The Academy Awards statuette may symbolise cinematic excellence, yet its history is marked by a surprising number of disappearances, ranging from theft and accidents to simple misplacement.
The latest case involves Russian filmmaker Pavel Talankin, whose Oscar was temporarily lost after airport security in New York required him to check it in, citing safety concerns. The trophy was later located by Lufthansa, which is arranging its return.
Several prominent figures have also admitted to losing track of their awards over the years, including Angelina Jolie, Jared Leto, Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges.
Costume designer Colleen Atwood saw multiple trophies destroyed during wildfires in Los Angeles. While one of her awards remained safe at the Academy Museum, others were severely damaged or melted. The Academy has since confirmed it may repair or replace statuettes lost under such circumstances.
In 2018, actress Frances McDormand briefly lost her Oscar after it was taken from the Governors Ball. It was recovered later the same evening. Meanwhile, two trophies linked to the now-defunct The Weinstein Company are believed to have disappeared from its New York offices, with their whereabouts still unknown.
Other incidents include Jared Leto misplacing his award for several years during a house move, and Matt Damon losing his statuette following flooding in his New York apartment. Whoopi Goldberg once lost hers after sending it for cleaning, only for it to be recovered by an airport worker after the package arrived empty.
In a more unusual case, Olympia Dukakis had her Oscar stolen and held for ransom, though she chose to replace it rather than negotiate. Perhaps the most dramatic incident occurred in 2000, when dozens of missing statuettes were discovered in a rubbish bin in California following a large-scale theft.
Despite their prestige, the history of the Oscars suggests that even Hollywood’s most prized symbol is not immune to being lost, stolen or unexpectedly rediscovered.
