--- title: 2017 Oscars: Who Is Gary From Chicago description: Gary and his fiancée Vicki stole the show at the Oscars after Jimmy Kimmel brought their tour group to the show canonical: https://time.com/4683854/oscars-2017-gary-identity/ author: Melissa Locker article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-02-27T16:30:34.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-06-24T06:56:52.464Z og:title: We Finally Know More About Gary From Chicago’s Identity og:description: Gary who? Well, this is who. og:url: https://time.com/4683854/oscars-2017-gary-identity/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcf1630c4ffd19c9a/6988bc1197cdff19096af9d3/gary-chicago-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: 89th Academy Awards - Oscars Awards Show og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: We Finally Know More About Gary From Chicago’s Identity twitter:description: Gary who? Well, this is who. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcf1630c4ffd19c9a/6988bc1197cdff19096af9d3/gary-chicago-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # We Finally Know More About Gary From Chicago’s Identity > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=a8f3b20b-dce6-491f-a108-832e1a96439d&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=a8f3b20b-dce6-491f-a108-832e1a96439d&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=a8f3b20b-dce6-491f-a108-832e1a96439d&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ## Video: This Video Is No Longer Available [Watch (HLS stream): This Video Is No Longer Available](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fKodeUO6.m3u8) (0:10)  _Published 2026-06-23. Gary and his fiancée Vicki stole the show at the Oscars_ by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Feb 27, 2017 4:30 PM UTC by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Feb 27, 2017 4:30 PM UTC The Oscars [Best Picture flub](http://time.com/4683402/oscars-2017-recap-review/?xid=homepage) may dominate headlines, but the moment that really stole the show didn’t involve _La La Land_, _Moonlight_, or even [a red envelope](http://time.com/4683502/oscars-2017-best-picture-moonlight-la-la-land-mix-up/?xid=homepage), but an affable man from Chicago named Gary. During the show, host [Jimmy Kimmel](http://time.com/4683401/oscars-2017-jimmy-kimmel-tweeted-at-donald-trump/?xid=homepage) decided to prank a busload of tourists, arranging for them to be walked through the [Oscars](http://time.com/4683716/oscars-2017-best-picture-mistake-theories/?xid=homepage) and meet the stars. One member of the tour group was a man who introduced himself as Gary and he quickly captured the heart of viewers (and Twitter) with his honesty, charm, and unmistakable ease at finding himself in front of an A-list crowd and cameras broadcasting him to the entire world. During his time on camera, Gary, who was accompanied by his equally affable fiancée Vicki, took selfies with Meryl Streep, touched Mahershala Ali’s [Oscar](http://time.com/4680665/oscars-2017-political-moments/?xid=homepage) statuette, and was pronounced husband and wife by Vicki’s favorite actor, Denzel Washington. When Kimmel said to Gary: “I feel like you’re ignoring the white celebrities.” Gary coolly responded to Kimmel: “Yes, I am.” Soon, the hashtag #GaryFromChicago was trending on Twitter. The _New York Times_ had the same question as everyone else, “[Who is Gary from Chicago?](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/27/movies/oscars-audience-wonders-who-is-gary-from-chicago.html?%5Fr=0)” Now, [ABC’s Chicago affiliate](http://abc7chicago.com/entertainment/chicago-couple-steals-show-at-oscars/1775394/) has identified him as Gary Alan Cole, and a lot of people want to meet him. The couple is schedule to appear on _Jimmy Kimmel Live!_ on Monday night and, [according to ABC 7](http://abc7chicago.com/entertainment/chicago-couple-steals-show-at-oscars/1775394/), _Blackish_ star Anthony Anderson has offered to marry the Chicago couple on the show, noting that unlike Denzel, he is qualified to perform the ceremony. Other perks are already beginning to roll in for the couple, too, including free tickets from the Chicago Bulls. > [](https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/836057191253684224) Can their own reality show be far behind? Not according to Twitter. > [](https://twitter.com/mskatelynnutter/status/836056719692292096) > [](https://twitter.com/0uttie5000/status/836056512095272960) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4683854/oscars-2017-gary-identity/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4683854/oscars-2017-gary-identity/"},"headline":"We Finally Know More About Gary From Chicago’s Identity","datePublished":"2017-02-27T16:30:34.000Z","dateModified":"2026-06-24T06:56:52.464Z","description":"Gary and his fiancée Vicki stole the show at the Oscars","url":"https://time.com/4683854/oscars-2017-gary-identity/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Television","movies","awards","Academy Awards","Jimmy Kimmel"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcf1630c4ffd19c9a/6988bc1197cdff19096af9d3/gary-chicago-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Melissa Locker","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcf1630c4ffd19c9a/6988bc1197cdff19096af9d3/gary-chicago-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"89th Academy Awards - Oscars Awards Show","caption":"\"Gary from Chicago\" kisses the hand of Nicole Kidman during the 89th Academy Awards, on Feb. 26, 2017 in Hollywood, Calif.","creditText":"Lucy Nicholson—Reuters","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4683854/oscars-2017-gary-identity/","name":"We Finally Know More About Gary From Chicago’s Identity"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"This Video Is No Longer Available","description":"Gary and his fiancée Vicki stole the show at the Oscars","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/fKodeUO6/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2026-06-23T15:00:44.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fKodeUO6.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4683854/oscars-2017-gary-identity/","duration":"PT10S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4683854/oscars-2017-gary-identity/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```