnelly (Bridgette Wilson).

It's a movie that completely gives itself away in the trailer, but aren't those the best kinds of cheesy rom-coms?

What would you do if you found out you'd kissed your new boss' son?

That's the predicament faced by protagonist Jenna — wonderfully played by Gabrielle Union — as she launches a career comeback after a difficult breakup.

Together, they must work to understand both their personal and professional relationship.

In this beloved early 2000s staple, Jenna Rink is an awkward 13-year-old girl who wishes to skip the woes of adolescence and become an established 30-year-old woman. When her wish magically comes true, Jenna (Jennifer Garner) learns that her adult life is much more complicated than she expected.

This movie — a modern classic for a reason — features standout performances from Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, Andy Serkis, and many other beloved actors.

When Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) learns he can time travel, he sets his sights on finding love, using his gift to woo and begin a relationship with Mary (Rachel McAdams); but Tim must learn that time travel can't solve all of life's problems.

Julia Roberts was the queen of romantic comedies in the '90s, giving audiences classics like "Pretty Woman," "My Best Friend's Wedding," "Runaway Bride," and of course, "Notting Hill."

In "Notting Hill," Roberts plays American movie star Anna Scott, who falls for William Thacker (Hugh Grant), a London bookshop owner.

Both Roberts and Grant were nominated for Golden Globes for their performances.

Jennifer Lawrence's big return to the silver screen came in this R-rated romantic comedy where she stars as Maddie, a 30-something-year-old Uber driver and waitress. After her car is towed, she accepts a Craigslist ad from a wealthy couple offering a Buick in exchange for dating their sheltered son, Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman), before he leaves for college.

The relationship (which faced criticism when the movie was released) ends up being sweet — and hilarious.

Judd Apatow's unofficial sequel to "Knocked Up" stars his wife, Leslie Mann, and Paul Rudd as married couple Debbie and Pete.

The couple navigates a rough patch in their relationship that captures the realities of marriage, parenthood, finances, and love with Apatow's signature sense of humor.

Mann and Apatow's daughters, Maude and Iris, also star in this 2012 movie, making it a full family affair.

Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis), an introverted Chinese American girl, is known for writing fellow students' essays in exchange for money in her small town. Meanwhile, Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer) is a football player who needs help communicating with his crush, Aster (Alexxis Lemire). Ellie agrees to write love letters for Paul, as she secretly likes Aster, too.

This modern adaptation of "Cyrano de Bergerac" is just too cute to miss.

As the title suggests, this is a movie all about chasing love at first sight.

Hadley (Haley Lu Richardson) and Oliver (Ben Hardy) meet on a flight to London and feel an instant connection. When they arrive, Hadley's phone dies, causing her to lose Oliver's number. With no way to contact him, she tries to find him again.

While this film has its cheesy moments, it's sweet, too — and critics were charmed by the leads and their chemistry.

Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) do not get along, but when they both end up in Australia for a wedding, the pair agree to fake date to further their own agendas. What could go wrong?

This modern take on the enemies-to-lovers trope brought romantic comedies back to the big screen and became a sleeper hit at the box office, grossing more than $220 million worldwide.

After losing her job and her boyfriend, Gabriela (Christina Milian) enters a "Win an Inn" contest — and wins. After finding that her new inn in New Zealand needs a renovation, she enlists the help of local Jake Taylor (Adam Demos) and the pair begins to fall for each other.

This is a gooey Hallmark-esque movie that's packed with rom-com clichés ... but we're not complaining.

Leilani (Issa Rae) and Jibran (Kumail Nanjiani) are a couple on the verge of a breakup when a man hijacks their car and uses it to kill another man before fleeing the scene.

Too afraid to go to the police, the couple seeks to find the murderer themselves and clear their names.

"The chemistry between stars Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae keeps the romantic comedy charming," Polygon's Karen Han wrote.

Noah (Adam DeVine) meets Avery (Alexandra Daddario) at a Halloween party, and the two hit it off before hanging out for the rest of the night. Unfortunately for Noah, Avery says goodbye with a hug, leaving him in the friend zone.

Three years later, Avery's engaged and a heartbroken Noah returns to the photo booth they visited the night they met. Suddenly, he's back in time with the ability to use the photo booth for unlimited chances to make Avery fall in love with him ... but does the future ever really go as planned?

This Netflix original stars Gina Rodriguez as Mack, a sportswriter who enjoys setting up hookups for her friends ... before she falls for someone herself.

"It's as much a story of love among friends as it is of any couple, and a handful of good gags and great performances keep the whole thing steaming along," The New York Times' Alissa Wilkinson wrote.

For the third time on this list, Glen Powell proves his rom-com prowess — this time with "Hit Man." He plays Gary Johnson, a professor who moonlights as a fake hit man for the New Orleans Police Department.

But things get complicated when Johnson, posing as a hit man named Ron, meets — and quickly falls for — Madison (Adria Arjona), a woman trying to have her abusive husband killed.

The Wrap's Ben Croll wrote that the film "is a deliriously entertaining star vehicle, a throwback to the low-concept, high-reward studio crowd-pleasers built around a comic persona and designed to showcase a gifted performer's range."

Back when Poehler and Fey were cutting their teeth in the improv circuit, they met at Chicago's ImprovOlympic theater. In her 2014 autobiography, "Yes Please," Poehler recalls meeting Fey for the first time. 

"[ImprovOlympic co-founder Charna Halpern] said there was another new improviser in another one of her classes whom she thought I would really like. Her name was Tina and she was like me but with brown hair," she wrote.

The two had their own show at ImprovOlympic for a bit before joining the legendary "Second City" improv troupe. Since that fateful meeting 30 years ago, the duo has gone on to host the Golden Globes, star in the movie "Sisters" together, and create some of the most beloved "SNL" skits in recent history.

Jada Pinkett Smith first saw Queen Latifah at a club in Baltimore where the then 17-year-old rapper was performing. 

"I'd never seen anyone like her before, this female rapper named Queen Latifah," Pinkett Smith told People in 2017. "I convinced the promoter to let me introduce her."

In the more than 30 years since that night, the two have become best friends, starring in the 1996 film "Set It Off" and 2017's "Girls Trip" together. 

"Jada and I can have whole conversations where we haven't really said anything, but we've said a lot," Latifah told People.

More specifically, it started over a cup of coffee.

Back in the '80s, Diaz, 16 at the time, grabbed a cup of joe from the coffee shop Barrymore worked at. As reported by E! Online, the two maintained a low-key friendship until, in 2002, Barrymore offered Diaz a role on the "Charlie's Angels" reboot she was producing.

Since then, the two have developed an unbreakable bond, with Barrymore telling Entertainment Tonight's Lauren Zima in 2018 that she considers Diaz her sister.

"We have much more of that kind of relationship, we're very honest with each other," Barrymore told ET. "We push each other. And we've had the majority of our lives spent side by side, really going through what real life is, which is an everyday high and low and we just have each other's backs."

In September 2020, Barrymore invited Diaz and fellow "Charlie's Angels" star Lucy Liu to be the first guests on her talk show, and they spoke about their friendship.

"The thing that I love about our friendship is that we have been there in all the big and important moments, we've also been there in the small moments and the casual moments and the reason we are such good friends is because it's real and we go through real stuff with each other. It's not a Hollywood fairytale," Barrymore said.

Over four decades ago, Winfrey and King worked at the same Baltimore news station as a news co-anchor and production assistant, respectively. When a snowstorm prevented King from driving back to her house in the suburbs, Winfrey invited King to stay with her. 

After staying up all night talking, the two quickly moved from colleagues to friends. 

"I believe God put the two of us in each other's path to do exactly what we've been doing since that night in Baltimore when I was 22 and she was 21," Winfrey wrote in a 2019 article for her O Magazine. "Listening. Listening. Talking. Listening. Laughing (a lot). Building dreams. Standing in the gap. Cheering. Being a shoulder to cry on. Supporting. Speaking the truth. Being the truth!"

In September 2021, in her Oprah Daily series "The OG Chronicles: Joy Ride," Winfrey said that King has been on every vacation with her and her longterm partner, Stedman Graham, since 1993.

"The three of us have had a wonderful time," King said in the episode. "If I was the third wheel, I didn't know it! If Stedman didn't like me, that would've been tough."

Winfrey added, "If Stedman didn't like you, Stedman wouldn't have lasted. Husbands and boyfriends come and go. Best friends last forever."

It's a bit serendipitous that Aniston and Cox met on the set of "Friends." After acting alongside each other for a decade, the two developed a special bond that has only strengthened throughout the years. 

Aniston is the godmother of Cox's daughter, Coco, and when Aniston married now ex-husband Justin Theroux in 2015, Cox was her maid of honor.

On February 11, Cox shared a birthday tribute to Aniston on Instagram writing in part, "Happy birthday to my friend for life. Never has there been a more generous, loving, beautiful, talented, funny, loyal friend."

While flying to Mexico to film the movie "Bandidas" in 2004, the actresses' plane had to make a pretty serious emergency landing that involved depressurizing the cabin and wearing oxygen masks. Even worse, the flight was on Halloween, so, naturally, Cruz and Hayek were dressed as clowns. 

"I've never liked clowns, even as a kid, but after this experience [I like them] even less," Cruz told People in 2017.

In the years since, the two have become one of the most adored friendships in Hollywood. They even have a cute nickname for each other, Cruz explained to Allure in 2014.

"She's one of my best friends. We call each other 'huevos' [eggs]," Cruz said. "It was because when we were working together, we didn't have children yet, so we used to sleep much more than now. So it was a way to call each other lazy. We slept in the same bed so many times, and it was like she was always trying to wake me up and call me 'huevos.'"

The "Grace and Frankie" stars began working together more than 40 years ago after Fonda, who was co-producing "9 to 5," stumbled onto Tomlin's one-woman show "Appearing Nitely." 

"What can I say, I was smitten," Fonda said on a 2017 episode of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," adding, "I said I don't want to make a movie about secretaries unless she's in it."

In addition to the time they've spent together on screen, Fonda and Tomlin are dedicated climate activists — Tomlin was arrested at one of Fonda's climate protests in 2019. Together they've answered the internet's most searched questions about themselves and even did a TED Talk in 2016 celebrating their decades-long friendship.

Despite often competing for the same roles, Lathan and Hall became such good friends that they refer to each other as their "human diaries."

In 2018, Hall was recognized at the Step Up Inspiration Awards for her commitment to mentoring young women in Los Angeles. Lathan presented Hall with the award and dedicated a heartfelt Instagram post to her friend.

"Had the pleasure of honoring my bestie @morereginahall today at the Step Up inspiration awards ... So proud of you Regina you inspire me and so many others. Love u and congratulations!" Lathan wrote at the time. 

Watts' and Kidman's 30-year friendship started while filming the 1991 movie "Flirting," but the two had known of each other for many years. They actually attended the same high school and were part of the same Australian theater company. 

"We've gone through a lot together over a significant amount of time. That history binds you," Watts told People in 2017. "We have a strong respect and love for one another."

In the 20 years since Busy Philipps and Michelle Williams met, the two have become the definition of friendship goals. 

Williams is the godmother of Philipps' daughter, and she supported her friend after Heath Ledger's death in 2008.

"I'm so in love with her," Williams told People in 2016. "She's proof that the love of your life does not have to be a man! That's the love of my life right there."

In Jennette McCurdy's 2022 memoir, "I'm Glad My Mom Died," the Nickelodeon star shared details about the beginning of her friendship with Cosgrove. She referred to their friendship as a "source of camaraderie and emotional support" during her difficult childhood. 

According to McCurdy, after meeting Cosgrove on the set of iCarly, the two spent hours each day talking on AIM. She recalls being drawn to Cosgrove's "distinct and hilarious personality."

"So many of the things she said made me laugh," McCurdy wrote. "Her way of observing things — people, habits, human nature. I loved her. And I was so excited we were becoming friends."

In 2022, McCurdy told Entertainment Tonight, "I love Miranda to pieces. I always will. She has such a special place in my heart."

Of their more recent friendship, she said, "We totally still keep in touch — not as often as we used to. We used to be attached at the hip."

She added, "But I'm always rooting for her."

Cosgrove also spoke to E! News in 2022 about McCurdy's decision not to join the "iCarly" reboot, stating that it is a "different show without the Sam character."

"If she ever wanted to come back, of course, the door would always be open," Cosgrove said.

Hudson and Tyler both attended the Crossroads School For Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica during the '90s, The List reported. The two have been best friends ever since. 

Early in their careers, the two co-starred in the movie "Dr. T and the Women," in which they share an on-screen kiss. On "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" in 2017, Hudson said the two still talk about their kiss all the time.

"We're like, 'We should've gone for it more.' It was so sweet, you know? It was such a sweet kiss. We should've just really made out," she said.

Remini first met Lopez in 2004 because she and her husband, Angelo Pagán, were close with Marc Anthony, Lopez's boyfriend at the time. Remini remembers being wowed the first time she met J Lo. 

"He was like, 'She's the love of my life, blah, blah, blah,'" Remini recalled in a 2018 interview with The Los Angeles Times. "As I was walking up to the table, I was like, 'Ugh, God, you're even prettier in real life.' She started laughing, and I was like, 'Ugh, and you have a sense of humor even?'"

The two became fast friends and have been frequently spotted in public together in the years since. Lopez stood by her friend and supported Remini's decision to leave the church of Scientology in 2013. Five years later the duo starred in their first movie together, the romantic comedy "Second Act." 

Remini told The LA Times she said yes to her role before even reading the script because she trusted Lopez so much. 

Before becoming royalty, Meghan Markle met tennis star Serena Williams at the Super Bowl in 2010. Their friendship began to blossom when they met for a second time in 2014 — once again, at the Super Bowl. Markle became an avid supporter of Williams, attending many of her tennis matches and celebrating her wins.

Soon after the beginning of their friendship, Markle discussed their bond on her now-defunct blog, "The Tig," stating, "We are both the same age, have a penchant for hot sauces and adore fashion, but what connects us more than those things is perhaps our belief in exceeding expectations – our endless ambition."

In 2017, when Williams announced her pregnancy with her daughter, Markle told Vogue, "She will be an amazing mom. The very best, because she is so attuned to balancing strength and sensitivity."

Williams attended the royal wedding in 2018, and documented the experience on Instagram, writing, "So my friend is getting married today... I've known her for so many years, and I'm so happy for her."

And in 2022, Markle shared the first episode of her podcast, "Archetypes," with Williams as her guest.

When Markle asked her why she agreed to do the podcast, Williams said, "I love you, believe in you. We've been friends for so long. I'm super loyal, you know that."

In 2008, Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez dated Joe and Nick Jonas, respectively, and quickly became close friends. In 2017, Gomez joked that their long-lasting friendship "was the best thing we got out of those relationships."

When Swift released her album "1989" in 2014, Gomez posted a collage of photos of the two of them on Instagram, writing, "From hotel room album listening parties, kitchen dance floor album listening parties to driving on the pch, windows down album listening parties. -The best part is we were the only ones there. Each time. So happy, honored and proud to know you and your diaries."

Swift sent Gomez a cake for her birthday in 2018, referencing one of Gomez's songs in her Instagram post, writing, "Will I let distance stop me from celebrating my best friend's bday? I MEAN I COULD BUT WHY WOULD I WANT 2."

And in 2022, Gomez referred to Swift as her "only friend" in the music industry, telling Rolling Stone, "I never fit in with a cool group of girls that were celebrities. My only friend in the industry really is Taylor [Swift], so I remember feeling like I didn't belong."

It's no secret that Khloé Kardashian has been through a lot. Luckily, her best friend, Malika Haqq, has been by her side since they were only 15 years old.

Cosmopolitan reported that Kardashian referenced their friendship's beginning on her blog, writing, "Malika was dating one of my male best friends. He would always keep us apart because I am sure he knew we would just hit it off. One day we met and we did. Malika and [her twin sister] Khadijah have been my best friends ever since."

Since then, they've embraced not only life's struggles, but its successes, too. One highlight of their friendship came in 2018 when they collaborated on BECCA Cosmetics' BFF Collection. In an interview with Bustle in 2019, the pair explained that their long-standing friendship made working together an easy process.

"We know our strengths and our weaknesses — who is stronger at what — and that's a blessing of a real friendship," Kardashian told the outlet.

The two are still going strong, with Haqq recently supporting Kardashian at the launch of her perfume, XO Khloé, in December.

"It never gets old to see you shine or they people love and support you. YOU deserve it all," she wrote on Instagram.

Lawrence and Stone's friendship famously began with a shared "stalker" they called "John the Orchestra Guy."

"Jennifer Lawrence and I both had the same stalker, John the Orchestra Guy," Stone told W magazine in 2018. "He would text us both and say things like 'I'm running late on my way to the soundstage. Can you warm up the orchestra for me? Text me back and let me know you got this.' He wasn't really a stalker. He must have worked at a studio or something because he had a lot of people's numbers."

Lawrence and Stone ended up texting every day for a year before finally deciding to meet in person — only to fear that they'd been unknowingly communicating with "John the Orchestra Guy" the whole time. A quick phone call revealed it wasn't him, and the two have remained close ever since.

Last year, Lawrence displayed her affection for Stone at the Golden Globes. The friends were both nominated for best actress in a motion picture comedy or musical: Lawrence for "No Hard Feelings" and Stone for "Poor Things."

When Lawrence's name was read during the award nominations, she jokingly mouthed to the camera, "If I don't win, I'm leaving," Variety reported. However, when she lost to Stone moments later, she immediately jumped to her feet to clap and cheer.

2024 was the year of Victoria Monét and Ariana Grande, but their friendship actually started over a decade ago when Grande was beginning to work on her debut album, "Yours Truly," StyleCaster reported.

Monét helped write the album's first track "Honeymoon Avenue," and has since contributed to some of Grande's biggest hits like "Be Alright," "thank u, next," and "34 + 35." The two even have a song together called "MONOPOLY," where they sing, "I'm so thankful working with my best friend, she the cheat code."

The besties have repeatedly been supportive of each other's career growth. E! News reported that Grande was quick to praise Monét's Grammy wins last year on her Instagram story, writing, "My friend you deserve this one million times over. I am so deeply proud and happy for you there are no words. You have worked so hard and given so much of yourself to this industry for so, so long while quietly being in your absolute own league."

Monét returned the support after the premiere of "Wicked" in November 2024, writing on Instagram, "What a CLASSIC!!! What a CAST!!! It is absolutely incredible we are obsessed," adding "all my sincerest congratulations just WOW" to Grande and costar Cynthia Erivo.

Lurie's maternal grandfather, Philip Smith, founded the General Cinema Corporation in 1935, bringing 315 movie theaters to neighborhoods around the US, Forbes reported.

Later, the company evolved to also control 60% of Neiman Marcus, in addition to acquiring publishing and insurance company Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (rebranded to Harcourt General).

In 2013, Lurie told Clark Magazine that his grandfather's movie-theater business showed the public that they didn't have to travel to cities to be entertained.

"My grandfather came up with the concept of opening a movie theater in a shopping mall in the suburbs, which was unheard of in those days," he said.

Lurie received his bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology from Clark University and Boston University, respectively, before earning a PhD in social policy at Brandeis University.

He also taught social policy as an adjunct professor at Boston University.

In 1983, Lurie joined General Cinema Corporation. He stayed for two years before starting his own production company, Chestnut Hill Productions.

Lurie told Clark Magazine, "I'd gotten to know a lot of top Hollywood executives through my job at General Cinema and it was a natural move for me. I'd become less interested in the movie theater business and more interested in what kinds of movies you could make."

The company produced films like 1988's "Sweet Hearts Dance" starring Don Johnson and Susan Sarandon, "I Love You to Death," and "Foxfire."

In the early 2000s, Lurie and his then-wife Christina Weiss Lurie (pictured) founded Screen Pass Pictures, a documentary film company.

In 2019, Lurie founded another production company for documentary features called Play/Action Pictures.

Lurie has produced three Oscar-winning documentaries throughout his career, "Inside Job" (2010), "Inocente" (2012), and most recently, "Summer of Soul" (2021). He is credited as an executive producer on each project.

Lurie's love for football began in 1958 when he watched the Baltimore Colts take on the New York Giants in the NFL Championship.

As a New England native, Lurie had originally sought to purchase the Patriots, but lost out to Robert Kraft, who paid $172 million for the team in 1994.

Instead, he purchased the Philadelphia Eagles from Norman Braman in 1994 for $185 million, a decision The Wall Street Journal said was the dumbest investment of the year, he told Forbes.

The Eagles were a flailing franchise then, complete with a rat-infested stadium, organizational issues, and a lack of success in the playoffs — and Lurie and his mother had borrowed a nine-figure sum from the Bank of Boston to make the purchase, using their personal stock and family trust as equity and collateral, respectively.

"It was scary because it was the first really big acquisition where I was risking a tremendous amount to take this opportunity. I couldn't let my dream to own an NFL team confuse the analysis; the analysis had to come first. Eventually, it all came together," Lurie told Clark Magazine.

In his early years as an owner, Lurie helped secure the Eagles a new practice facility, NovaCare Complex, and stadium, Lincoln Financial Field.

And they've won, too.

The Eagles have made the playoffs 19 times and won two of their four Super Bowl appearances, most recently defeating the Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl LIX.

The team is now worth $6.6 billion, Forbes reported, more than 35 times what Lurie purchased it for.

In February 2024, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) awarded Lurie an A ranking in ownership, based on how willing players believe he is to invest in the team's facilities.

In 1995, Lurie and the Eagles founded the Eagles Youth Partnership (now known as the Eagles Charitable Foundation) to provide health and education programs for children throughout the Philadelphia region.

"I'd always admired what the Red Sox did with the Jimmy Fund regarding cancer research, so when I bought the Eagles I made it a high priority that what we do in the community should be of equal priority to what we do on the football field," Lurie told Clark Magazine.

One of the foundation's primary goals is to provide vision care to children in the area, an initiative spearheaded by Eagles' 1996 draftee Jermane Mayberry.

Since then, the Eagles Eye Mobile program has provided free vision screenings, eye exams, and prescription glasses to uninsured and under-insured children in the area.

Other philanthropic and community-driven initiatives launched by the team include the Eagles Autism Foundation, the Eagles Social Justice Council, Go Green, and annual playground builds.

The couple have two children, Julian Lurie and Melina Lurie.

Julian, who was born in 1995, works for the Eagles' business and football operations strategy department. After graduating from Harvard University, he joined the NFL rotational program to learn about different aspects of the league.

His dad has floated the possibility he may one day own and run the team.

"I want to expose him to all aspects of both the business side and the operational side — the nuts and bolts yet also the strategy side," Jeffrey Lurie said during the NFL Owners Meeting in 2022, NBC Sports reported.

"He's a real sharp guy," Lurie added. "He's going to have so much more going into it than I ever did, if he chooses to want to someday own and run the team."

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the couple wed in a private ceremony in Charleston, South Carolina, in May 2013.

It's been widely reported that Lurie met Lai while she was working at one of her family's businesses. Her brother, Benny Lai, owns the James Beard Award-winning restaurant Vietnam. The Lai family also owns a second brand, Vietnam Café, and Fu Wah Market.

In 2023, Mansion Global reported that Lurie has properties in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania (the couple's primary residence); Palm Beach, Florida; and Martha's Vineyard.

Lurie told Sports Illustrated, "We gotta remain humble. I just believe in being humble. It's really part of the culture. And the moment you think that you're better than you should be, you lose that edge. You just want everyone to remain humble from the top down.

"There are a lot of smart franchises in this league. I'm grateful that we're able to be world champs in a league with a lot of smart franchises."

This ad, in which the Pittsburgh Steelers' Joe Greene drinks a little boy's Coke, became so popular that it spurred an NBC TV movie based on the ad and international versions, such as some featuring soccer star Diego Maradona.

Wendy's has been taking potshots at McDonald's since 1984, but this jab was perhaps one of its most successful, helping the fast-food brand boost its revenue by 31% that year, the Associated Press reported in 1987, according to The New York Times.

Apple's much-hailed yet very bizarre commercial from 1984 was technically the very first viral ad, making Super Bowl commercials a true phenomenon — Forbes called it "The Ad That Changed The Super Bowl."

The ad aired only once, but it was replayed on news channels across the world for weeks and contributed to the sale of about $150 million worth of Macintoshes in barely three months.

Talk about a return on investment.

This 1992 ad worked so well that Pepsi brought Crawford back for 2018's Super Bowl.

It capitalized on the supermodel's popularity while turning viewers' attention to Pepsi's newly redesigned can.

This 1993 ad — while ludicrous — pitted rivals Larry Bird and Michael Jordan against each other for a Big Mac and became an instant hit.

It not only popularized the basketball saying "nothing but net" during the biggest football game of the year, but also led to many a remake.

This hard-hitting ad by agency MullenLowe in 1999 featured children sharing the gripes of unhappy employees.

It instantly struck a chord and cemented Monster.com's position as a job-search player.

Trading platform E-Trade's 2000 spot featuring a dancing monkey was a lesson in subversive advertising and ridiculed the insane cost of running a Super Bowl ad … while simultaneously driving home the brand's premise of helping users make the most of their money.

This 2007 spot was the first-ever crowdsourced Super Bowl ad, AdAge reported, and it let Doritos cut costs while engaging some of its most loyal customers.

This 2010 spot featuring a then-88-year-old Betty White was where Snickers' now-familiar "You're not you when you're hungry" tagline was born. 

It became a viral hit. More major stars, like Robin Williams, appeared in later versions.

This endearing spot by Volkswagen features a kid reprising the role of Darth Vader.

It went viral right after being released and has received tens of millions of views since.

What do you get when you put an adorable golden retriever puppy and a majestic Clydesdale horse in one frame? A heartwarming romance.

Budweiser is a brand that has always aced the Super Bowl, but this iconic ad from 2014 was perhaps its crowning glory.

Set to the tune of Passenger's "Let Her Go," this cute story spotlighting the friendship between the two animals racked up tens of millions of views online and became instantly memorable.

By recasting a phrase often used as an insult as an empowering message, the award-winning Procter and Gamble ad won hearts everywhere.

Although a continuation of a campaign that began the previous summer, the spot stood out among a sea of hyper-masculine ads and won praise for changing the conversation about what it means to run, throw, and do pretty much anything "like a girl."

Since then, P&G has continued to take stands on important issues, with its Gillette "We Believe" ad being another example.

In 2017, Honda's unforgettable ad brought Super Bowl viewers a blast from the past with animated yearbook photos of celebrities like Amy Adams, Missy Elliott, Jimmy Kimmel, and Viola Davis to remind everyone of the value of chasing their dreams and believing in themselves.

Amazon's star-studded 90-second spot in the 2018 Super Bowl had people buzzing days before the big game and was an instant recipe for success.

It featured a host of celebrities, including Rebel Wilson, Gordon Ramsay, Anthony Hopkins, and even Amazon's founder, Jeff Bezos.

In what turned out to be one of the biggest Super Bowl surprises ever, HBO hijacked Bud Light's Super Bowl ad in 2019 to tout the final season of Game of Thrones, giving fans a weird crossover of the hit show and Dilly Dilly.

Fans were caught off guard, social media went crazy, and the two brands clocked one of the biggest Super Bowl successes.

MC Hammer leaned on his 1990 classic "U Can't Touch This" to sell Cheetos Popcorn in an ad that played on the common experience of "Cheetos fingers."

The appeal to nostalgia definitely worked, as the ad ranked 10th overall in 2020's USA Today Ad Meter contest, in which panelists rate and rank Super Bowl commercials.

Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, and Jake from State Farm compared stand-ins in this 2021 spot from State Farm Insurance. The hilarious ad made a pretty convincing case that if Drake ever needs a break from music — which he might need after Kendrick Lamar's halftime performance — returning to his acting roots to star as "Drake from State Farm" could be a great backup option.

Even Hulu had to get in on the action, commenting on X, "started with khaki bottoms now we're here," in reference to Drake's hit song "Started From the Bottom."

Guy Fieri teamed up with Bud Light for his first Super Bowl ad appearance to bring viewers to "The Land of Loud Flavors." The celebrity chef boasted about the taste of Bud Light Seltzer Hard Soda, declaring the drink had "the loudest flavors of all time."

In 2023, the Farmer's Dog told the heartwarming story of a girl, Ava, growing up with her dog, Bear. As adult Ava croons "I'm gonna love you forever" from Lee Fields' song "Forever" to an aging Bear, the company reminds us that "Nothing matters more than more years together."

The ad resonated with Super Bowl audiences, winning USA Today's 35th Ad Meter competition.

In 2024, State Farm capitalized on its "Like a good neighbor" tagline with the help of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who endearingly repeated the line as "Like a good neighbaaa," much to his fictional director's dismay.

The ad won Ad Meter's top spot.

Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Year: 2006

Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Elevation: 36 feet

Conditions: 89 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny, 7 mph wind

Game Context: With his Buccaneers down one point and just four seconds remaining in the contest, Bryant blasted a 62-yard field goal through the uprights to give Tampa Bay the walk-off victory.

Team: New England Patriots

Year: 2017

Location: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico

Elevation: 7,200 feet

Conditions: 63 degrees Fahrenheit, overcast, 14-17 mph wind

Game Context: Gostkowski extended the Patriots' lead over the Oakland Raiders to 17 with a 62-yard kick that comfortably soared through the sticks.

Team: Dallas Cowboys

Year: 2018

Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Elevation: Approximately 550 feet

Conditions: Indoors

Game Context: As time expired in the first half, Maher booted a 62 yarder to put the Cowboys up six against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Team: Dallas Cowboys

Year: 2019

Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Elevation: 7 feet

Conditions: 64 degrees Fahrenheit, mostly sunny, 7 mph wind

Game Context: Maher knocked a long ball through the uprights just before halftime to close the gap between the New York Jets and his Cowboys.

Team: Arizona Cardinals

Year: 2021

Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Elevation: 1,070 feet

Conditions: Indoors

Game Context: Prater put the Cardinals up one against the Minnesota Vikings as time expired in the first half.

Team: Kansas City Chiefs

Year: 2022

Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Elevation: 843 feet

Conditions: 66 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny, 15 mph wind

Game Context: Butker nailed a 62 yarder with room to spare to tie the game for the Chiefs as time expired in the first half against the Buffalo Bills.

Team: Arizona Cardinals

Year: 2023

Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Elevation: 1,070 feet

Conditions: Indoors

Game Context: Prater's big boot helped the Cardinals stretch their lead over the Dallas Cowboys to 11 as they headed into the locker room for halftime.

Team: New Orleans Saints

Year: 1970

Location: Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana

Elevation: 16 feet

Conditions: 65 degrees Fahrenheit, 10 mph wind

Game context: With his Saints down a point against the Detroit Lions and mere seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Dempsey hit a 63-yard field goal to give New Orleans the win and smash the previous NFL record of 56 yards.

Team: Denver Broncos

Year: 1998

Location: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

Elevation: 5,280 feet

Conditions: 51 degrees Fahrenheit, partly cloudy, 10 mph wind

Game Context: Elam ended the first half with a then-record-tying 63-yard boot to put his Broncos up by 17 points over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Team: Oakland Raiders

Year: 2011

Location: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

Elevation: 5,280 feet

Conditions: 75 degrees Fahrenheit, light rain, 6 mph wind

Game Context: Janikowski — nicknamed "Seabass" among fans of the franchise — sent the Raiders into halftime with a 16-3 lead against the Denver Broncos after nailing a 63 yarder in week one.

Team: San Francisco 49ers

Year: 2012

Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Elevation: 640 feet

Conditions: 70 degrees Fahrenheit, overcast, 7 mph wind

Game Context: Akers launched a 63-yard blast off the crossbar and through the uprights to give his 49ers a 16-7 lead over the Green Bay Packers heading into halftime.

Team: Carolina Panthers

Year: 2018

Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Elevation: Approximately 734 feet

Conditions: 88 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny, 6 mph wind

Game Context: Gano's 63-yard kick gave his Panthers the two-point victory against the New York Giants as time expired.

Team: Dallas Cowboys

Year: 2019

Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Elevation: Approximately 550 feet

Conditions: Indoors

Game Context: Maher set Dallas' franchise record with a 63-yard shot that put the Cowboys up 20 at halftime against their NFC East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, during week seven.

Team: New England Patriots

Year: 2024

Location: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

Elevation: 72 feet

Conditions: 76 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny, 4.7 mph wind

Game Context: In a week four matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, Slye set a Patriots record when he scored the team's first points of the game to conclude the first half. The San Francisco 49ers went on to win the game 30-13.

Team: Denver Broncos

Year: 2013

Location: Empire Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

Elevation: 5,280 feet

Conditions: 13 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny, 3 mph wind

Game Context: Prater helped the Broncos come within 1 point of the Tennessee Titans heading into halftime with a 64-yard strike that broke Dempsey's longstanding record.

Team: Dallas Cowboys

Year: 2024

Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Elevation: Approximately 550 feet

Conditions: Indoors

Game Context: Aubrey's near-record-breaking kick game in the first quarter of the Cowboys game against the Baltimore Ravens, to give his team their first points of the game. The Cowboys later lost the game 28-25.

Team: Baltimore Ravens

Year: 2021

Location: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Elevation: Approximately 600 feet

Conditions: Indoors

Game Context: Tucker drilled a game-winner off the crossbar and through the uprights from 66 yards out to lead his Ravens past the Detroit Lions and beat Prater's record by a full 2 yards.

On January 30, 2025, The Baltimore Banner reported that Tucker had been accused of sexual misconduct by six massage therapists. When reached by Business Insider for a comment, a representative for Tucker shared his statement on X denouncing the allegations as "unequivocally false."

The stadium has a capacity of 73,208, but an estimated 125,000 people are expected to visit New Orleans over the weekend to enjoy the festivities and spend an estimated $200 million, per the US Chamber of Commerce.

The cheapest tickets for Super Bowl LIX, as of Thursday night, cost around $3,000.

Meanwhile, personal-finance outlet WalletHub reported that the average price of a ticket on the resale market is $11,067, up 17% from 2024.

Oh, and anyone you see in a suite likely shelled out between $750,000 and $2 million, Sports Illustrated reported.

Some menu items fans in New Orleans can expect to enjoy include seafood nachos, alligator sausage, and a selection of po' boys.

An additional $517 million will be spent on soft drinks and another $226 million on whiskey, WalletHub reported.

After Thanksgiving, the Super Bowl has the highest levels of food consumption in the US.

In addition to all those chicken wings, 11.2 million pounds of potato chips are expected to be eaten, 10 million pounds of ribs will be sold, as well as 304 million pounds of avocados for guacamole, WalletHub reported.

WalletHub reported that 68 million American adults are expected to bet on the big game.

Since 2006, Anheuser-Busch has spent more than $695 million on Super Bowl advertising, and for good reason; WalletHub reported that ads during the Super Bowl are 20 times more effective at driving brand perceptions than other TV ads.

As a result, in 2024, CBS made $695 million in ad revenue.

Every member of the losing team will also receive a $96,000 bonus, per the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement.

That's an increase from last year's $164,000 winning bonus and $89,000 consolation.

The sterling silver trophy has been presented to Super Bowl champions since the beginning.

But while it costs $50,000 to make, it's widely reported that the trophy is only valued at $10,000.

From hotels and restaurants to local businesses, the Super Bowl is expected to have a huge economic impact on the city in its 11th time hosting the big game.

Caesars Superdome has 165 privately owned suites throughout the stadium, from the field to the 300 and 400 levels. Suites have capacities between 14 and 40 seats.

Sports Illustrated reported that the Super Bowl LIX suite experience includes amenities like parking passes, private restrooms, and comfortable seating.

Catering is also provided for suite holders by global hospitality company Sodexo Live!, which has served 16 Super Bowls.

Bruce Kraus, the company's regional vice president of operations, told Business Insider that each suite has a full-service bar and its own suite attendant.

Some of the featured suite menu items by Sodexo Live! include a chilled seafood tower of lobster, stone crab claws, jumbo gulf shrimp, oysters, a sushi platter, and a citrus Caesar salad. Since the Super Bowl is in New Orleans, the menu also features a king cake, traditional to Mardi Gras.

"We definitely curate that experience," Jennifer Bargisen, vice president of culinary at Sodexo Live!, told BI, adding that the company wanted to make sure the experience "is quintessentially New Orleans."

So, in addition to high-end items like tomahawk steaks, suite holders are also "going to get gumbo, and it's going to be our housemade recipe," she said.

To ensure the taste of New Orleans was authentic, the company partnered with a variety of local businesses, including Leidenheimer, which supplied more than 50,000 baguettes for the occasion because, as Bargisen said, you would never call it a po' boy unless it was on Leidenheimer bread.

Bargisen told BI that the suite menu was handcrafted down to the timing of the service, so that new foods are available at kickoff, halftime, and so on.

"We want the experience in the suites and food and beverage to be the same as the game feels," she said.

In addition to suite-exclusive menu items and timed food service, suite holders have access to other Super Bowl-featured dishes like seafood nachos and alligator sausage and a QR code for more traditional stadium snacks like hand-breaded chicken tenders.

"If they want something and we can make it happen, it's happening," Bargisen said.

Paul Pettas, vice president of brand and communications at Sodexo Live!, told BI that all front-of-house, guest-facing staff underwent enhanced training with the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute.

"We're on the world stage," Kraus said. "You have to deliver that premium yet comfortable, approachable service level."

Bargisen told BI that the "interesting nature" of many suite holders, including billionaires, is that they "still want it to feel like a game."

"As much as it is an exclusive experience, and you know, they want that premium anticipatory service…there are still hot dogs there, right?" she said.

In 1964, The New York Times reported that almost 30 years after H.L. Hunt founded the Hunt Oil Company, his family had an estimated fortune of $700 million (around $7 billion in today's money).

At the time of the report, the company was producing oil and natural gas in 12 states, including Texas, Louisiana, and North Dakota.

Hunt funded Facts Forum News, his foundation for producing conservative, anti-Communist radio and television programs, from 1951 to 1963, per the University of Houston.

His fortune was put into trusts for each of his 15 children, whom he had with three different women.

Forbes reported that Ray Lee Hunt has a net worth of $6.9 billion, as of February 2025. He is chairman emeritus of Hunt Consolidated, Inc., which includes Hunt Oil Company, Hunt Energy, and Hunt Realty Investments.

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts was sold to New World Hospitality (now known as Rosewood Hotel Group) in 2011 for $229.5 million, per AP News and PR Newswire.

Caroline Rose Hunt died in 2018 at age 95.

Before his death in April 2024, William Herbert Hunt served as an advisor to management at Petro-Hunt. Per the company website, his family continues to own and operate Petro-Hunt, which, in addition to its focus on oil and gas, also purchases minerals and royalties, invests in real estate, and also partially owns an oil refinery.

Lamar Hunt founded the American Football League (AFL) in 1959 to rival the National Football League (NFL) after being refused access to buying a franchise. Since the AFL and NFL officially merged in 1970, the Lamar Hunt Trophy has been awarded to the winner of the AFC Championship.

Lamar also founded the Kansas City Chiefs (originally known as the Dallas Texans), which the family still owns today, and is credited with coining the term "Super Bowl."

Norma Hunt died in 2023 at the age of 85, leaving siblings Clark Hunt, Sharron Hunt Munson, Lamar Hunt Jr., and Daniel Hunt, as co-owners of the team.

Hunt took over as CEO in 2010 and hired Andy Reid as head coach in 2013. Since then, the Chiefs have created a winning dynasty with three Super Bowl wins in five seasons.

In an interview with "The Rich Eisen Show," Hunt said a Super Bowl three-peat "would really be a credit to Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, his teammates for the work they put in, not only over the last three years, but really the entire time they've been with our organization."

In addition to being chairman and CEO of the Chiefs, Clark Hunt is also chairman and CEO of FC Dallas, while his brother, Daniel Hunt, is the club's president.

The family's involvement with the team was actually decades in the making, as Lamar Hunt founded the Dallas Tornado and the North American Soccer League in 1967 before becoming a charter investor in Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1996.

In 1999, Lamar Hunt funded the first stadium dedicated solely to soccer in the US, Columbus Crew Stadium. That same year, he was awarded the National Soccer Hall of Fame Medal of Honor, and the US Open Cup Tournament was renamed for him.

The family took over the MLS club Dallas Burn in 2003, which was relaunched as FC Dallas two years later.

According to the company's website, Hunt Midwest is a "privately held real estate development company" with "more than $2.5 billion of developed projects" including senior living communities and residential, multifamily, and industry-focused locations like SubTropolis.

The couple married in 1993 and have three children together: Gracie, Ava, and Knobel.

Shackles Hunt is from Kansas City, Missouri, and was involved in beauty pageants, winning Miss Missouri Teen USA, Miss Kansas USA, and finishing second runner-up at the Miss USA pageant, People reported.

She has also worked as director of the Chiefs Women's Organization.

"I love being a leader of it and organizing events to familiarize our extended football family with Kansas City and plug them into serving the community," she told Her Life Magazine in 2018.

"It bonds us together on the field and off the field to gather to serve the community and enjoy fellowship together," she added.

Gracie Hunt, 25, grew up playing soccer but was forced to stop after suffering four concussions. She then pivoted to beauty pageants, winning Miss Texas Teen International in 2016, Miss Texas International in 2018, and Miss Kansas in 2021.

Now, Hunt works in public relations for the Chiefs while also taking on projects of her own, including a capsule collection with Wear by Erin Andrews, which she's shared online with her 660,000 Instagram followers.

Hunt told People in January, "Coming out with a capsule collection with Erin was a way for me to create something that is my own."

She is also a philanthropist, having founded Breaking Barriers Through Sports in 2016. According to her website, the organization "aims to give people a positive identity and confidence through athletics and living a healthy lifestyle."

She has been in a confirmed relationship with licensed real-estate broker and former college football player Cody Keith since September 2024.

In May 2024, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker delivered a commencement speech at Benedictine College, a small Catholic school in Atchison, Kansas.

In his address, Butker told women in the audience they'd been told "the most diabolical lies" about the value in pursuing a career. He also told men to be "unapologetic" in their masculinity and fight "the cultural emasculation of men."

His words drew backlash, including from the sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, nuns affiliated with the college. They wrote in a statement on their website that his words "seem to have fostered division."

However, both Tavia and Gracie appeared to support Butker in respective social media posts and TV appearances.

Nearly a week after Butker's address, Tavia Hunt shared photos of her and her daughters on Instagram as well as a diagram documenting the pros and cons of stay-at-home parenting and a screenshot of an article on the happiness of married couples. In the lengthy caption, Shackles Hunt wrote that she's always encouraged her daughters to be educated and "chase their dreams," but noted that she also wants them to know that finding a spouse and raising a family "is one of the greatest blessings this world has to offer."

"Affirming motherhood and praising your wife, as well as highlighting the sacrifice and dedication it takes to be a mother, is not bigoted," she added. "Someone disagreeing with you doesn't make them hateful; it simply means they have a different opinion."

Given the post's themes of motherhood and faith, fans were quick to connect Shackles Hunt's words to those of Harrison Butker, who, in his commencement address, spoke about his wife, Isabelle, and how she embraced "one of the most important titles of all: homemaker."

Meanwhile, Gracie Hunt was asked about Butker's speech on a May 2024 episode of "Fox & Friends."

"I really respect Harrison and his Christian faith and what he's accomplished on and off the field," she said. Hunt also praised her mother's ability to stay home with her and her siblings while they were growing up, but added that "there are many women out there who can't make that decision."

Per Forbes, the Hunts are the 12th richest family in the US behind other familial dynasties like the Walton family, Mars family, and Cathy family.

Cruz, who retired in 2018 after seven seasons with the Giants, told BI that the Super Bowl has "so much media," adding, "It's such an event."

He continued, "I always tell people that the NFC Championship Game was the most physically taxing game that I've ever played in, and then the Super Bowl was the most mentally taxing game because it's just between the interviews and your family and travel and you're just trying to secure all of those things. And then by the time you get to the game, you're finally like, wow, I can relax, but I also can't relax 'cause now, I have to play a game."

As a record seven-time Super Bowl champion, Brady has shared plenty of thoughts on his experiences in the big game over the years.

In 2005, Brady reflected on his early career success during an interview on "60 Minutes" and how he felt after winning — at that point — three Super Bowls.

"Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there's something greater for me out there?" he said.

He added, "It's got to be more than this; I mean this isn't — this can't be what it's all cracked up to be. I mean I've done it, I'm 27. What else is there for me?"

Of course, there were more than 15 seasons and four Super Bowl wins in Brady's future.

In a February 2025 episode of NFL on Fox, Brady, too, said the Super Bowl is unlike any other game a player will take part in.

"There's so much attention," he said, adding that it's important to "try to make that game as normal as you can from a preparation standpoint" so you can be ready when game time comes.

In a January 2025 episode of 94 WIP Sportsradio, retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce reflected on playing in his first Super Bowl in 2018.

"It was a highly emotional time," he said, adding, "Everything flashes before you before a Super Bowl. You can't help but think back and think about 'How am I here?,' How am I fortunate enough and lucky enough to be here?' And then you think about your teammates and everybody else.'"

Kelce continued, "It's a very overwhelming experience, you know, being on the biggest stage of your profession and I imagine anybody feels that way, right?"

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had a different perspective on his first Super Bowl, which he lost to the Los Angeles Rams in 2022 at SoFi Stadium.

Burrow told The Colin Cowherd Podcast in September 2022 that the first series of the game "felt like a dinner party and we were the entertainment."

He added, "'Cause I mean, you come off a road game in Kansas City, a road game in Tennessee, and then, you know, your first home win in the playoffs in 30-some years, and then you go to the Super Bowl and it's more corporate."

"It just took a second to get used to, it didn't feel like a playoff football game," he said.

Like Burrow, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts knows that not all Super Bowl appearances end the way you want them to — the Eagles lost Super Bowl LVII to the Chiefs in 2023 — but that's a fact he plans to change this year.

At a press conference ahead of Sunday's game, Hurts said he's "learned so much," adding, "It's the same as any other game and, you know, I think the moments are the moments. But ultimately, you know, every game has its lessons — good, bad, or indifferent. So, just being able to become wiser, grow, and mature and take all these lessons in for the next season and the next games."

"It's had a great driving force. It lit a flame, lit a fire in me, and to have this opportunity again is exactly what you work for," Hurts said.

Patrick Mahomes said he was more nervous to propose to his now-wife, Brittany Mahomes, than he was to play in his first Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Both life-changing events occurred in 2020, with the Super Bowl in February and his proposal to Brittany in September.

Mahomes told 610 Sports Radio, "You don't think it's going to be nerve-racking, especially when you've been with someone for so long, but before you get on that knee, your heart's racing, I promise you that."

Veteran defensive end Michael Strahan was ready for his second shot at a Super Bowl title when the New York Giants faced the New England Patriots in 2008.

Strahan had previously been a member of the Giants' 2000-2001 squad, which lost Super Bowl XXXV to the Baltimore Ravens, 34-7.

His advice to teammates was simple: ignore the distractions.

"Giving that up now is worth it a million-fold if you win the game," he said, per the NFL.

"That is my message to those guys. And once it kicks off, it is just a football game. All that pressure of it being the Super Bowl — and I love when they kick it off and all the flashing lights — but we are still the only ones that can control what happens on the field. As long as you don't let those things get to you and you are relaxed and play football, it is just a game."

The Giants went on to defeat the Patriots 17-14 in what would be Strahan's last game of his 15-season, Hall of Fame career in the NFL.

"Mentally, I was spent," Strahan told SNY after his retirement, adding, "I took everything out of myself physically and mentally to win the Super Bowl and once it was done, I said 'OK, that's good enough. What else do I have to prove?'"

In 2000, quarterback Kurt Warner led the St. Louis Rams to their first-ever Super Bowl win, beating the Tennessee Titans.

Warner told ESPN's Josh Weinfuss, "You work your whole life to be considered the best at what you do," adding, "To be a part of a team, a group that does that, kind of writes your name in history. It's incredible."

Warner continued, "As far as sports goes, there's no greater feeling than winning a championship. I always kind of liken it to the greatest things in life, when you get married, when you have your children. That kind of feeling in life."

Warner was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

Deion Sanders won back-to-back Super Bowls during his Hall of Fame career in the NFL, first in 1995 with the San Francisco 49ers and again in 1996 with the Dallas Cowboys.

Sanders spoke about what it was like to play in a Super Bowl during a January 2025 episode of "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert."

"It's awesome," Sanders said. "It's almost like you're riding to the game and you're seeing stuff that you never thought existed because you're like, 'I didn't know they do that at Super Bowls. I didn't know they do that,' and then you say, 'Like man, all of these people are coming to see us play. You mean to tell me I get to put on a show in front of America tonight? You got to be kidding me, Lord, thank you.' That's the feeling you have driving, riding to the stadium, and knowing you're getting ready to play."

He added, "You're not worried, you're not overexcited, you're just, you wanna rock steady, you wanna be calm because you are getting an opportunity to do what you have been blessed to do in front of everybody."

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has won three Super Bowls so far in his career, but the one that stands out was against the Philadelphia Eagles and his brother, Jason Kelce, in 2023.

In 2024, Kelce told reporters, "I'd always wanted to be at the mountain top with my brother, and when I visualized it, it was always playing with him in the Super Bowl, but playing against him, meeting him there, was one of the most special moments of my life and I don't know if any moment will ever compare to being on top of the world, going against my brother like that."

Now, the Chiefs will face the Eagles again on Super Bowl Sunday, though this time, Jason will be watching from the stands.