Highlights: Great speeches at the 2014 SAG Awards

MANILA, Philippines –  The show was brief, the pace was brisk, with few moments in between the awards for us to catch our breath! In its 20th anniversary, this year’s Screen Actors Guild awards proved to be snappy and light, with some emotional moments in between. Many of the show’s highlights were to be found in the speeches and the reactions that came with them. Here are some of the highlights: 

1. Lupita Nyong’o’s tearful, shaky, absolutely beautiful acceptance speech 

“Being recognized by fellow actors is an honor of the highest order, and I want to thank all of you so much,” she said breathlessly. Glowing in vibrant blue gown with dramatic details in the back, Lupita also thanked the Yale School of Drama for giving her a chance to succeed. Most touchingly, Lupita also acknowledged the real Solomon Northup (whose story the film 12 Years A Slave was based on), for “a life well lived, and a story hard to tell but told so well.” The glowing actress picked up the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role. 

2. Jared Leto pays tribute to fellow nominees, shines spotlight on hot date 

Quickly becoming one to watch for his role as a transgender AIDS patient in Dallas Buyers Club, Jared Leto acknowledged other great nominees for their great work during his acceptance speech after winning the award for best Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role.

Like co-star Matthew McConaughey, he praised the depth of the material he had to work with in a movie, sharing the award with those who suffered as his character did. Ending his earnest speech, he thanked his mom, calling her “the hottest date in town.” 

3. Ty Burrell’s five steps to success 

After winning the award in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series, Ty Burrell stepped up to the comedy plate, pointing out his 5 steps for success. First, one must be born into a family that’s never had an actor in it so that everything he did would seem more awesome than it was, use the confidence gleaned from that to “woo and attract a spouse who is better than you,” in which case, through his career,  that one would exercise the skill of being a “needy extrovert,” to have “no other skills other than being a needy extrovert,” and finally, to fail over and over again until one stumbles onto a job fronted by the likes of the cast of Modern Family, created by people of the caliber of Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, Modern Family‘s creators.

Plus, we loved seeing Eric Stonestreet, who plays Ty’s brother-in-law Cam Tucker, come up to congratulate Ty, and seeing Julie Bowen, who plays his on-screen wife Claire, jumping up-and-down in glee in the background. 

4. Julia Louis-Dreyfus in character 

Appearing to be frazzled upon winning her award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for her work in Veep, she had the audience with a glorious fake-out, thanking everyone for her “glorious Golden Globe,” and later saying, “It’s truly an honour just to be nominated for an Academy Award.”

Standing next to her was actor Matt Walsh, also in character as Mike McLintock, who offered her no assistance save for a sandwich in a bag, saying, “I didn’t think you’d win!” 

She wasn’t finished. Later as she presented an award with Don Cheadle, in response to his congratulating her for her win, she said, “Congratulations on your…nomination.” Right as the camera cut away to the playback, Don could be overheard quipping, “Did you really have to just do that right there?” Yup, she did. 

5. Helen Mirren: “I don’t feel at all saggy!” 

We could not get over Helen’s hilarious fixation on the naked SAG actor trophy, saying, “I love this little guy, so sexy isn’t he!” More seriously, she cast the spotlight on fellow nominee Elizabeth Moss (Top of the Lake), saying that she was extraordinary in her role (Elizabeth was clearly thrilled). Turning up the laughs once more, she joked, “I don’t feel at all saggy,” she said. “I feel quite perky, actually.” Indeed!  

6. Bryan Cranston on Emma Thompson: “I lost it” 

“I won a SAG awarrrrd,” he warbled, saying that at a banquet, he was speechless when actress Emma Thompson fought her way through the tables to come up to him. “I lost it,” he said. “That’s what happens when you’re so lucky.”

He went on to talk about the many jobs he’s had in his life (described as ‘crappy’), saying that the one thing that kept him going was the possibility of someday making a living as an actor. Bryan won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series, and the cast of his show Breaking Bad took home the award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series. 

7. Cate Blanchett’s message to those who didn’t vote for her 

Visibily emotional and thrilled, Cate, who won the best actress award for her role in Blue Jasmine, talked about how remarkable it was to have been congratulated by the acting heavyweights like Meryl Streep and Robert de Niro.

In a lighthearted moment, she thanked everyone who voted for her. “For those who didn’t, better luck next year!” she joked, to much applause. Ending with a tender touch, she said that she had been married for 17 years, and had the same agent and publicist for 17 years. “Perhaps in a way, those relationships are my biggest achievement,” she said. “Thank you so very much.”

8. Rita Moreno’s F-bomb and spirited celebration onstage (plus, Morgan Freeman’s – that voice!) 

Following a montage of her career through the years, EGOT winner and this year’s SAG Lifetime Achievement awardee Rita Moreno stepped up onstage to receive her trophy presented by friend and The Electric Company co-star Morgan Freeman.

Dancing around and looking very fit and glamorous in her low-cut, sparkly dress, Rita calmed down to say, “This unexpected honour at 82. But hopefully, it’s early in the third act of my life. The truth is I honestly still can’t believe it. So, let me say this: hi Jeremy Renner…no that’s not what I meant to say!”

Finally, after many laughs, she sang to the crowd: “As I approach the prime of my life / I find I have the time of my life / learning to enjoy at my leisure / all the simple pleasures and so I happily concede / This is all I ask, this is all I need.” All this, after dropping an F-bomb at the beginning of her speech, apologizing – and then taking it back. Go, Rita! 

Many other great speeches were also given, from Michael Douglas sharing his award with Matt Damon for Behind the Candelabra to Julie Bowen shining the spotlight on Sofia Vergara’s assets. There were also those moments in between – glimpsing Tina Fey’s adorable daughter Alice, seeing Sarah Hyland give Modern Family co-star Ed O’Neill a big hug, spotting Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul kissing co-star Dean Norris on his bald head, watching J Law fumble with the envelope – all making for entertaining, if brief, viewing. – Rappler.com 

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article reported that Helen Mirren said she felt ‘quite sexy.’ She actually said she felt ‘quite perky’ and ‘not at all saggy.’ This has been corrected. We’re sorry.