The race for Oscar gold is in full swing so a bit of advice for potential winners as Will Smith, Benedict Cumberbatch, Nicole Kidman and Jessica Chastain: Please, please prepare a speech. Something nice, moving and touching. Mentioning your family is good. Also, praising your director and co-stars is a nice touch. But please, please don’t mention every member of your team. The majority of the TV viewers don’t know who you’re talking about and don’t care to find out.
Acceptance speeches are important. Bad ones could turn into comedians’ fodder like Sally Field’s emotional “you really like me” when she received her second Best Actress Oscar for 1984’s “Places in the Heart” and controversial ones could cost actors roles such as Vanessa Redgrave’s reference to “Zionist hoodlums” when she accepted Supporting Actress for 1977’s “Julia.”
But over the past 93 years, there have been memorable moments. Let’s revisit 15 of the best Oscar acceptance speeches.
Ruth Gordon
Award: Supporting Actress for 1968’s “Rosemary’s Baby” for her role as witch Minnie Castevet.
Ceremony: The 41st Oscars on April 14, 1969 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Speech: The charming 72-year-old Gordon quipped “I can’t tell ya’ how encouraging a thing like this is. The first film that I was ever in was in 1915 and here we are and it’s 1969.”
Hattie McDaniel
Award: Supporting Actress for 1939’s “Gone With the Wind” for her role as Mammy. She made history by being the first Black performer to win an Oscar.
Ceremony: The 12th Oscars on Feb. 29, 1940 at the Ambassador Hotel’s Cocoanut Grove
Speech: “This is one of the happiest moments of life, and I want to thank each one of you who had a part in selecting me for one of the awards for your kindness. It has made me feel very, very humble and I shall always hold it as a beacon for anything I may be able to do in the future.”
Dustin Hoffman
Award: Best Actor in 1979’s “Kramer vs. Kramer” for his role as Ted Kramer, a workaholic who must become both father and mother to his young son after his wife leaves.
Ceremony: The 52nd Oscars on April 14, 1980 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Speech: “Thank you.” [Inspects the Oscar].” He has no genitalia and he’s holding a sword. I’d like to thank my parents for not practicing birth control.”
Shirley MacLaine
Award: Best Actress in 1983’s “Terms of Endearment” as the eccentric controlling Aurora.
Ceremony: The 56th Oscars on April 9, 1984 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Speech: “I’m gonna cry because this show has been as long as my career. I have wondered for twenty-six years what this would feel like. Thank you so much for terminating the suspense. God bless that potential that we all have for making anything possible if we think we deserve it. I deserve this. Thank you.”
John Wayne
Award: Best Actor in 1969’s “True Grit” for his performance as the cantankerous one-eyed cat loving U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn.
Ceremony: The 42nd Oscars on April 7, 1970 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Speech: “Wow! If I’d have known that I would have put that patch on 35 years earlier.”
Marlon Brando
Award: Best Actor for 1972’s “The Godfather” as Don Corleone sent the Native American Sacheen Littlefeather to explain why he couldn’t accept the Oscar.
Ceremony: The 45th Oscars on March 27, 1973 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Speech: “He very regretfully cannot accept this generous award. And the reasons for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry-excuse me-and on television in movie reruns, and also with recent happenings at Wounded Knee.”
Eva Marie Saint
Award: Best Supporting Actress for her film debut in 1954’s “On the Waterfront” as Edie, who falls in love with Terry (Brando).
Ceremony: The 27th Oscars on March 30, 1955 at the Pantages
Speech: The nine months pregnant Saint kissed the Oscar and proclaimed: “I may have the baby right here.” She gave birth to her son two days later.
Gary Cooper
Award: Jimmy Stewart accepted the two-time Oscar-winner’s honorary award for his “many memorable screen performances and the international recognition he, as an individual, has gained for the motion picture industry.”
Ceremony: The 33rd Oscars on April 17,1961 at the Santa Monica Civic.
Speech: People knew Coop was sick, but after Stewart got extremely emotional during his speech, everyone realized just how ill he was. Cooper would die of cancer less than a month later at the age of 60. “I’m very honored to accept this award for Gary Cooper; I’m only sorry that he isn’t here tonight to accept it in person. But I know that he’s sitting beside his television set tonight. So, Coop, I’ll get this to you right away. And, Coop, I want you to know this: that with this goes all the warm friendship, and the affection, and the admiration and the deep, the deep respect of all of us. We’re, very, proud of you, Coop. All of us are tremendously proud.”
Greer Garson
Award: Best Actress for 1942’s “Mrs. Miniver” for her role as the stalwart British mother holding her family together during World War II.
Ceremony: Th 15th Oscars on March 4, 1943 at the Ambassador Hotel’s Cocoanut Grove.
Speech: “Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished visitors from the armed forces, Governor Warren, honored guests, Mr. Chairman-Mr. President Chairman: Thank you. That is all there is to say; but, as this is after all the opportunity of a lifetime, I hope you won’t mind if I try to expand that word just, just a little.” And expanded she did. Oscar legend states that Garson talked for an hour, but it was closer to six minutes! Still…
Charlie Chaplin
Award: Honorary Oscar for “the incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art form of the century.
Ceremony: The 44th Oscars on April 10, 1972 at the Dorothy Chandler
Speech: The beloved Little Tramp returned to Hollywood in 1972 after living in exile in Switzerland for 20 years. He had been deemed a Communist by Joseph McCarthy and hadn’t been allowed to come back to the U.S. Chaplin earned the longest standing ovation in Oscar history-there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. And the 82-year-old Chaplin was also moved by the reception. “Oh, thank you so much. This is an emotional moment for me, and words seem so futile, so feeble. I can only say thank you for the honor of inviting me here. And you’re wonderful, sweet people. Thank you.”
Henry Fonda
Award: Best Actor for 1981’s “On Golden Pond” for his poignant performance elderly curmudgeon named Norman who must come to terms with his estranged relationship with his daughter (Jane Fonda)
Ceremony: The 54th Oscars on March 29, 1982 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Speech: His daughter accepted the award for her father was too ill to attend. “Oh, Dad, I’m so happy and proud of you. My father didn’t really believe that this was going to happen. I know he’s watching right now and I know that he’s very, very honored and very happy and surprised. And I’ll bet when he just heard it now, I bet he said, ‘Hey, ain’t I lucky?,’ though luck had anything to do with it.”
Fred Astaire
Award: Special award for his “unique artistry and his contributions to the technique of musical pictures.
Ceremony: The 22nd Oscars on March 23, 1950 at the Pantages.
Speech: Astaire was in New York, so presenter and the dancer’s longtime former partner Ginger Rogers chatted via a radio hookup. Astaire: “I, I just don’t know what to say. It’s wonderful. I’m so thrilled. I’m ready to do handsprings myself down Madison Avenue. I’m very proud and very grateful. And as for you, Ginger, you’ve been much too gracious. Remember I’ve had a partner.” Rogers: “Thanks, Fred, but that’s not what it says here on the Oscar. It says in big letters: To Fred Astaire.
Ben Johnson
Award: Best Supporting Actor for 1971’s “The Last Picture Show” for the moral conscious of the movie, Sam the Lion.
Ceremony: The 44th Oscars on April 10, 1972 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Speech: “Boy, ain’t that pretty…. There’s something I’d like to leave in everyone’s mind throughout the world: This couldn’t have happened to a nicer feller. Thank you.”
Youn Yuh-jung
Award: Best Supporting Actress for 2020’s “Minari” as a feisty South Korean grandmother Soon-Ja. She was the second Asian actress to win the Oscar.
Ceremony: The 93rd awards on April 25, 2021 at Union Station
Speech: “Gender doesn’t matter. I don’t know how to divide like this: man, woman, black and white, yellow, brown, or gay or straight. I don’t want that kind of thing. We are just equal human beings. We have the same warm heart.”
Olivia Colman
Award: Best Actress for 2018’s “The Favourite” as the rabbit-obsessed British Queen Anne.
Ceremony: The 91st Oscars on Feb. 24, 2019 at the Dolby Theatre
Speech: “It’s genuinely quite stressful. This is hilarious; got an Oscar. Okay. I have to thank lots of people. If, by the way, I forget anybody I’m gonna find you later and I’m gonna give you all a massive snog.”
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