Even in the best of times, it’s not easy to give an acceptance speech. It’s the most accurate moment of your career, you’re bound to forget the name of someone you love, and you’re five feet from a trigger-happy orchestra trained to turn you on like a firing squad.
Nevertheless, the upward trend is great. If you give a wonderful speech at the Golden Globes, that goodwill will feed into subsequent awards shows that may endear you to the voters, who you may choose in part because you delivered a moment. And some speeches even outlast the performances themselves: when you think of Jack Palance in City Slickers, you probably think of his one-armed push-ups on the Oscar stage before a single joke from the movie.
All of this means the art of giving an acceptance speech became a lot harder during the pandemic when the shows went virtual and winners were asked to put their excitement on the unresponsive eye of their MacBook webcam – a task a bit like running one Standes is – up to an empty club: there is no crowd to carry you, laugh or applaud you.
Even so, some stars have managed to make the most of it. Here are six people who extracted unexpected emotion and humor from a distant format that was practically designed to stamp out all of these good things.
Yuh-Jung Youn, BAFTA Awards
Please welcome to the stage … Yuh-Jung Youn, roast comic? The 73-year-old is on the verge of winning the Oscar for supporting actress for her performance as grandmother in “Minari,” but if Youn wants to make moonlight out of the pandemic, she could easily start a second career as a Zoom comedian.
To prove it, you’ve come to the right place at last weekend’s BAFTAs, where a surprised Youn headed the rest of her category and said, “It’s a great honor to be nominated – no, not nominated! I am the winner now. “After offering condolences to the ceremony’s British voters for the recent death of Prince Philip, who drew an audible ‘aww’ from their distant audience, Youn switched to the surprise kill:” Every award is meaningful, “she said,” but this one particularly recognized by the British – known as very snobbish people. “
The presenter David Oyelowo doubled up with laughter: Did she really just say that? It was a delightful echo of Youn’s “Minari” character, who is dull but oh-so-lovable. Few people would dare show up to an awards show and get the voters on their faces, but now that Youn has done it so well, we as a society are finally over our need for the basic equipment for the awards show, Ricky Gervais, went out?
Jodie Foster, Golden Globes
I’ve looked through enough Architectural Digest spreads, Vogue.com videos, and Instagram feeds to know that most celebrities live in what, for the nonprofit, can be called fancy mausoleums. Yes, money can buy you a white marble kitchen island the size of France, but can the mild, burnished lifestyle of the ultra-healthy bring true happiness?
That surprised me when Jodie Foster won her supporting actress Golden Globe for “The Mauretanian”: She didn’t expect to win, and I didn’t expect her to present such a homely, recognizable vision of domestic bliss. Foster and her wife, Alexandra Hedison, accepted the award from their pillow-strewn couch, happily curled up in their pajamas. They laughed, they cheered, they hugged their dog. I also do that at award ceremonies!
Foster was forced to improvise a speech and began to thank her wife, “Ziggy and Aaron Rodgers,” a random list of quotes that was far better than anything she could have read on a crumpled piece of paper. (For the record, Ziggy is Foster’s dog, and Rodgers is the quarterback slash “Jeopardy!” Guest host who is with Foster’s “Mauritanian” co-star Shailene Woodley.) But the biggest takeaway was: After a tumultuous life and Foster is a tortured coming-out speech at the Globes a few years ago. He is now 58 years old and happy. Knowing how hard it was to deserve it felt more meaningful than her actual award.
Lee Isaac Chung, Golden Globes
Two years ago at the Oscars, I was stuck on an upstairs balcony near Rami Malek’s mother and twin brother. Although Malek mentioned them during his acceptance speech for Bohemian Rhapsody, he would have needed a telescope to actually see his family from the stage. This is one of the few perks that a Zoom awards season can actually offer: the winner’s loved ones are often right next to them, and it is their reaction that may matter most.
When “Minari” director Lee Isaac Chung won the Golden Globe for a foreign language film, his young daughter climbed into his arms. “I prayed!” she said, delighted at her father’s victory. “This one, she’s why I made this film,” Chung said. And now, because of this crazy, messed up year, she’s part of a sweet moment the two of them will always share.
Nomadland’s director ChloĂ© Zhao has received almost all of the directorial awards available this season, and she used her speeches to thank the people who contributed to her road movie. But when Zhao won the Directors Guild of America’s top award, she spent most of her moving speech ode to the other nominated filmmakers.
“You are so brilliant, so daring, and in control of your craft,” Zhao told Emerald Fennell, director of Promising Young Woman. Both Lee Isaac Chung and Aaron Sorkin put their hands over their hearts as Zhao paid tribute: She talked about how Chung’s “Minari” had touched her on a personal level, and she called Sorkin, of “The Trial of the Chicago 7th “directed. a poet.
When it came time to extol the virtues of “Mank” director David Fincher, Zhao bowed to him: “Your film is a masterclass,” she said. “All of your films are.” Generous and noble, Zhao’s praise was a reminder that the award season should not only be a competition, but also a celebration.
Simone Ledward Boseman, Gotham Awards
In the rare event of a posthumous win, the trophy is usually collected by the host or director of the film. Instead, most of the accolades that were given to Chadwick Boseman for his role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” that season were tearfully accepted by his widow.
Simone Ledward Boseman gave her first emotional speech at the Gotham Awards in January, where she appeared on video after paying homage to the actor. “I am honored to receive this award on behalf of my husband, recognition not only of his profound work, but also of his impact on this industry and this world,” said Ledward Boseman, trying with admirable grace to assert her composure preserve.
Instead of speaking to voters, she began addressing her late husband. “Chad, thank you,” said Ledward Boseman in a shaky voice. “I love you. I am so proud of you. Bring your light further on us.”
Alan S. Kim, Critics’ Choice Awards
When “Minari” star Alan S. Kim won the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Young Actor, the 8-year-old started a thank you list with child actor Elan. Then came a surprise: “Oh my god, I’m crying,” Kim realized. And the more he spoke, the more he cried. “I hope I’ll be in other films,” Kim finally said tearfully, before bending down and mumbling to himself, “Is this a dream?” I hope it’s not a dream. “
Look, I sometimes have reservations about what we child actors go through: Is it ethical to get such a young person to make a professional living? Isn’t it forcing them to grow up too fast? But Kim, in his miniature tuxedo, made all the adult professionalism disappear before his time and just cried like any child when they received a wonderful gift. It was surprising, authentic and moving. When it comes to award speeches, you can’t ask for more.
