You don’t have to be a pop star to attend the Grammys. Sometimes all you need is a bright smile, a formal dress, and a little ambition. That’s all it took for Julie Phan, a UCLA student majoring in cognitive science, who took a break from studying to cosplay as a celebrity at Sunday’s awards show.
Phan, who is from Santa Ana, California, attended as a seat filler, which is the name for a person who occupies empty chairs during the broadcast.
This wasn’t Phan’s first time at an awards show. She previously attended the 2021 People’s Choice Awards and the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards in the fan pit. However, Sunday was her first time sitting among the stars, including Jennifer Lopez, Olivia Rodrigo, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
In January, Phan applied to attend the show through Seatfillers and More, an organization that brings people to Hollywood’s biggest events, and learned her application was accepted just 10 days before the show.
In an interview with BuzzFeed News, Phan relived her Grammys experience, including just how affectionate J.Lo and Ben Affleck looked IRL.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
How excited were you to go to the Grammys?
I was beyond excited. I immediately searched up who’s going to be there, who’s performing, the nominees. To my luck, a lot of the people that I have grown up listening to, they were going to be there. So that was really exciting for me.
Who are some of your favorites that you got to see?
Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Adele, Beyoncé. I would have loved to have seen BTS last year; however, they’re not together right now.
I didn’t even know seat fillers were a thing until today. Basically, you move around to where you’re needed?
Yeah, pretty much. It’s a game of musical chairs, really.
How many times did you move?
Initially, I started off on the side in the stands. Then I made my way down to the floor. I was mainly in the seat or rows for most of the time. Then I was moved around quite a lot. Immediately, whenever someone asked me to move, I just had to get up and go. I couldn’t say no.
During [a] commercial break, I took the opportunity to get up and move towards the front, which is where the tables were. I was able to be placed right next to Jennifer Lopez. Right in front.
After that, I was moved back to the holding area, which was in the back for the [seat fillers] who did not have a seat at the moment. The whole process started again. Right after the holding area, I was back on the seated rows.
Were you usually in the front of the show?
Mainly the middle. That one time I was with Jennifer, that was the only time I was in the front.
How long were you next to J.Lo?
Right before Sam Smith’s performance was when I took the seat. Right after the performance, I was booted. I feel 10ish minutes.