Laura Dern and 'Buddy' Reese Witherspoon Attend the 2021 Oscars Together as Each Other's Dates

Both actresses went on to present at the 93rd Academy Awards

Reese Witherspoon, laura dern
Laura Dern, Reese Witherspoon. Photo: Reese Witherspoon/Instagram

It was a friendship reunion at the 93rd Academy Awards on Sunday night.

Laura Dern and Reese Witherspoon — who have starred together in Wild and Big Little Lies — attended the Oscars as each other's dates, Witherspoon revealed on Instagram as the stars were getting their glam done ahead of their arrival.

"So what are you excited about? You're going because, obviously, you won last year," Witherspoon, 45, asked her longtime pal in a video shared on her Instagram Story.

"So I have the privilege of presenting Best Supporting Actor," Dern, 54, said, reminding Witherspoon that she also produced the nominated animated short, If Anything Happens I Love You.

Last year, Dern won Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of divorce lawyer Nora Fanshaw in Marriage Story.

Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern
Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern. Reese Witherspoon/Instagram

"Right! You're nominated!" the Wild star exclaimed, before Dern asked why she's attending this year's Oscars.

"You know, I'm just going to schmooze," Witherspoon deadpanned (she will also be presenting at the ceremony).

laura dern
Laura Dern. Chris Pizzello-Pool/Getty
Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon. Chris Pizzello/Pool/Shutterstock

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Speaking during ABC's Oscars pre-show, Witherspoon said that they both were "just so excited to be going out of the house" after a year of staying at home due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Listen below to the episode of our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day for more on the 2021 Oscars.

Dern agreed, adding that she was happy to be at an event with her "buddy" Witherspoon.

"I love the tradition of getting to present," Dern said of her duty later on in the evening, adding that she feels "so privileged" to get to honor this year's Supporting Actor nominees (Daniel Kaluuya, Leslie Odom Jr., Sacha Baron Cohen, Paul Raci and Lakeith Stanfield).

Both Dern and Witherspoon also shared a peek into their prep earlier on Sunday.

Dern shared a photo of herself on Instagram about to take a COVID-19 test with the caption, "Oscars prep!" while Witherspoon shared photos of herself and Dern's glamorous dresses.

"Congratulations to all of tonight's #Oscars nominees! 💫🎥 " she wrote in the caption. "I'm so honored to be a part of this evening, celebrating the magic of movies and their ability to make us feel more connected to the world around us. What is your favorite movie of the year?"

The 93rd Academy Awards are airing live on Sunday, April 25 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ABC.

Related Articles