Ottawa funnyman Tom Green found out it takes a lot to impress Hollywood on Oscar night.

Green bravely ignored doctor's advice last night and appeared at the Oscars in Los Angeles with girlfriend Drew Barrymore on his arm just days after having major surgery for testicular cancer.

But just like that advice, he was all but ignored when the couple stopped for interviews with E! Television's Joan Rivers on the way into the Shrine auditorium.

Rivers appeared to be unaware of Green or his much-reported cancer operation in which a testicle was removed.

Instead, she focused the limelight on Barrymore, asking Green only one question.

"Is this your first Academy Awards?"

Green seemed to have trouble hearing.

"First one, yeah," said Green. "Exciting, wow, it's loud though," he said.

Green was referring to the sound generated outside the Oscar venue by hovering Los Angeles TV station news helicopters.

Green's manager had indicated there was a 50% chance the star of MTV's The Tom Green Show would make it, even though he had undergone the surgery this past week at a Los Angeles hospital. Doctors had told him to stay off work for three months to recuperate.