If the Golden Globes has a reputation for being rowdy and cocktail-fueled, the SAG Awards are where you can expect excellent acceptance speeches—after all, the only people who are awarded statuettes onstage are all trained professionals. From Debbie Reynolds’s shout-out to George Lucas to Eddie Redmayne’s touching dedication, here are our favorite lines from tonight’s SAG speeches.
Uzo Aduba took home the first prize of the evening for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series. The Orange Is the New Black actress was visibly overwhelmed once on stage, maybe because this major moment almost didn’t happen for her.
“Finally, I just really, really, really truly want to say that the day I got this job was the day I had stopped acting. And to be in a room with all of you amazing human beings, amazing talents. . . for what I respect and love so much, is really, truly the greatest honor. Thank you so very much.”
William H. Macy’s hilarious acceptance speech proved his Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series win was well deserved.
“I have written so many great acceptance speeches that I never got to give. But, not tonight. Okay. . . to my fellow nominees. . . nah, forget it, you lost.”
J. K. Simmons is sweeping the awards circuit for his role in Whiplash, so it was nice to see him give a shout-out to costar Miles Teller, whose subtle lead performance in the film was equally compelling.
“I feel like all of us actors are supporting actors. Whether it’s Miles Teller, who’s in every scene of the movie—think about it. Or myself, or Paul Reiser, or Melissa Benoist . . . .”
Who doesn’t love Frances McDormand after hearing her keep-it-real speech for her Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries win?
“I wish that we could all get some really cozy slippers, a box of See’s Nuts and Chews, hang out, and watch more of our work, because every little snippet that I see, I just want to see more and more. This is a celebration, right? We’re celebrating. . . It’s a proclamation. I’m proclaiming if you haven’t seen Olive Kitteridge, you need to. You can stream it, I don’t know how. You can watch it on an intercontinental flight, I’ve been told.”
While accepting the Life Achievement Award, Debbie Reynolds proved that even show business mothers can embarrass their daughters in public.
“My favorite movie was Singin’ in the Rain . . . of course, I had a wonderful hairdo in that picture. I know some of you may not remember this, but I had a bun at the back of my head, I had a big bun, an ugly bun at the back of my head. So I warned my daughter Carrie who had just gotten a part in a picture, you know, Princess Leia in Star Wars. I said, ‘Well, Carrie be careful of any weird hairdos.’ So luckily George gave her two buns. Thank you, George.”
Viola Davis won for her lead role in How To Get Away with Murder. Between thanking her producers and castmates, she might have managed to sneak in a not-so-subtle dig at New York Times reviewer Alessandra Stanley.
“It starts from the top up, so I’d like to thank Paul Lee, Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers, Bill D’Elia, and Peter Nowalk for thinking that a sexualized, messy, mysterious woman could be a 49-year-old dark-skinned African-American woman who looks like me.”
Eddie Redmayne, who won Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking, touchingly dedicated his SAG Award to those fighting the degenerative disease.
“I would like to dedicate this award. . . to those people around the world living with ALS. To those who have lost their lives to this brutal disease. . . I met many people fighting ALS, and I met their families fighting alongside them. And the courage and the bravery and the spirit, this triumph of spirit that I witnessed, blew my mind.”
Julianne Moore is now clearly the front-runner to win the Oscar for Best Actress. But tonight, she took the opportunity to remind the audience of her less illustrious beginnings.
“When I was on As the World Turns. Yeah! I was so excited when they wrote two parts for me. You know, the classic twin sister role, the good and the evil one, and I couldn’t wait to do it and I was so excited. And I realized it was super boring to act by myself. And what I really loved, what I really craved, and what was most exciting for me was being with another actor and feeling that intimacy and that excitement and that thrill of getting to know somebody in that way. And that’s what keeps me coming back to acting again and again and again.”
Finally, the cast of Birdman, who took home the top prize, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, all had wonderful one-liners to finish off the night.
Edward Norton: “Age before beauty. So ladies and gentleman, Michael Keaton.”
Michael Keaton: “It’s the ultimate team sport.”
Zach Galifianakis: “When I was on As the World Turns . . . ”
Who do you think gave the best speech at the SAG Awards?
Who do you think gave the best speech at the SAG Awards?
See all of the dresses from the SAG Awards red carpet:
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