OK, so you watched the film and television stars awards make their acceptance speeches at the Screen Actors Guild, but you only got to hear a portion of what they had to say. Fortunately for you, Hollywood.com was behind the scenes all night, and we’ve got all the joyful, humble, impassioned and sometimes downright silly reactions from the big winners.
Film: From Maximus to Magnanimous
“Edgy” was the only way to describe Russell Crowe‘s attitude as he entered the press room after winning the award for best actor in a motion picture for his work in A Beautiful Mind. The actor from Down Under appeared alternately looking to avoid conflict and spoiling for one when it came to questions about his physical confrontation with the director of the BAFTA awards after Crowe’s poetry reading was cut short. He cut off most related lines of inquiry and chastised an Entertainment Weekly correspondent for returning to the subject.
Instead he preferred to discuss his film’s Oscar chances: “We’re not sweating about it, we’re certainly not desperate about it by any means. What’s gratifying to us apart from all the critical praise and all that is we just passed $140 million at the box office. And with a movie about a schizophrenic mathematician, that says a great deal to me about the intellect of the American public.”
When described by one journalist as a celebrity, an award winner and a headline maker, the perpetually scruffy actor added another hyphenate: “Hairy guy.” He insisted his high profile would never over-inflate his ego. “Possibly you could get your head turned if you’re a certain type of person. But it’s not going to happen to me. I know the difference.”
Then, surprisingly, Crowe addressed the BAFTA conflict on his own, giving the story a seemingly happy ending. “I was unrepentant for a while there,” he revealed, until he discovered that the son of the director, Malcolm Geary, was being teased at school about the altercation. “That’s when my opinion and what I care about really had to be put aside.” After Crowe and Geary apologized to one another, Crowe spoke with Geary’s son Oliver. “He asked me 101 questions about Gladiator until he had enough information that when he went to school the next day, there was undeniable contact between him and Maximus,” Crowe said. “So that’s all over.”
On the opposite end of the spectrum was stunning Halle Berry, who was still joyously weepy when she met the press after winning best actress for Monster’s Ball. “I’m a wimp! Just say it, I’m always a wimp at these things!” she laughed as she wiped away tears. She said she was focused on the pleasure of winning the SAG award and her victory did not add additional stress regarding her chances at nabbing an Oscar.
“I don’t really care about what happens at the Oscars, and I don’t mean to be flip about it,” said Berry, “but there’s just so many good things that have come my way because of this project and win or lose, my life is going to be very, very different because of that work…I’m just going to enjoy it and be happy for whoever wins, I really, really am.”
Having been inspired by African-American actors who have preceded her, Berry said she hoped her victory would inspire newcomers as well. “For someone of color to have the words ‘award-winning’ attached to their name, I think it means hope for every other person of color out there today. My reality now can be their reality, and that feels really good.”
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Supporting actor winner Sir Ian McKellen mused about what it is that he likes about the wizard Gandalf, the character he plays in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: “Well, he smokes, you know. And so do I.” He conspiratorially shushed reporters in the pressroom before the word of his sinful indulgence got out.
As it is, smoking isn’t the only thing McKellen has in common with author J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic wizard. “I’m a bit of a workaholic, and he can be.” Indeed, even as the Academy Awards loom, the actor was planning to leave for New York City this week to host Saturday Night Live.
Supporting actress winner Helen Mirren (for Gosford Park) was obsessed with her masculine trophy’s lack of outerwear. “I’m going to knit him something to wear. Or maybe I’ll put him in a Barbie doll outfit, because he looks like the Barbie doll size. I’ll get him one of those little pink dresses. He looks like he might be into it.”
Mirren returned to the pressroom with her Gosford Park castmates Emily Watson, Jeremy Northam, Bob Balaban, Kelly Macdonald and Ryan Phillippe after their victory in the ensemble category. “There were 48 actors on this film,” said Watson. “It was like going to a really big dinner and everyone brings a dish.” Just as the actors were discussing their director, Robert Altman, the wily veteran joined them on the podium and explained why he called the film’s screenplay “foolproof.” “It didn’t attract any fools,” Altman said. “I told them if they all remembered their lines they’d be OK.”
TV: Sex and the Oval Office
The Sex and the City ladies, who won for best comedy ensemble, couldn’t get enough of the new guys in their lives–those actor statuettes, that is–which Kristin Davis declared were heavy enough to use in place of free weights. “Too heavy,” added Kim Cattrall. “I like big men, but this is ridiculous.”
Said Cynthia Nixon, on a more serious note: “One thing about our show that we hear a lot from viewers is ‘I’m single. I love seeing myself up there.’ “Finally we’re getting to see a single woman’s experience that has happiness and sadness and everything. I think it’s a story that’s overdue in being told, so people are now telling it. And that’s good.” The women said they were going to call series star Sarah Jessica Parker, in NYC ailing with the flu, to share the news of their victory.
Television’s best actress winner, Will & Grace star Megan Mullally, revealed that finding success on the small screen has changed her off-screen perspective on life and laughter. “I realized that if you’re in a stressful situation you can look at it through the lens of comedy and kind of step outside yourself. You can choose to look at it in a way that is just easier and lighter and not take yourself so seriously.”
Ben Kingsley, about to fly to Buckingham Palace to be knighted by Queen Elizabeth this week, was thrilled to have won as best actor in a miniseries or movie for his portrayal of saintly Otto Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank, a part diametrically opposed to his ferocious, Oscar-nominated work in Sexy Beast. “I think we have to accept that there is the dark angel and the good angel in all of us. I think it’s a bit naive to only think we live at one end of the scale or another.”
West Wingers Rob Lowe, John Spencer, Bradley Whitford, Janel Maloney, Dule Hill, Richard Schiff, Emily Proctor and several other recurring cast members were almost slap-happy after their victory for TV’s best dramatic ensemble, with Lowe threatening to write a tell-all exposé called Broken Wing: My Time in Television’s West Wing. But they quickly settled into mutual admiration society sentiment.
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“We’re all in service of the writing, which is pretty incredible,” said Spencer, who also praised his co-stars. “I’m always better depending on who I’m dancing with and these are the best partners I’ve ever had.”
Whitford suggested that the series might even be able to work its way around the eight-year limitation that would seem to be inherent in a show about the presidency. “You can change the Constitution, which I think is worth doing if it gets you to syndication.”
“We’ve got to get him re-elected first,” Spencer reminded him.
Speaking of newly elected–or re-elected, considering the whole process was recently completed for the second time (“An election so nice they did it twice,” quipped Rob Lowe)–Screen Actors Guild president Melissa Gilbert said she hoped to put the contentiousness of her race against rival Valerie Harper behind her. She’d rather work on SAG issues, such as renegotiating talent rep arrangements that haven’t been updated since the filming of The Wizard of Oz and initiating a plan in May that requires all productions worldwide using SAG actors to adhere to guild contracts.
“We can be a house divided,” said Gilbert. “I don’t have a problem with that. I’m not here to make friends. But we cannot appear to be a house divided, because that makes us look weak. And that’s what people are looking for.”
Once SAG president himself, Edward Asner was honored with a lifetime achievement award for his long and prosperous career, but the actor admitted when he watched the montage of his performances he was less than impressed. “I wasn’t as varied as thought I was,” he said. “Thank god for the hair goods, otherwise each scene would’ve looked like the other. I’m glad I fooled them all along the way….”
He called the “spunk” moment–the unforgettable sitcom scene in which he tells Mary Tyler Moore‘s character that he hates spunk–“one of the most unholy moments I ever had in acting..… .We’re here tonight at an awards show that honors ensemble acting. The ensemble acting that went into that moment was so perfect and so right I could never have done it alone. It made me realize that always I need to feed off something or someone to be able to flower. Manure, so to speak.”
As for having his own spunk, Asner said, “Rarely have I had it. When I’ve had it, I’ve been awfully proud of it.” This night, he definitely had it.
