‘We are doing it maskless’: Regina King reveals why 93rd Oscars attendees are not wearing face masks

The ceremony got under way in Los Angeles on Sunday evening, with A-listers forgoing face coverings

Carey Mulligan arrives to the Oscars red carpet for the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, April 25, 2021. Reuters

Riz Ahmed and Fatima Farheen Mirza arrive to the Oscars red carpet for the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, April 25, 2021. Reuters

Daniel Kaluuya arrives to the Oscars red carpet for the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, April 25, 2021. Reuters

Viola Davis and Julius Tennon are interviewed while Carey Mulligan (centre, bottom) walks the red carpet at the Oscars on April 25, 2021, at Union Station in Los Angeles. AFP

Thomas Vinterberg, left, and Helene Reingaard Neumann arrive to the Oscars red carpet for the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, April 25, 2021. AP Photo

Emerald Fennell arrives to the Oscars red carpet for the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, April 25, 2021. AP Photo

Regina King and Andra Day arrive to the Oscars red carpet for the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, April 25, 2021. Reuters

Regina King and Aldis Hodge arrive to the Oscars red carpet for the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, April 25, 2021. Reuters

Olivia Colman arrives at a screening of the Oscars on April 26, 2021 in London, England. Reuters

Vanessa Kirby arrives to the Oscars red carpet for the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, April 25, 2021. Reuters

Carey Mulligan, left, and Marcus Mumford arrive to the Oscars red carpet for the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, April 25, 2021. Reuters

H.E.R. arrives to the Oscars red carpet for the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, April 25, 2021. Reuters

Reese Witherspoon arrives to the Oscars red carpet for the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, April 25, 2021. Reuters

Agnes Wilson, left, and H.E.R. arrive to the Oscars red carpet for the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, April 25, 2021. AP Photo

Shaka King to the Oscars red carpet for the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, April 25, 2021. Reuters

Viola Davis arrives to the Oscars red carpet for the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, April 25, 2021. Reuters

Jena Friedman and Anthony Hines arrive to the Oscars red carpet for the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, April 25, 2021. Reuters

Angela Bassett arrives to the Oscars red carpet for the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, April 25, 2021. Reuters

Laura Allen arrives at a screening of the Oscars on April 26, 2021 in London, England. Reuters

Halle Berry arrives to the Oscars red carpet for the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, April 25, 2021. Reuters

The 93rd Oscars got under way on Sunday night in Los Angeles, and while the usually glittering ceremony is pared back for 2021, there is still plenty of glamour as the great and good of Hollywood join together to celebrate the best of film.

A socially distanced red carpet was graced by the likes of Carey Mulligan, Viola Davis, Regina King, Halle Berry and Daniel Kaluuya, before the scaled-back ceremony, which will be split between Los Angeles's Union Station and the event’s usual home of the Dolby Theatre.

Click through the gallery above to see maskless, A-list arrivals to the 93rd Academy Awards. 

Aldis Hodge, left, Regina King, centre, and Andra Day, right, arrive for the 93rd annual Academy Awards. EPA

While there is no one presenter at this year's event, previous Oscar winner Regina King kicked things off with an impassioned speech, referencing the trial of Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis last week, which led to the former police officer's conviction for the murder of George Floyd.

The One Night in Miami... director said if things had gone differently, she would have "traded in her heels for marching boots".

“The fear that so many live with, no amount of fame and fortune changes that,” she said.

The star also referenced the fact that audience members were not wearing masks at the Oscars, a move that steps away from protocols followed at many other major awards ceremonies and red carpets to take place this year.

“We are doing it maskless,” she said. “People have been vaxxed, tested, retested, socially distanced.”

She said that protocols followed on the night mirrored those many in the room will have experienced when returning to the set of films.

“When we are rolling, masks off, and when we are not rolling, masks on,” she said.

Follow The National’s live coverage of the 93rd Oscars here.