Yuh-Juong Youn: 'I'm luckier than you!', Academy Award acceptance - 2021

26 April 2021, Los Angeles, USA

Mr. Brad Pitt, finally, nice to meet you. Where were you when we were filming in Tulsa? I’m very honored to meet you.

As you know, I’m from Korea and my name is Yuh-jung Youn. Most European people call me Yuh-youn, and some of them call me Yuh-jung. But tonight, you are all forgiven. Okay, let me pull myself together.

I don’t believe in competition. How could I win over Glenn Close? I’ve been watching her many performances.

All of my [fellow] five nominees, we’re winners for different movies, we play different roles,. Tonight, I just have a little bit luck, I think, maybe. I’m luckier than you. And also, maybe, it’s American hospitality for a Korean actor—I’m not sure.

I’d like to thank my two boys, who make me go out and work. This is the result, because mommy works so hard.

Frances McDormand : 'Look around you, because we all have stories to tell', Best Actress, Academy Awards - 2018

17 April 2018, Los Angeles, USA

Okay, so I'm hyperventilating a little bit. If I fall over, pick me up cause I've got some things to say. So I think this is what Chloe Kim must have felt like after doing back-to-back 1080s in the Olympic halfpipe. Did you see that? Okay, that's what it feels like.

I want to thank Martin McDonagh, look what you did. We are a bunch of hooligans and anarchists but we do clean up nice. I want to thank every single person in this building. And my sister Dorothy. I love you, Dot. And I especially want to thank my clan, Joel and Pedro "McCoen." These two stalwart individuals were well-raised by their feminist mother. They value themselves, each other and those around them. I know you are proud of me and that fills me with everlasting joy.

And now I want to get some perspective. If I may be so honored to have all the female nominees in every category stand with me in this room tonight, the actors—Meryl, if you do it, everybody else will, c'mon—the filmmakers, the producers, the directors, the writers, the cinematographer, the composers, the songwriters, the designers. C'mon! Okay, look around everybody. Look around, ladies and gentlemen, because we all have stories to tell and projects we need financed. Don't talk to us about it at the parties tonight. Invite us into your office in a couple days, or you can come to ours, whatever suits you best, and we'll tell you all about them. I have two words to leave with you tonight, ladies and gentlemen: 'inclusion rider.'

Stanley Donen: 'In musicals, that's when we do a song', Academy Award Life Achievement - 1997

23 March 1998, Shrine Auditorium and Expo Centre, California, USA

Marty, it's backwards, I should be giving this to you, believe me. And I want to thank the Board of Governors for this cute little fella which to me looks titanic. Tonight, words seem inadequate. In musicals that's when we do a song, so... [music begins, singing:]

Heaven, I'm in heaven,
and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak,
and I seem to find the happiness I seek,
when we're out together dancing cheek to cheek.

[Does a brief tap dance; continues speaking with the music.]

I'm going to let you in on the secret of being a good director. For the script you get Larry Gelbart, or Peter Stone, or Huyck and Katz, or Frederic Raphael -- like that. If it's a musical, for the songs you get George and Ira Gershwin, or Arthur Freed and Herb Brown, or Leonard Bernstein and Comden and Green, or Alan Lerner and Fritz Loewe -- like that. Then you cast Cary Grant, or Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Sophia Loren, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Gregory Peck, Elizabeth Taylor, Burt Reynolds, Gene Hackman or Frank Sinatra -- like that. When filming starts you show up and you stay the hell out of the way. But you've got to show up, you've got to show up. Otherwise you can't take the credit and get one of these fellas. Thank you very much.

Anna Paquin: 'i'd like to thank Jane, Jan and Holly', Academy Award acceptance - 1994

21 March 1994, Dorothy Chandler Pavillion, Los Angeles, USA

[Long excited silence]

I'd like to thank the Academy for the honor of letting me be here today. I'd like to thank Jane, Jan and Holly for making this all possible. I'd like thank Eddie Campbell, Pat Quirke, and Beanie* for taking such good care of me during the making of the film.

Lupita Nyong'o: 'I’m certain that the dead are standing about you and watching', Best Supporting Actor Oscar - 2014

11 March 2014, Los Angeles, USA

It doesn’t escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in someone else’s. And so I want to salute the spirit of Patsey for her guidance. And for Solomon, thank you for telling her story and your own. Steve McQueen, you charge everything you fashion with a breath of your own spirit. Thank you so much for putting me in this position. This has been the joy of my life. I’m certain that the dead are standing about you and watching and they are grateful and so am I.

Chiwetel, thank you for your fearlessness and how deeply you went into telling Solomon’s story. Michael Fassbender, thank you so much. You were my rock. Alfre and Sarah, it was a thrill to work with you. Joe Walker, the invisible performer in the editing room, thank you. Sean Bobbitt, Kalaadevi, Adruitha, Patty Norris, thank you, thank you, thank you, I could not be here without your work.

I want to thank my family for your training and the Yale School of Drama as well for your training. My friends, the Wilsons, this one’s for you. My brother, Junior, sitting by my side. Thank you so much. You are my best friend. And Ben, my other best friend, my chosen family.

When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every little child that no matter where you’re from your dreams are valid.

Thank you.

Matthew McConaughey: 'That keeps me with someone to keep on chasing', Best Actor Oscar - 2014

2 March 2014, Los Angeles, USA

Thank you -- all of these performances were impeccable. In my opinion I didn't see a false note anywhere. I want to thank Jean-Marc Vallee our director. I want to thank Jared Leto and Jennifer Garner who I worked with daily.

There are three things that I need each day. One, I need something to look up to, another to look forward to, and another is someone to chase.

First off, I want to thank God because that's who I look up. He's graced my life with opportunities that I know are not of my hand or of any other hand. He's shown me that it's a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates. In the words of the late Charlie Laughton, who said, ‘When you got God you got a friend and that friend is you.'

To my family is to what I look forward to. To my father who I know is up there right now with a big pot of gumbo, he has a big lemon meringue pie over there. He's probably in his underwear and has a big can of Miller Lite and he's dancing right now. To you dad, you taught me how to be a man.

To my mother who's here tonight, who taught me and my two older brothers -- demanded -- that we respect ourselves. And in turn we learned we were better able to learn how to respect others. Thank you for that mama.

To my wife, Camilla, and my kids Levi, Vida and Mr Stone (Livingstone), the courage you give me every time I walk through the door is unparallelled. You are the four people in my life that I want to make the most proud of me. Thank you.

And to my hero. That's who I chase. When I was 15 years old I had a very important person in my life come and ask me 'Who's your hero?' I said, 'I thought about it and it's me in ten years. So I turned 25 ten years later and that same person comes to me and goes, 'Are you a hero?' I said, 'Not even close!' She said why and I said, 'My hero is me at 35.' You see, every day, and every week, and every month, and every year of my life, my hero is always ten years away. I'm never going to be my hero. I'm not going to obtain that and that's fine with me because it keeps me with somebody to keep on chasing.

So to any of us, whatever those things are and whatever it is we look up to, whatever it is we look forward to and whoever it is we're chasing, to that I say Amen. To that I say alright, alright, alright. And just keep living, huh? Thank you.

Pawel Pawlikowski: 'I would like to dedicate it to my late wife', Oscars Acceptance - 2015

22 February 2015, Dolby Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA

Ah, god. How did I get here? We made a film about – as you saw, black and white – about the need for silence and withdrawal from the world and contemplation. And here we are at the epicenter of noise and world attention. Fantastic, you know, life is full of surprises.

So, I'd like to thank the Academy. I'm honored, surprised and overwhelmed. I'd like to thank the people who backed our film: the producers, Eric Abraham of Portobello, Piotr Dzieciol, Agnieszka Odorowicz of the Polish Film Institute, and many others. They backed – oh, and a U.S. distributor who did a great job [music begins to play] for very little money. Oh, wrap up. Good, okay. So, quickly to the… And to my Polish friends who are in front of the TV. The crew who were in the trenches with us and who are totally drunk now. And you are fantastic, you were brilliant. You carried me through this film. And you are what I love about Poland. You're resilient, courageous, brave and funny. [Music builds to a loud crescendo.] And you can take a drink. And "Ida," I would like to dedicate it to my late wife [music ends] and my parents, who are not among the living but who are totally inside this film, and they have a lot to do with the film. And my children, who are hopefully watching, who are still alive. [Audience applause builds loudly.] Thank you, thank you. Victor and Maria... [Music begins again.] Victor and Maria, I love you. You are the main prize. Thank you.

Matthew McConaughey: 'There are three things that I need each day', Oscars acceptance - 2014

2 March 2014, Dolby Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA

Thank you to the academy for this. All six thousand members. Thank you to the other nominees. Thank you -- all of these performances were impeccable. In my opinion I didn't see a false note anywhere. I want to thank Jean-Marc Vallee our director. I want to thank Jared Leto and Jennifer Garner who I worked with daily.

There are three things that I need each day. One, I need something to look up to, another to look forward to, and another is someone to chase.

First off, I want to thank God because that's who I look up. He's graced my life with opportunities that I know are not of my hand or of any other human hand. He's shown me that it's a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates. In the words of the late Charlie Laughton, who said, ‘When you got God you got a friend and that friend is you.'

To my family is to what I look forward to. To my father who I know is up there right now with a big pot of gumbo, he has a big lemon meringue pie over there. He's probably in his underwear and has a big can of Miller Lite and he's dancing right now. To you dad, you taught me how to be a man.

To my mother who's here tonight, who taught me and my two older brothers -- demanded -- that we respect ourselves. And in turn we learned we were better able to learn how to respect others. Thank you for that mama.

To my wife, Camilla, and my kids Levi, Vida and Mr Stone (Livingstone), the courage you give me every time I walk through the door is unparallelled. You are the four people in my life that I want to make the most proud of me. Thank you.

And to my hero. That's who I chase. When I was 15 years old I had a very important person in my life come and ask me 'Who's your hero?' I said, 'I thought about it and it's me in ten years. So I turned 25 ten years later and that same person comes to me and goes, 'Are you a hero?' I said, 'Not even close!' She said why and I said, 'My hero is me at 35.' You see, every day, and every week, and every month, and every year of my life, my hero is always ten years away. I'm never going to be my hero. I'm not going to obtain that and that's fine with me because it keeps me with somebody to keep on chasing.

So to any of us, whatever those things are and whatever it is we look up to, whatever it is we look forward to and whoever it is we're chasing, to that I say Amen. To that I say alright, alright, alright. And just keep living, huh? Thank you.

Mel Brooks: - 'Ba-bump! Ba-bump! Ba-bump!', Oscars acceptance 'The Producers' - 1969

14 April 1969, Dorothy Chandler Pavillion, Los Angeles, California, USA

Banter preceding speech between Frank Sinatra and Don Rickles

I want to thank the Academy of Arts, Sciences and money for this wonderful award.

Well I’ll just say what’s in my heart.

Ba-bump! Ba-bump! Ba-bump! Ba-bump!

But seriously, I’d like to thank Sidney Glazer, the producer of The Producers for producing The Producers.

Joseph E Levine and his wife Rosalie for distribtung the film.

I’d also like to thank Zero Mastell, I’d also like to thank Gene Wilder, I’d also like to thank Gene Wilder. I’d also like to thank Gene Wilder.

Thank you very much.

Meryl Streep: 'I could hear half of America going “oh no…oh c’mon…why…her…again?', Oscars acceptance - 2012

26 February 2012, Hollywood and Highland Center Theater, Los Angeles, USA

Oh my god. Oh c’mon. Alright. Thank you so much. Thank you, thank you. When they called my name I’d had this feeling I could hear half of America going “oh no…oh c’mon…why…her…again?” But whatever. First I’m going to thank Don because when you thank your husband at the end of the speech they play him out with the music and I want him to know that everything I value most in our lives you’ve given me. And now secondly, my other partner: 37 years ago, my first play in New York City I met the great hairstylist and makeup artist Roy Helland and we worked together pretty continuously since the day we clapped eyes on each other. His first film with me was “Sophie’s Choice” and all the way up to tonight when he won for his beautiful work in “The Iron Lady,” 30 years later, every single movie in between.

And I just want to thank Roy but also I want to thank – because I really understand I’ll never be up here again – I really want to thank all my colleagues, all my friends, I look out here and I see my life before my eyes, my old friends, my new friends and really this is such a great honor but the thing that counts the most with me is the friendships and the love and the sheer joy we have shared making movies together. My friends, thank you, all of you, departed and here for this inexplicably wonderful career. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Jack Palance: Like for instance, you know, you go out there, you do these one-arm push-ups', Oscars acceptance - 1992

30 March 1992, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, USA

Billy Crystal, [laughs] I crap bigger than him. You know, there are times when you reach a certain age plateau where the producers say, they talk about you and they say, "Well, what do you think? Can we risk it? Can we do it? Can we use him?" The other guy says, "I don't know, let's look at some younger ones. We can make them look older, but this one, you know, it's kind of difficult." They forget, they forget to ask that you go out there and you do all these…things. Like for instance, you know, [leaves podium] you go out there, you do these one-arm push-ups. [Does three one-arm push-ups on stage; returns to podium.] That's nothing, really. As far as the two-handed push-ups are concerned, you can do that all night and it doesn't make any difference whether she's there or not. And besides, it's a hell of a lot less expensive.

Wow. You know, a long time ago in 1949, first picture, 1949, first film, I'd been shooting about two weeks and the producer came to me and he said, "Jack" – my name at that time was Vladimir, but he called me Jack. He says, "Jack, you're going to win the Academy Award." Can you believe it? Forty-two years later he was right. How the son of a bitch knew?! Thank you.

Vanessa Redgrave: 'You have refused to be intimidated by the threats of a small bunch of Zionist hoodlums' Oscar acceptance - 1978

3 April 1978, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, California, USA

Julia was a Holocaust story. The Jewish Defense League objected to Redgrave's nomination because she had narrated and helped fund a documentary entitled "The Palestinian," which supported a Palestinian state. They picketed the Oscars in protest.

My dear colleagues, I thank you very, very much for this tribute to my work. I think that Jane Fonda and I have done the best work of our lives and I think this was in part due to our director, Fred Zinnemann. And I also think it's in part because we believed and we believe in what we were expressing. Two, out of millions, who gave their lives and were prepared to sacrifice everything in the fight against fascist and racist Nazi Germany. And I salute you and I pay tribute to you and I think you should be very proud that in the last few weeks you've stood firm and you have refused to be intimidated by the threats of a small bunch of Zionist hoodlums whose behavior is an insult to the stature of Jews all over the world and to their great and heroic record of struggle against fascism and oppression. And I salute that record, and I salute all of you for having stood firm and dealt a final blow against that period when Nixon and McCarthy launched a worldwide witch hunt against those who tried to express in their lives and their work the truth that they believed in. I salute you, and I thank you, and I pledge to you that I will continue to fight against anti-Semitism and fascism. Thank you.

Roberto Benigni: 'Thank you! Thank you! This is a moment of joy and I want to kiss everybody!' - 1999

21 March 1999, Dorothy Chandler Pavillion, California, USA

Thank you! Sophia, I leave(?) it here, the Oscar, but I want you. I want to be rocked by the waves of your beauty. Come here. Thank you! Thank you! This is a moment of joy and I want to kiss everybody because you are the maker(?) of the joy. He who kisses the joy as it flies lives in eternity sunrise, said [the] poet. And this is wonderful to be here. Wonderful! I feel like, now really, to dive in this ocean of generosity, this is too much. Your generosity, this is, uh, how do you say when the rain, the hailstorm, it's a hailstorm of kindness, of gratitude for you.

And really I would like to thank everybody that did the movie, because without them I couldn't fly with this movie. Everybody who did -- the producer, the screenwriter Cerami, Elda Ferri, Gianluigi Braschi, Nicola Piovani, Vittorio Cecchi Gori. Harvey Weinstein of Miramax Film[s], thank you very much for what you did. And also I would like to thank my parents in Vergaio, in a little village in Italy. They gave me their biggest gift, their poverty, and I want to thank for the lesson(?) of my life. Really, but thank you, Mamma and Babbo. Thank you! And thank you for your love. Because if I am here it's because people love the movies. So it's always a question of love.

I would like to dedicate this prize to those, because the subject the movie, those who are not here. They gave their life in order [that] we can say, "Life is beautiful." And I would like to also say, a kiss to Giorgio Cantarini, Giorgio, the little boy. And because we are talking love, Dante said: L'amore che muove il sole e le altre stelle -- Love will move the sun and the other stars. Love is a divinity, and sometimes if you have faith, like all the divinities it can appear. That's why I want to dedicate this prize to Nicoletta Braschi. Thank you.

Shirley MacLaine: 'I'm gonna cry because this show has been as long as my career', Oscar acceptance - 1984

9 April 1984, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, California, USA

Rock Hudson and Liza Minnelli present the Oscar

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. Oh my, I am nervous.

I'm not going to thank everybody I've ever met in my entire life -- although, with the way my mind has been going lately probably everybody I've ever met in my entire life and in the other life I might have had had something to do with this. You know, if "Terms of Endearment" had happened to me five years ago, I think I would have called it a thrilling, commercial, artistic accident. But I don't believe that anymore. I don't believe there's any such thing as accident. I think that we all manifest what we want and what we need. I don't think there's any difference really between what you feel you have to do in your heart and success. They're inseparable.

Jim Brooks deeply wanted to make a film about the defects and imperfections and foibles of people in a humorous and loving way. And he had such passion. It was unbelievable to watch. He's being very modest with himself tonight. It was unbelievable. His sense of truth was so accurate that he overwhelmed his own insecurities, and Paramount's. I guess we all did the same thing.

I have wanted to work with the comic chemistry of Jack Nicholson since his chicken salad sandwich scene in "Easy Pieces." And to have him in bed was such middle-aged joy. I wanted to work with the turbulent brilliance of Debra Winger. She literally inhabited the character so thoroughly that I thought for four months I had two daughters.

But in the end just let me say one thing. Films and life are like clay waiting for us to mold it. And when you trust your own insides, and that becomes achievement, it's a kind of a principle that seems to me is at work with everyone. God bless that principle. God bless that potential that we all have for making anything possible if we think we deserve it. I deserve this. Thank you.

Michael Moore: 'Any time you’ve got the Pope and the Dixie Chicks against you, your time is up' Academy Award acceptance - 2003

23 March 2003, Kodak Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA

On behalf of our producers Kathleen Glynn and Michael Donovan from Canada, I’d like to thank the Academy for this.

I’ve invited my fellow documentary nominees on the stage with us, and we would like to — they are here — they are here in solidarity with me because we like non-fiction.

We like nonfiction and we live in fictitious times. We live in the time where we have fictitious election results that elects a fictitious President.

We — We live in a time where we have a man sending us to war for fictitious reasons. Whether it’s the fictition of duct tape or the fictitious [sic] of orange alerts, we are against this war, Mr. Bush.

Shame on you, Mr. Bush, shame on you.

And any time you’ve got the Pope and the Dixie Chicks against you, your time is up. Thank you very much.

Halle Berry: 'And it's for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened', Academy Award acceptance - 2002

24 March 2002, Kodak Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA

Oh my God. Oh my God. I'm sorry. This moment is so much bigger than me. This moment is for Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Diahann Carroll. It's for the women that stand beside me, Jada Pinkett, Angela Bassett, Vivica Fox. And it's for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened. Thank you. I'm so honored. I'm so honored. And I thank the Academy for choosing me to be the vessel for which His blessing might flow.

I want to thank my manager, Vincent Cirrincione. He's been with me for twelve long years and you fought every fight, and you loved me when I've been up but more importantly you've loved me when I've been down. You have been a manager, a friend and the only father I've ever known. Really. And I love you very much. I want to thank my mom who has given me the strength to fight every single day to be who I want to be and to give me the courage to dream, that this dream might be happening and possible for me. I love you, Mom, so much. Thank you, my husband, who is just a joy of my life. And India, thank you for giving me peace because only with the peace that you've brought me have I been allowed to go to places that I never even knew I could go. Thank you. I love you and India with all my heart.

I want to thank Lions Gate. Thank you, Mike Paseornek, Tom Ortenberg, for making sure everybody knew about this little tiny movie. Thank you for believing in me. Our director Marc Forster, you're a genius. You're a genius. This moviemaking experience was magical for me because of you. You believed in me, you trusted me and you gently guided me to very scary places. I thank you. I want to thank Ivana Chubbuck, I could have never figured out who the heck this lady was without you. I love you. Thank you. I want to thank Lee Daniels, our producer. Thank you for giving me this chance, for believing that I could do it. And now tonight I have this. Thank you.

I want to thank my agents. CAA, Josh Lieberman especially. I have to thank my agents. Kevin Huvane, thank you. Thank you for never kicking me out and sending me somewhere else. Thank you. Um... I, I, I, who else? I have so many people that I know I need to thank. My lawyers! Neil Meyer, thank you. Okay, wait a minute. I got to take... seventy-four years here! I got to take this time! I got to thank my lawyer Neil Meyer for making this deal. Doug Stone. I need to thank lastly and not leastly, I have to thank Spike Lee for putting me in my very first film and believing in me. Oprah Winfrey, for being the best role model any girl can have. Joel Silver, thank you. And thank you to Warren Beatty. Thank you so much for being my mentors and believing in me. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Bert Schneider: 'I will now read a short wire that I have been asked to read by the Vietnamese people', Hearts and Minds aceptance - 1975

8 April 1975, Dorothy Chandler Pavillion, Los Angeles, California, USA

First of all, I would like to say a special thank you to my late brother Stanley whose support and love and encouragement allowed us to make this film and all of the films that BBS made. It is ironic that we are here at a time just before Vietnam is about to be liberated. I will now read a short wire that I have been asked to read by the Vietnamese people. It is sent by Ambassador Dinh Ba Thi, who is the chief of the Provisional Revolutionary Government's delegation to Paris, the Paris political talks. It says: "Please transmit to all our friends in America our recognition of all that they have done on behalf of peace and for the application of the Paris Accords on Vietnam. These actions serve the legitimate interest of the American people and the Vietnamese people. Greetings of friendship to all the American people." Thank you very much.

Paul Hogan: 'G'day peers', Etiquette for accepting an award, Academy Awards - 1987

30 March 1987, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, USA

G'day, viewers.

This is my first time at the Academy Awards. I usually watch it on television, and for that reason I've been asked to come out here and speak to my peers on behalf of the television audience.

G'day, peers.

This is of course the big event of show business and the atmosphere here is pure electricity. But as a television show, it does tend to go slightly "off the boil," particularly as we drift into the third and fourth hour. What can we do about it?

Firstly, winners, when you make your speech, it's a good tip to remember the three Gs: be Gracious, be Grateful, Get off.

Secondly, don't be too humble tonight because we have up here a second envelope. And don't get up on stage and say, "I don't deserve this award." If you really feel you don't deserve an Academy Award, just give us a wave from your seat.

Most importantly, tonight, in most categories nominees will be on camera when they announce the winner. Please, nominees, let's not have the spectacle of all four lose -- uh, non-winners, giving us this one: [fake smile].

This is the I'm-glad-he-won-instead-of-me smile.

Think of the television audience. Give us a little variety. You know, maybe one of two of you could burst in tears. Storming out of the building in a huff would be nice. Well, what's wrong with a bit of good old-fashioned booing.

Now, I'm nominated tonight and I realize I'm not exactly the odds-on favorite, but I traveled 13,000 miles to be here for this. I've come from the other side of the planet. And if they read out someone else's name out instead of mine, it's not going to be pretty.

Anyway, listen. Most important, the producer of this program, Sam Goldwyn, said to me, "Everyone's really tense out there. Go out and see if you can get them to relax." Why? You didn't come here to relax. You want to relax, stay at home and watch it on television. That'll relax you.

No, no, fellow workers, brothers, workmates, you're here to sweat. This program is live. There's about one thousand million people watching you. So you remember: One wrong word, one foolish gesture -- your whole career could go down in flames.

Hold that thought and have a nice night, you hear?

Dustin Hoffman: 'We are laughed at when we are up here, sometimes, for thanking', Oscar acceptance, 1980

14 April 1980, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, USA

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.

I'm up here with mixed feelings. I've been critical of the Academy, and for reason. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to be able to work. I am greatly honored for being chosen by the producer, Stanley Jaffe, and the director, Bob Benton, and to have worked in a family with them, and with Meryl and with Justin, who if he loses again we'll have to give him a lifetime achievement award. And to Jane Alexander and to Jerry Greenberg and to Néstor and to the crew on the film who was part of that family.

And to the crew and to the directors like Bob Fosse and Mike Nichols and John Schlesinger that I've worked with before.

We are laughed at when we are up here, sometimes, for thanking. But when you work on a film you discover that there are people who are giving that artistic part of themself that goes beyond a paycheck, and they are never up here. And many of them are not members of the Academy, and we never hear of them. But this Oscar is a symbol, I think, and it is given for appreciation from those people whom we never see. They are part of our life.

I refuse to believe that I beat Jack Lemmon, that I beat Al Pacino, that I beat Peter Sellers. I refuse to believe that Robert Duvall lost.

We are a part of an artistic family. There are sixty thousand actors in this Academy – pardon me – in the Screen Actors Guild, and probably a hundred thousand in Equity. And most actors don't work, and a few of us are so lucky to have a chance to work with writing and to work with directing. Because when you're a broke actor you can't write; you can't paint; you have to practice accents while you're driving a taxi cab.

And to that artistic family that strives for excellence, none of you have ever lost and I am proud to share this with you. And I thank you.

Sally Field: 'You like me! Right now you like me!', Oscar acceptance - 1985

March 25, 1985, Dorothy Chandler Pavillion, CA, USA

Oh Benton, what you did for me. You changed my life, truly. This means so much more to me this time. I don’t know why I think the first time I hardly felt it because it was all so new. I owe a lot to the cast, to my players, to Lindsay and John and Danny, and Ed and Amy and my little friends Gennie and Yankton

I owe a lot to my family, for holding me together and loving me and having patience with this obsession and me. But I want to say thank you to you. I haven’t had an orthodox career, and I’ve wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn’t feel it, but this time I feel it, and I can’t deny the fact that you like me. Right now, you like me!”