Kevin Hart jokes 'all the black people should be in the front row' at Oscars rehearsal

As rehearsals for tomorrow night's Oscars got underway at Los Angeles' Dolby Theater Saturday night, a relaxed Kevin Hart strolled around the stage.

Speaking to nobody in particular, he quipped: 'Where am I sitting? I was about to say all the black people should be in the first row.'

Hart may have been joking, but the statement underlines the race row that looks set to dominate this year's 88th Academy Awards.

Academy voters, largely white, elderly men, have been accused of 'whitewashing' the ceremony after no minority actors were nominated in either main acting category for the second year running.

Many black actors, including Concussion star Will Smith and wife Jada, have said they are boycotting the ceremony and have urged host Chris Rock to do the same.

Insiders say he tore up his initial opening speech and rewrote it to address the controversy in what could turn into a toe-curling evening for the 6,000 Academy members in front of television audiences expected to number in the hundreds of millions worldwide. 

Controversy or no controversy, the show must go on, and so dressed-down stars took to the stage Saturday night to run through the ceremony  one last time before the big night.

Jared Leto presented an Oscar to Margot Robbie. Patricia Arquette gave one to Morgan Freeman. Chris Evans tried to claim a golden guy for himself.

After making his joke, Hart delivered his lines but was forced to flee after a large stage element came crashing down as he finished.