SANDRA OH: Thank you so much. We've had such a great ride and this has been such a great experience to be here with all fellow actors. To Paul Giamatti, the center of our ensemble, I thank you so much. [applause] This has been such a pure filmmaking experience, and for a variety of reasons, 'cause everyone was working at their best. And thank you to our great casting director, John Jackson, who brought us Marylouise Burke and Jessica Hecht and Patrick Gallagher, the great and naked M.C. Gainey --
VIRGINIA MADSEN: The naked man.
OH: Yeah, the naked man. To Fox, Searchlight, Mr. G., and Peter Price, Claudia Lewis, who supported this film tremendously, and all the foxy ladies at Fox who support us. And mostly to our great producer, Michael London, and because they never questioned the director's vision to cast who he wanted. And I thank you guys for that, because it doesn't happen all the time. And of course, to our great visionary director, Alexander Payne who... [applause] he's great, he's really great... who is in Sweden right now - hi honey - and to Jim Taylor, who wrote such a beautiful script, which is like manna from Heaven for all actors.
For Alexander Payne the director, who saw in each one of us something that most people don't usually see. So, thank you for giving us a shot, and thank you for voting for us. Thank you. [applause]
JAMIE FOXX: We have to do it for Ray. [singing] Ohhhhh"...
AUDIENCE: Ohhhh...
FOXX: Ah-h-h...
AUDIENCE: Ah-h-h...
FOXX: Yeah, you're ready. [laughter] First of all, I just want to say thank you to SAG Awards, my peers, to everybody that voted for this. Thank you, for Ray Charles, for just living so complex and so interested in making us just come together as everybody. I watch - I tell you this story, I was in D.C., and it was for the Black Caucus, and we screened this film. And a young black kid stood up, and he had a jersey on, and he had his bling-bling on, and everybody was wondering, "What is this kid gonna say," 'cause it was like the question and answering.
And he said, "Foxx, do you think this might like give you a nom, or somethin' like that?" And he said, "a nom," and he was talking about the Oscar nom, or Screen Actors Guild, and it was beautiful to see the education that's going on with this film, because everybody's getting on board with this. So, thank you for that. [applause]
Thank you for Taylord Hackford, for taking the chance with an African American film - Taylor you're my director of the year, man, no matter what. [applause] Thank you for that beautiful cast that's sitting right over there on that table, that can go with anybody. You guys are incredible to me, and I split this up and I share it with you - right there at that table. Yeah. [applause]
Jamie and Marcus King, my managers, CAA my agents, Kim Hodges, Rick Kurtzman, Steve Smoot, everybody, and to all the actors that I'm looking at in this crowd that I'm going to get autographs from, and pictures and everything. [laughter] And so I can put 'em up on my wall, so I can front and say, "Yeah, those are my good friends." [laughter]
And Denzel Washington - when I saw Denzel Washington, he was such an ambassador, as an actor. And I met Denzel Washington a long time ago, and I hope he never ever remembers how I met him. [laughter] Because I wasn't Jamie Foxx at the time, I was Eric Bishop, I was just a young comic in LA trying to come up, and the Roxbury was going off at the time. I don't know if anybody ever been to the Roxbury, but I could not get in for nothin'. And I see Denzel come out. And I don't know if you know, but Black people march when they get excited. [laughter] And I saw Denzel and I said, "Denzellll!" [laughter/applause] And he took his elbow and stuck me right in the throat and said, "Hold on. Hold on. What's goin' on? What's goin' on?" And told him how much I... [laughter]
And I'm sittin' there with his elbow on my throat and I'm trying to tell him that "I really love what you do, dog." And from that moment, all the way up to being in Venice, Italy, when Denzel calls me out of the room and says, "Come down to the front, I need to talk to you." And he said, "I've been hearing some things. I've been hearing some things. I don't want to scare you, but just keep doin' what you're doin'. If you win or if you lose, keep walkin' in the same direction."
I am amazed, lucky, thankful, speechless and quite frankly stunned to be a working actor. I thank my fellow SAG members for this incredible honor, this award means so much to me. And I also want to acknowledge my fellow nominees who inspire me to be a better actor.
You know, I also can't believe I'm a working actor, working with the legendary Clint Eastwood, and the always amazing Morgan Freeman. I think one of the rarest qualities, and most important qualities is the - being able to believe in someone else. And Clint, your unwavering belief in me, I am just so thankful for that. I am thankful to you for reminding me to trust my instincts, and allowing me to trust my instincts.
And I am in such awe - it's hard enough to be an actor, and how you directed this picture, while giving the performance of a lifetime, producing and composing, I bow down to you, you are a talent beyond compare. And if I'm half the person you are, and half the talent you are, when I'm 74, I will know I have accomplished something great. [applause]
I want to thank Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi for sending me this beautiful script, Al Ruddy, and let's see - the wrapping up sign is coming, but you don't understand, we work so hard, please give me a moment to talk... Let's see, Phyllis Huffman, our casting director, oh let's see, my trainers, Grant Roberts and Hector Rocca, and Tonya Makomis [sp] - Clint's telling me to wrap it up. [laughter] And my mom. You know what? My mom for believing in me from the very beginning. So anyway, [applause] I thank you for this great honor and I want to also thank my husband for just putting up with me. Thank you. [applause]
Outstanding Performance by a
Female Actor in a Leading Role
Cast of Kate Winslet
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Transcript of Kate Winslet
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
[singing] "Who was the long tall stranger there, Maverick is his name. Ridin' the trail to who knows where, luck is his companion, gambling is his game." [applause]
I want to thank anybody who I ever met. [laughter] I want to thank Clint Eastwood and his entire family. I want to thank Hillary Swank, Al Ruddy coming to us with this wonderful script. And I want to thank you all so much. [applause]
Thank you. I so didn't expected this. I wore a really tight dress that's very ungracious walking up those stairs. Thank you very much, I sort of don't know where to begin.
Playing Katharine Hepburn, I absolutely did not expect to be standing here in front of you all. But Hepburn aside, I actually would like to say, as an actor coming from another country to this country, I am so astounded and amazed, and grateful, at the power of the SAG union and what it does for its members. And I hope that other countries, mine own included, you know, is inspired by that - I think it's incredible.
So, I thank you very much. I think the head, shoulders, knees and toes of this belong to Martin Scorsese, who led us all and gave us great courage - I'm shaking. Thank you so much. And to Leonardo and to Graham King who were so incredibly welcoming. To Morag Ross, who painted every single freckle on my face, and everyone, because it's an absolute team effort and a team on it. I don't know where to begin, I'm overwhelmed. Thank you so much.
