Here's Where Stars Keep Their Oscars

Spoiler: Some celebs would rather keep their statuettes out of sight

If you won an  Academy Award , where would you keep it?

While Oscar winners like  Viola Davis ,  Lupita Nyong'o  and  Reese Witherspoon  have their trophies on display in plain sight — in the office, on a shelf, in the living room — others have put theirs in less conspicuous places worthy of a scavenger hunt. From bathrooms and refrigerators — yes, you heard that right! — to museums, you'll never guess where some stars have decided to keep their golden statuettes.

Ahead of the  2024 Oscars , here's a look at where past winners have displayed their coveted prize from Hollywood's biggest night. 

Robert De Niro: At the University of Texas

In a 2024 chat with PEOPLE, two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro said his Oscars are in the care of a team at the University of Texas.

"They keep everything, preserve things very well, they're archiving," he shared. "I didn't donate them, but they're in their care."

Up for Best Supporting Actor at the 2024 Oscars, for Killers of the Flower Moon, he added that he "[doesn't] know" where he'll put another statuette if he wins.

H.E.R.: On the Dining Table

"My Oscar, as of now, is in the  middle of my dining table , kind of like a centerpiece,"  H.E.R.  — whose song "Fight for You" won Best Original Song at the 2021 Oscars — told PEOPLE in 2022. "People are like, 'Is that — is that the Oscar?' I don't have a full build-out yet. I'm working on that. But I do have a little shelf situation in my living room with the  Grammys  and the  Soul Trains  and all those awards."

Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz: In a "Place That's Not So Obvious"

Javier Bardem  gave fans some insight during the 2019 Oscars when he told PEOPLE that  he and wife Penélope Cruz  keep their trophies — his for Best Supporting Actor for  No Country for Old Men  (2007) and hers for Best Supporting Actress for  Vicky Cristina Barcelona  (2008) — in " a place that's not so obvious ."

He continued, "We can see in the corner of our eye, so it's not like  they are there . And if you miss them, you go there in secret, and you hold it, then you go back to the living room."

Olivia Colman: In Bed

Given  Olivia Colman 's  sense of humor , it was hard to tell if she was joking, but the 2019 Best Actress winner told reporters she'd be keeping her new trophy in a very special place: " In bed with me ," she shared. "Between me and my husband. He doesn't know yet; he won't mind."

Viola Davis: In Her Office

After  winning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar  in 2017 for her performance in  Fences  (2016), Davis revealed that she keeps the award in the office she shares with her husband and creative collaborator,  Julius Tennon . Yes, it does sit next to her  Emmy  and  Tony  awards, but she pointed out to red carpet host  Michael Strahan  she'd prefer another location: "That's [all] Julius. If it were up to me, I'd keep it in my garage to keep me humble."

In February 2023, Davis achieved another feat, adding another trophy with her Oscar statuette when she  reached EGOT status  after  winning a Grammy  for best audiobook, narration, and storytelling recording.

Anna Paquin: In the Back of Her Closet

Though it's been actual decades since  Anna Paquin  spoke to  InStyle  about where she keeps her Oscar — which  she won in 1994 at age 11  for  The Piano  (1993) — the actress's answer showed just how low-key she was about winning the honor.

"I keep it next to my boots at the back of my closet," she told the magazine in 1999, per a  post shared on Twitter  (now X) in 2014. "I don't display it because friends would think they had to comment, and I don't want that kind of attention."

Lupita Nyong'o: On a Shelf

The  A Quiet Place: Day One  star, who earned the 2014 Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her work in  12 Years a Slave  (2013), says her award's location is as simple as it gets. "It's just on a shelf on its own," Nyong'o  told  Variety , adding that she welcomes guests to hold her statuette whenever they please.

Tom Hanks: On the Family Trophy Shelf

"Where are they now? They are on the family trophy shelf, next to the soccer trophies,"  Tom Hanks  reportedly said of his two Best Actor Oscars' — for  Philadelphia  (1993) and  Forrest Gump  (1994) — current location. "I think the World's Greatest Mom trophy from Mother's Day is up there as well."

Goldie Hawn: In Her Meditation Room

When it came time to put her Best Supporting Actress Oscar — which she won in 1970 for her role in  Cactus Flower  (1969) — on display,  Goldie Hawn  chose her meditation room.

"My award is in the room where  I study and practice meditation . Sometimes it's on the mantel; sometimes I put it away," Hawn told  InStyle  in 2005 ( via  E! News ). "Trophy rooms are the opposite of me. Awards are history — that's my philosophy."

Jamie Foxx: With His Manager

"My manager holds the Oscar. He keeps it at his crib," Jamie Foxx , who won Best Actor in 2005 for Ray (2004), shared with InStyle . "I got too much traffic at my house!"

Kate Winslet: In the Bathroom

With so many of her guests asking where she keeps her Best Actress Oscar, which she won in 2009 for  The Reader  (2008),  Kate Winslet  made it easier for everyone by placing her prized possession on "the back of the loo."

"The whole point is for everybody to pick it up and go, 'I'd like to thank my son and my dad' — and you can always tell when someone has because they're in there a little bit longer after they flushed," she  told  WSJ. Magazine  in 2015. "They'll come out looking slightly pink-cheeked. It's hysterical."

Alicia Vikander: With a Friend's Daughter

"I haven't seen him since that night!" said  Alicia Vikander , who won Best Actress in 2016 for  The Danish Girl  (2015). "I very recently moved into my new place, and because I've been away working so much, I gave him to a friend in L.A." 

However, she revealed that she might bring her Oscar "to Europe soon" after settling into her home. 

Fortunately, Vikander has managed a healthy long-distance relationship with the statuette, as her friend's daughter has turned the coveted award into something like the traveling gnome.

"[My friend's] daughter has been sending me photos to prove she's taking good care of him," Vikander explained. "I love my little updates from her!"

Emma Stone: Her Mom's House

When asked where she keeps her award,  Emma Stone  told PEOPLE she allows only one VIP to look after it. 

" My mom holds on to it ," she said.

After winning Best Actress in 2017 for  La La Land  (2016), Stone revealed she received an unexpected gift from  Jimmy Kimmel . 

"He sent underwear for [my Oscar], like rubber underwear, so he's wearing tighty-whities," she explained. "Jimmy said, 'I'd like to bring some decency into your home.' "

Stone received Best Picture (as producer) and Best Actress nominations in 2024 for her work in  Poor Things (2023).

Catherine Zeta-Jones: In Bermuda

"He's in our home in Bermuda," Catherine Zeta-Jones told InStyle of her Best Supporting Actress win in 2003 for Chicago (2002). "I figured that not many Oscars have lived there. Of course, everyone who visits wants a photograph with him."

Jordan Peele: Near the Get Out Chair

Jordan Peele , who  won Best Original Screenplay  in 2018 for  Get Out (2017) — and made history as the  first Black screenwriter  to do so — revealed he keeps his statuette  near one of the most iconic props  from his award-winning film.

"Btw that IS the GET OUT chair," Peele  confirmed in 2018 to a fan on X  (formerly Twitter), who thought  the chair in the background  of his snapshot (which featured his Oscar) was a look-alike.

Reese Witherspoon: In the Living Room

Although the  Legally Blonde actress, who earned the 2006 Best Actress Oscar for  Walk the Line  (2005), considered turning her award into a door knocker or a statement necklace, Witherspoon told PEOPLE she took a more traditional route: "Neither one of those options was very practical. I just keep it in my living room."

Gwyneth Paltrow: In the Back of a Bookshelf

"I keep it tucked away at the back of the bookshelf in my bedroom because it weirds me out,"  Gwyneth Paltrow admitted to Contact Music  in 2005 of her Oscar, which she won for 1998's  Shakespeare in Love .

"For weeks after I won, I kept it in storage … I won't even put it on the mantlepiece; the thing freaks me out," revealed Paltrow. Her plus-one for the 1999 ceremony was her dad, who later died in 2002. "For some reason, I haven't been able to feel really good about it. I just feel sort of embarrassed, and it brings up weird, traumatic feelings. It's associated with a tough time in my life."

Jennifer Lawrence: On Her Parents' Piano

Following her Oscar win in 2013 for Best Actress for  Silver Linings Playbook  (2012),  Jennifer Lawrence  initially attempted to hide her statuette in places throughout her home.

"If anybody's coming over to my house, I didn't want them to remember that. Just kind of puts a weird energy out," Lawrence told  Access Hollywood  during her appearance at Comic-Con 2013 International: San Diego,  per Vulture .

Ultimately, she kept her trophy in her parents' home, where it currently resides on the piano in the family's home. 

"My parents took it back to Kentucky [because] I felt odd having it, like, on display in my house," Lawrence said. "My mom was like, 'I'm taking it. It shouldn't be here.' And now it's on a piano in Kentucky."

Natalie Portman: In the Safe (Maybe)

"I don't know where it is,"  Natalie Portman told  The Hollywood Reporter  in May 2015 when asked about the whereabouts of her trophy, which she won in 2011 for  Black Swan  (2010). "I think it's in the safe or something. I don't know."

She went on to explain that placing such focus and admiration on the statuette is something she tries to steer clear of. 

"I haven't seen it in a while," she admitted. "I mean, [ Darren Aronofsky ] actually said to me something when we were in that whole thing that resonated so deeply. I was reading the story of Abraham to my child and talking about, like, not worshipping false idols. And this is literally like gold men. 

Portman continued, "This is lit­er­ally worshipping gold idols — if you worship it. That's why it's not displayed on the wall. It's a false idol."

Julia Roberts: In the Parlor

When  Julia Roberts  appeared on  The Ellen DeGeneres Show  in December 2019, host  Ellen DeGeneres  put the actress in the hot seat for a  rousing round of "Burning Questions ," where she revealed that she keeps her Best Actress Oscar — which she won in 2001 for  Erin Brockovich  (2000) — in her "parlor."

"It's in a room that has a piano in it that  my daughter  plays, that we call the piano room," Roberts further explained. "I thought it might sound pretentious, so I said 'parlor.' "

"So you thought 'parlor' sounded less pretentious," DeGeneres joked while Roberts laughed.

Jennifer Hudson: On the Piano

Jennifer Hudson  clinched her first Tony Award for her role in  A Strange Loop  in 2022, solidifying her EGOT status . The actress and  talk show host posted a photo on Instagram  of her holding the statuette with the caption, " Look what arrived yal !!! "

In the background, lined up on her grand piano, sat her Emmy, Grammy and Oscar trophies for all to see. Hudson won a Daytime Emmy in 2021 for the animated short  Baba Yaga  (2020), which she co-produced and voiced. Previously, she won an Oscar in 2007 for her role in  Dreamgirls (2006) and her first Grammy in 2009 for her self-titled album.

Octavia Spencer: Always in Sight

Octavia Spencer takes her award-display philosophy very seriously: Never let the statuettes leave your sight — at least for the first few months.

"For those new winners, you're never gonna wanna let it out of your sight," she told PEOPLE. "So you might wanna have it in bed with you, and then it's okay to put it on the shelf — not that I've ever done that!"

Since winning Best Supporting Actress in 2012 for The Help (2011), Spencer shared that she kept her awards safely on a shelf in her home.

"I keep mine on the shelf," she added. "But sometimes it's good to have it right there next to you. If it's your first time having one, you don't want to let it out of your sight."

Cate Blanchett: All Over the Place

After Cate Blanchett won her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2005 for her role in The Aviator (2004), she once told InStyle that "life goes on," which may explain why her trophy isn't in one place for long.

"It's been in the study recently," she said at the time. "It moves around a bit like my family and I do. I don't look at it every day, though."

The actress claimed her second statuette in 2014 for Blue Jasmine (2013).

Jodie Foster: In the Bathroom

Oscar winner  Jodie Foster  — who won Best Actress for  The Accused  (1988) and  The Silence of the Lambs (1991) — once shared she kept both statuettes in her bathroom because "they looked good with the faucets,"  according to ABC News .

"But when they started getting corroded on the bottom, I had to move them to a trophy case in my den," the actress-director added.

In 2024, Foster earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination for depicting athlete and businesswoman  Bonnie Stoll  in  Nyad (2023).

Jared Leto: In the Kitchen

In 2014,  Jared Leto  admitted he keeps his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for  Dallas Buyers Club  (2013) in the kitchen, conveniently next to some movie-night snacks.

" The Oscar is sitting in my kitchen , guarded by some vegan butter and a bag of popcorn!" the actor once told  Entertainment Tonight Canada . "You know, they kind of end up in the kitchen because that's the first place that I go when I get home. You put your keys down, and you take off your jacket … and you put your Oscar in the kitchen."

John Legend: On a Trophy Wall

After  winning an Emmy in 2018 ,  John Legend  became the first Black man to achieve EGOT status (and the  youngest person to do so ). When his wife,  Chrissy Teigen , filmed him  putting his Emmy on his trophy wall , his Best Original Song Oscar for "Glory" with  Common  from the 2014 film  Selma  was also on display by his piano in the  video she shared on Instagram .

Timothy Hutton: In the Refrigerator

Like Leto,  Timothy Hutton  was also a fan of storing his Oscar in the kitchen — in the refrigerator, oddly enough.

The actor — who remains the youngest Best Supporting Actor recipient since he won at age 20 in 1981 for his role in  Ordinary People  (1980) — and his sister thought of the perfect place to keep the statuette during a party they hosted.

"She thought that would be kind of funny to put the Oscar in the refrigerator when people would go grab a beer or something. It's still there." Hutton once told  USA Today .

Susan Sarandon: In a Museum Exhibit

In 2011,  Susan Sarandon  told  Oprah Winfrey  that her 1996 Best Actress Oscar for  Dead Man Walking  (1995) previously resided in her guest bathroom.

"There's a bathroom that has a number of statuettes, not just the Oscar, but all the different things ... the kids always called it the 'famous bathroom,' " she  revealed to Winfrey . "But right now, my Oscar got bored of being in the bathroom, and now it's on tour. The Museum of Natural History [in Chicago] took it. I lent it to them for their gold exhibition."

The actress even shared proof of her  trophy's former location on Twitter  (now X) in April 2017.

Emma Thompson: In the Bathroom

In 2006, British actress Emma Thompson told TIME that her two Academy Awards — Best Actress for Howards End (1992) and Best Adapted Screenplay for Sense and Sensibility (1995) — "look far too outré anywhere else."

"They're great big, gold, shiny things," she said. "They're up there tarnishing quietly along with everything else I own, including my body."

Cuba Gooding Jr.: In a Wine Cabinet

Cuba Gooding Jr. won the 1997 Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in Jerry Maguire (1996) and decided to keep the statuette in an unconventional spot.

"For six years, it was in our old house in Coldwater Canyon," Gooding Jr. explained. "We had a wine cabinet, and it sat behind the glass on one of the shelves. People would say, 'Is that it?' The cabinet was temperature-controlled because of the wine, so the Oscar stayed beaming new. Now that I keep it out in the open in my screening room, it has become tarnished — which is kind of cool. It's starting to age and get character. Like me."

J.K. Simmons: On a Bookshelf

After his Best Supporting Actor win in 2015 for  Whiplash  (2014), actor  J.K. Simmons told  USA Today  that he was still adjusting to seeing his Oscar at home. The trophy was once placed on top of his mini fridge in the bathroom next to the tub but was moved to a bookshelf inside his Los Angeles home.

"It's a lovely little statue," Simmons said at the time. "It's still kind of surreal when I walk past it. It's like, 'There's my Oscar.' I don't know if it will ever become commonplace."

Holly Hunter: In a Display Case

In January 2011,  The Piano  star  Holly Hunter  also appeared alongside Sarandon on  The Oprah Winfrey Show , where she revealed the whereabouts of her Best Actress Oscar — in a display case next to the trophies of her  Fargo  (1996) costar  Frances McDormand  and filmmaker brothers Joel and Ethan Coen at their New York office.

"Joel and Ethan said, 'Do you want to keep your Oscar at the office?' And I just said, 'Yeah, sure,' " Hunter said,  according to Oprah.com . "We just have them as a little family down there."

Actress  Sissy Spacek , who also joined Hunter on Winfrey's couch, wasn't as willing to part ways with her statuette, joking that she's "rarely without it."

"I take it everywhere with me," Spacek added.

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