Harvey Weinstein - Harvey Weinstein's Daughter Behind Michelle Obama's Oscar Cameo

Audiences were stunned when President Barack Obama's wife appeared live via satellite link from the White House to declare Ben Affleck's Argo the winner of the coveted Best Picture statuette.

Organisers managed to keep her cameo under wraps and even Affleck admitted he was shocked, telling reporters, "I was sort of hallucinating when that was happening. Over the course of a hallucination, it doesn't seem that odd. Oh, a purple elephant. Oh, Michelle Obama. I was just asking these two guys outside, 'Was that Michelle Obama?' In retrospect, anyway it was very cool."

Now it has emerged the plan was dreamed up by Weinstein's daughter Lily, who helped her dad and Academy bosses work out the details with Michelle in Washington, D.C. two weeks ago.

Academy President Hawk Koch tells The Hollywood Reporter, "I loved that we pulled it off."

Koch also reveals acting legend Jack Nicholson was standing by with the results in a second envelope in case a technical error interrupted the video stream.