Like the time when Sally Field said to the crowd, “You like me.”
1.
The time when Barbra Streisand humbly accepted the Oscar both her and Katharine Hepburn tied for.
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Year: 1969 Award: Tie for Best Actress, Funny Girl Ingrid Bergman revealed “It’s a tie!” upon opening the Best Actress envelope at the 1969 Oscars. Streisand took the stage in shock of both winning and tying with another actress such as Katherine Hepburn who also won in that category for The Lion in Winter.
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2.
That time Tatum O’Neal’s short speech was dedicated to her director and father.
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Year: 1974 Award: Best Supporting Actress, Paper Moon At only 9-years-old, O’Neal was the youngest Oscar winner that year and stood on stage accepting her speech with confidence and grace like the young pro that she was.
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3.
When Sally Field was beside herself that the people liked her.
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Year: 1985 Award: Best Actress, Places in the Heart Field’s famous acceptance speech showed a humble side to the actress as she was full of gratitude that her winning her award showed she was finally respected by her acting peers.
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4.
When Cher still didn’t think she was anybody big after winning her Oscar.
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Year: 1988 Award: Best Actress, Moonstruck During Cher’s speech, she thanked who she needed to thank before adding in at the end, “I don’t think that this means that I am somebody, but I guess I’m on my way.”
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5.
The first and only time Gwyneth Paltrow was nominated and won an Oscar.
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Year: 1999 Award: Best Actress, Shakespeare in Love During Paltrow’s speech, she gave a shoutout to actresses Emily Watson, Fernanda Montenegro, Cate Blanchett, and Meryl Streep who Paltrow “didn’t feel very deserving” of the award in her presence.
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6.
The time when Julia Roberts warned that her speech will be longer than the Academy would prefer.
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Year: 2001 Award: Best Actress, Erin Brockovich Roberts’ 2001 acceptance speech was just as adorable as she is. After getting to the mic to accept her award and saying she’s so happy, she turned to the music conductor to warn him she might be a while up there, indicating he shouldn’t cue the music so soon while she’s giving her speech.
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7.
When Angelina Jolie said her dad was a great actor but better dad in her speech.
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Year: 2000 Award: Best Supporting Actress, Girl, Interrupted Jolie gave a heartfelt acceptance speech shouting out and thanking both her brother and her dad.
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8.
The time Halle Berry made history as first black woman to win the leading actress award and she as beside herself for winning.
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Year: 2002 Award: Best Actress, Monster’s Ball This award made Berry the first black woman to win the leading actress award. When her name was announced, Berry can barely stand as she mouthed “Oh my God.” During her speech, she dedicated her award to the black women who were nominated in the category before her.
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9.
The time when Reese Witherspoon said kind words about June Carter.
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Year: 2006 Award: Best Actress, Walk the Line Witherspoon spoke highly of June Carter in her acceptance speech saying “she’s a woman with dignity and honor and fear and courage and she’s a real woman.”
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10.
When Sandra Bullock said a few special words about all the moms out there.
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Year: 2010 Award: Best Actress, The Blind Side Bullock made a touching tribute to her late mother and all mothers during her speech saying, “the moms who take cares of the babies and the children no matter where they come from.”
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11.
When Mo’Nique thanked the Academy for not making it about the politics.
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Year: 2010 Award: Best Supporting Actress, Precious When Precious came out, Mo’Nique made it a point to not campaign for her role as an abused mother so when she won the award for that role, she thanked the Academy “for showing it can be about the performance, and not the politics.”
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12.
When Melissa Leo flirted with Kirk Douglas at the start of her speech.
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Year: 2011 Award: Best Supporting Actress, The Fighter Leo gave a hilarious speech that consisted of her dropping the F bomb and asking legend Kirk Douglas to pinch her before flirting with him.
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13.
The time when Meryl Streep subtly acknowledged her many, many Oscar nominations.
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Year: 2012 Award: Best Actress, The Iron Lady Streep made a joke when she won her award hinting at the fact that she’s been nominated for an Academy Award 19 times. “When they called my name I had this feeling I could hear half of America going, “Oh no, c’mon, why her? Again?”
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14.
When Jennifer Lawrence poked fun at herself for tripping and falling as she went up to accept her award.
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Year: 2013 Award: Best Actress, Silver Linings Playbook Lawrence had one of the most memorable speeches in Oscar history. Right before accepting her award on stage, the actress tripped and fell causing her to say when she got to the mic, “You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell and that’s really embarrassing.”
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15.
When Cate Blanchett spoke about the importance of female roles in movies.
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Year: 2014 Award: Best Actress, Blue Jasmine Blanchett used her acceptance speech as a way to speak out on gender inequality. “And to the audiences who went to see it, and perhaps those of us in the industry who are still foolishly clinging to the idea that female films with women at the center are niche experiences. They are not. Audiences want to see them and, in fact, they earn money.”
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16.
The time when Lupita Nyong’o gave a heartfelt, tearful acceptance speech.
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Year: 2014 Award: Best Supporting Actress,12 Years a Slave Nyong’o gave a powerful and inspiring speech saying, “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.”
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17.
When Patricia Arquette acknowledged gender equality in her speech.
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Year: 2015 Award: Best Supporting Actress, Boyhood Arquette also spoke about gender equality in the film industry during her speech. “To every woman who gave birth to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights. It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America.”
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18.
When Viola Davis proved she’s an amazing speech-giver.
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Year: 2017 Award: Best Supporting Actress, Fences In classic Davis style, the actress’ acceptance speech was nothing short of powerful. “People ask me all the time, what kind of stories do you want to tell, Viola? And I say, exhume those bodies. Exhume those stories. The stories of the people who dreamed big and never saw those dreams to fruition. People who fell in love and lost. I became an artist — and thank God I did — because we are the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life.”
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19.
When Frances McDormand made all of the female nominees in the room stand to prove a point in her speech.
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Year: 2018 Award: Best Actress, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri McDormand used time onstage to ask all the female nominees in the room to stand up. She then proceeded with, “We all have stories to tell and projects we need financed,” she said. “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.”
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20.
When Chloé Zhao made history and gave an inspiring speech for her win.
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Year: 2021 Award: Best Director, Nomadland Zhao made history at the 93rd Academy Awards as the first Asian woman and woman of color to take home the award for Best Director. Zhao dedicated her award to “anyone who had the faith and courage to hold onto the goodness in themselves and to hold on in the goodness in each other no matter how difficult it is to do that.”
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21.
And when Youn Yuh-jung said she was luckier than Glenn Close in her speech.
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Year: 2021 Award: Best Supporting Actress, Minari Yuh-jung was shocked by her Oscar win, presented to her by Brad Pitt. In her speech, she mentioned fellow nominee Glenn Close. “I don’t believe in competition. How can I win over Glenn Close? I’ve been watching so many of her performances. I have a little bit of luck, I think. I’m luckier than you.”
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What are your favorite acceptance speech moments from women at the Oscars? Let us know in the comments.
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