US first lady Michelle Obama made a surprise and unprecedented appearance on today's Oscars telecast when she presented the award for Best Picture, the first time a president or first lady has ever presented an Academy Award. Appearing live on screen from the White House in Washington, almost 4,800 km from the Oscars ceremony in Hollywood, Michelle praised the work of the movie industry before announcing the Iran hostage drama Argo the Best Picture winner.
Wearing a silver evening dress, she said this year's nominated films had "made us laugh, made us weep and grip our armrests just a little bit tighter." Michelle added: "They reminded us we can overcome any obstacles if we dig deep enough and hard enough. They are especially important for young people." Argo director Ben Affleck said he felt like he was "sort of hallucinating" when Michelle presented the award. "The fact that it was the first lady was an enormous honour ... it was very cool," Affleck said backstage after collecting the trophy.
