Inside the 2024 Oscar Nominees Luncheon: Emma Stone Teases Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie Shows PDA and More

Hollywood A-listers gathered inside the ballroom at the Beverly Hilton Hotel Monday for the 2024 Oscar nominees luncheon — and PEOPLE was inside the party.

Nominated stars including Margot Robbie, Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Colman Domingo, Robert Downey Jr., Lily Gladstone, Emily Blunt and Martin Scorsese all rubbed elbows at the annual event before posing together for a group photo.

Early in the afternoon, Barbie star Ferrera made her way to her seat carrying a glass of champagne. She was greeted by former Best Actress winner Sissy Spacek, who congratulated her on her Best Supporting Actress nomination. The two women hugged and posed for photos.

When Oppenheimer stars Downey, Blunt and Cillian Murphy —u p for Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Actor, respectively — entered, they were immediately greeted by Maestro Best Actress nominee Carey Mulligan. 

While Blunt and Mulligan chatted, Murphy headed over to talk with Barbie director Greta Gerwig (a nominee for co-writing the comedy’s screenplay).

Poor Things Best Actress nominee Stone reunited with her former Aloha costar Bradley Cooper (up for Best Actor and Best Director for his work on Maestro), and the two shared a laugh while photographers snapped away.

During her remarks to the group, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences president Janet Yang mentioned that the Oscars, held on Sunday, March 10, would start an hour earlier this year, at 7 p.m. E.T., which elicited gasps and laughs from those assembled.

As lunch was being served, past Best Supporting Actor winner Daniel Kaluuya strode over to The Holdovers Best Supporting Actress nominee Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who was seated at her table, and gave her a hug.

Meanwhile, past Best Actress winner Marlee Matlin had a bit of a fan moment with Poor Things Best Supporting Actor nominee Mark Ruffalo: She approached him to take a selfie and FaceTimed someone, who Ruffalo greeted warmly.

Not long after, Ruffalo chatted with Nyad Best Actress Nominee Annette Bening. Stone and Poor Things Best Director nominee Yorgos Lanthomos noticed their colleague. “There’s Mark!” Lanthomos told Stone, who replied, “He’s talking to Annette Bening. Should we say hi? No, let’s wait.” 

The two then spoke in various accents and made each other laugh.

The nominees then waited for their names to be called to the stage to take the group photo. As they began to assemble, Bening and Gerwig exchanged contact information while waiting for others to take their places. Mark Ronson, a Best Original Song nominee for Barbie’s “I’m Just Ken,” then took a selfie with the women.

Gosling jokingly told his former La La Land costar Stone to move to be closer to him, and the two shared a laugh as she refused and stayed put in her spot.

When Stone was asked to move forward, she jokingly pushed Gosling aside to get in front of him in another lighthearted moment.

Downey, the final star to be called to take his place for the photo, elicited a loud round of applause from his peers. When the group was instructed they needed to take another photo, Downey joked to the group that they had to get it right.

As the nominees departed the lunch following the photo-op, Blunt and Rustin Best Actor nominee Domingo shared a hug and a chat in the lobby. American Fiction Best Actor nominee Jeffrey Wright said hi quickly before Blunt and Domingo walked out together.

Barbie star and producer Robbie, nominated for Best Picture, walked out of the hotel hand-in-hand with her husband Tom Ackerley.

Watch the 96th Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 10, on ABC.