The Oscar speech. We know it, we love it, we admire it, we make fun of it. It has for decades been a symbolic touchstone, of the acting profession especially. Sure there are those who would decry it, who act for the craft, who don't believe in competitiveness or put much stock in the meaning of winning an award, but most actors -far more than would admit it- see it as a north star, practicing their speech for when they finally are invited up on that stage.
Since the creation of the Oscars there have been 368 awards given out for acting, meaning that (taking into account the handful who have won more than once and others who did not attend the ceremony) over 300 actors have been given the chance to make that speech. It is a moment their careers have been building too, the ultimate limelight, and a chance to make a statement whether about themselves, others, or something else in a public forum.
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As someone who is compelled by the Oscars in spite of better judgement, these speeches fascinate me and so I looked up every one. Several from the Oscars' first few decades are unavailable or just recorded in print form. But I tracked down as many as I could, indulging in a history of Oscar speeches from Norma Shearer's short and charming statement from 1931 to Cillian Murphy's grateful acceptance just last year. I also got a crash course in the curious landmarks of Oscar history: 1952 was the first colour broadcast (it would revert to black and white two years later before going in colour permanently from 1966), 1953 was the first year a movie's studio wasn't read as part of its nomination, 1961 the first year broadcasts put the camera on the nominated performers as their names were read out, and it wasn't until 1989 that the signature "And the Oscar goes to..." replaced "And the winner is...". Holly Hunter's speech in 1994 was the first invocation of the infamous Harvey Weinstein, Christoph Waltz's in 2013 was the last, and the source of that Meryl Streep meme is in fact in reaction to Patricia Arquette's speech in support of equal gender pay from 2015.
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So many speeches, so I decided to make a list of the Top 25 as I saw them. With the caveat that I would limit actors to just one speech if they won multiple times (so that a quarter of this list wouldn't just be Frances McDormand, Denzel Washington, and Jack and Nicholson), and that speeches in lieu of did not count. Otherwise very likely top of the list would be Sacheen Littlefeather's iconic protest speech for Marlon Brando in 1973. Some other notable absentee speeches came from Cary Grant cordially accepting for Ingrid Bergman in 1957, Jonathan Winters of all people accepting for Peter Ustinov in 1964, Eletha Finch receiving an Oscar in 1977 for her late husband Peter, and Jane Fonda's heartfelt tribute to her father Henry on his Oscar win in 1982 mere months away from his death later that year.
This was a considerable list to narrow down and as such I have as long a list of honourable mentions. They are:
Hattie McDaniel -Best Supporting Actress 1940 -Gone with the WindShe feels the momentousness of the occasion and you do too, even if her speech is mostly reigned in.
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The first "ordinary guy" to win an Oscar, earnest in a way few Oscar winners were up to that point.
Rita Moreno -Best Supporting Actress 1962 -West Side StoryI can't believe it! Good Lord! I'll leave you with that!
Julie Andrews -Best Actress 1965 -Mary PoppinsGraceful, charming, and perfectly English in that lovely Julie Andrews way -you can't go wrong.
Shelley Winters -Best Supporting Actress 1966 -A Patch of BlueUnless I'm misremembering, the first Oscar speech with an explicitly political comment -on the importance of stories on racial integration.
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Those clasped hands as she reaches the podium and hugging Rex Harrison -it's beautiful to see.
Mostly because of his genuine "we shall overcome" statement at the end of his speech -good ally-ship for a white guy winning an Oscar for a movie about racism.
The scope of film history speaking with class and charming candor -and not a touch out of date.
Barbra's humour was of a kind quite new to the Oscars in 1969, and it was very welcome.
I adore that she spends her entire speech on why Valentina Cortese deserves it more for Day and Night.
"I don't want to leave" -what adorable giddiness, I feel like Dreyfus is all of us on that stage.
Honestly, this was the last cut -a powerful passionate speech stressing the importance of this Cambodian story for the world, it almost makes up for the egregious category fraud for The Killing Fields' central actor.
Another great reaction to winning -happy for her brother not having to listen to her drone on about wanting an Oscar.
Feels like your mom getting to win an Oscar and that's beautiful.
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The dude compares Billy Crystal to his shit and does one-armed push-ups on stage at 73 -frankly I don’t know why he’s not on the list.
Emma Thompson -Best Actress 1993 -Howard’s EndNot as fun as her speech a few years later for the screenplay of Sense and Sensibility, but still full of that impeccable Emma Thompson wit that we all love her for.
Roberto Benigni -Best Actor 1999 -Life is BeautifulThis weirdo little Italian ends his speech wanting to make love to everybody in the room.
Michael Caine -Best Supporting Actor 2000 -The Cider House RulesAccepting as a "representative" of all his fellow nominees, each of whom he singles out, is terribly gracious.
Adrien Brody -Best Actor 2003 -The PianistOkay, after the kiss incident, this is actually a very good speech -curious if there will be any parallels to his War in Iraq comments if he wins again this year.
Jamie Foxx -Best Actor 2005 -RayIt's that personal story about his grandmother and how strongly he delivers it. Also the cut to his daughter is precious.
Sandra Bullock -Best Actress 2010 -The Blind SideA pretty bad win but I respect her honesty about "wearing the voters down" -her "lover Meryl Streep" is a great fun thing to put in there as well.
Christopher Plummer -Best Supporting Actor 2012 -Beginners"You're only two years older than me darling, where have you been all my life?" Perfection.
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The "it came true" moment was widely mocked -god forbid there's any sincerity at the Oscars.
Troy Kotsur -Best Supporting Actor 2022 -CODAThe only good thing to come out of CODA's sudden Oscar popularity -you couldn't help but be happy for the guy. Youn Yuh-jung considerately signing the reveal for him was lovely too.
Michelle Yeoh -Best Actress 2023 -Everything Everywhere All at OnceThe narrative leading up was probably more important than the speech itself, but Yeoh really nicely basked in the moment.
And the 25 Best Acting Oscar Speeches are:
25. Sally Field -Best Actress 1985 -Places in the Heart |
Perhaps the most iconic moment from an Oscar speech in the 1980s is Sally Field with tears of happiness streaming down her face, proclaiming with her second Oscar, "You really like me!" That really seemed to be true, as Field became the tenth woman to win two Best Actress Oscars. Her perfectly mid-80s look on this night, the strapless dress and curly blonde mullet is its own kind of unforgettable. But the speech itself is wonderful too, filled with the utmost gratitude and how much more the Award means this time. Field struggled to be taken seriously by Hollywood for a long time, and her feeling of vindication, here felt so deeply, is infectious.
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Certainly one of the most singularly entertaining Oscar speeches, from an already bombastic night. Rockwell has a catching energy you see in a lot of winners, but he's in complete control of how to harness it. Shouting "you guys rock!" to his fellow nominees, telling a funny story about his dad pulling him out of school on a ruse to go to the movies, thanking everybody who's "ever looked at a billboard". He proceeds rapidly through these highlights (perhaps to get that jet ski that was a running bit from the night), but he never loses steam or clarity. The best bit though is the final bittersweet note -dedicating the award to his buddy Phil Hoffman who had died just a month earlier.
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I can't really deny that Audrey Hepburn making this list is mostly out of a personal affinity for her and this win specifically. It is one of the shorter, more inauspicious speeches in Oscar history, mostly very formal as Audrey Hepburn maintains an almost strict elegance and poise ...until the last moment where she accompanies her statement of being "terribly happy" with an honest sparkle in her eye and that same breathtaking smile Roman Holiday showed off with such pleasure. This was her star debut and no one else has radiated more like a princess at the Academy Awards -even an actual princess, Grace Kelly honoured the next year. Arguably the loveliest Oscar moment.
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Probably one of the longest Oscar speeches since Greer Garson set the record in 1943. Ironically, Shirley MacLaine quips at the start of her speech that the show has been as long as her career (indeed at three hours and forty-five minutes it was one of the longest). MacLaine's breezy personality and positive joy is on full display, as is her sense of dreamy profundity -her firm belief in fate bringing her the role. She dedicates her speech to Terms of Endearment and its vision of ordinary foibles, paying cheeky tribute to Jack Nicholson, earnestly so to Debra Winger and James L. Brooks; her pride over this film only matched by a pride in herself as is not often expressed, articulated with tender thoughtfulness.
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Yeah okay, this one also happens to partly be on the list because it is one of my personal favourite Oscar wins. F. Murray Abraham is an exceptionally eloquent performer and his speech compliments that perfectly. It should be understood that while he was no dark horse necessarily, he was one of a mere handful of non-movie star actors to win this Oscar on what was essentially a debut leading role. He acknowledges in his speech the great risk taken on himself and Tom Hulce, his screen partner and likewise a relative unknown. Without going so far as to state it, he appears aware of what this win means for actors of a lower pedigree whilst epitomizing with grace why he does indeed deserve it.
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For a time that laugh was a major moment, not just for the Oscars but for Julia Roberts' reputation more generally. In some ways a perfect encapsulation of that glamourous yet relatably bubbly persona that made her one of the most bankable Hollywood stars of the 90s. As do a few little things like being momentarily distracted by the Oscar's prettiness and her anxious eye on the conductor. It's great that she actually begins her speech by telling off said conductor -and from that assertion of control she confidently carries nearly four minutes only cutting short her thanks to director Steven Soderbergh because she'll be "working for him again in two days" (on Ocean's Eleven). One of the great spontaneous Oscar acceptances.
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Given his career has mostly fizzled out in the decades since for all manner of reasons (most of them good), Cuba Gooding Jr. has perhaps a leg up on anyone else on this list in that his speech is actually his biggest claim to fame, surpassing even his part in the movie he won it for. His jubilant reaction and acceptance is deservedly one of the most famous Oscar moments of the 90s. His little jump as he reaches the stage, his quick and excited delivery of a speech that becomes progressively more derailed as the reality sets in and he holds the Oscar aloft, shouting “I love you” repeatedly to everyone, and just going on in a display of exuberance so singular and unconstrained it simply must be lauded.
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It is one of the most important touchstones in Oscar history, and Sidney Poitier is aware of that. For better or worse, he spent his career knowing exactly how to strike a balance and he did so here -pairing an expression of gratitude and his cultivated air of respectability with firm acknowledgement of the meaning of this win. It's brief, a comment on the "long journey to this moment", but ever a master of delivery, he lets it sink in. He came to be a bit cynical about the Oscar, understanding his role as a mere token, but in the moment the effect is clearly powerful on him, on the self-satisfied audience, but also on the viewer sixty years on.
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Inevitable that staple of the Oscars for so long, Jack Nicholson, would find his way onto this list. He of course won three Oscars, but it was for his first that he gave the quintessential Nicholson speech. New Hollywood had been in force for almost a decade by this point, but as he approaches the stage Nicholson feels like the first true New Hollywood winner, with his characteristic 70s swagger. This is complimented by his speech in which he coolly references the "nuts" in the Academy, thanks Mary Pickford -the first star to "get a percentage of her pictures", and ends on the mischievously satisfying note of invoking his agent's belief he had no business being an actor. A great punch of triumph without grandstanding -the sheen of Nicholson's wildness shining through.
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Certainly one of the all-time great reactions to winning an Oscar, Jack Lemmon's burst of pure delight is stupendous, invigorating. He even does a little jig as he approaches the stage, characteristic of his early comedies. Clearly this award meant a lot to him and he quips that he had a speech prepared in 1959 that he has forgotten (he did in fact win a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1956, becoming the first actor to win both). He is utterly gracious, tangibly moved, and he ends his speech noting the controversy around this Oscar as of late (both the George C. Scott and Marlon Brando incidents were within the last few years), that the criticism is valid, but he is proud of the honour regardless. It’s humbling.
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Few have had so impressively meteoric a rise as Lupita Nyong'o in 2013, and it feels we still haven't given her her rightful dues. Not only does she have one of the all-time best reactions to her announcement (silently screaming into her hands while her brother hugs her), but her speech is, in contrast to that exhilaration, very exquisite and engrossing. Her individual thanks are each so thoughtful and it never feels scripted -she's just that capable of a natural richness of expression. She looks and sounds astounding throughout and nowhere has a statement of validation in dreams felt more powerful. Nyong'o herself is a powerful presence, easily the biggest of that night -the meaning of her words carrying even greater weight.
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I’m kind of in love with this acceptance speech. Marion Cotillard, the first non-English actress to win this award in forty-six years, delivers a stupendous mix of refinement and unbridled excitement in her clearly unexpected acceptance of Hollywood’s biggest accolade. She speaks from the heart, succumbs to the rush, tries to compose herself for conventional words but quickly becomes speechless resorting to a series of earnest thank yous and one glorious cry of “there are some angels in this city!”. It is sweet and delightful, Cotillard looking gorgeous in her mild yet effervescent glamour. I remember watching it in the first ever Oscars I saw live and being compelled. It drove me to look out for her work, an underrated function of the Oscars it must be said.
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"Now I know there's a Santa Claus". This is the earliest speech on this list and yet it is still so infectiously charming. With that twinkle in his eye that helped garner him the award, Edmund Gwenn evokes the magic of his character with both mischief and gratitude, utterly dignified and polite as he rattles off a fairly well-rehearsed monologue with creative ways to offer his thanks. But the joy in his face is unmistakably genuine. For a humble little character actor who began his career toward the end of the nineteenth century, this really feels like the greatest prize in the world. He would make a handful of appearances at the Oscars in the years that followed, always touched by its embrace of him.
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The comeback Oscar win we were all rooting for, Ke Huy Quan made it easy. All he ever needed to campaign on was his sad Hollywood story and his childlike whimsy for everything and everyone. Maybe the most earnest and openly vulnerable figure in Hollywood today, his Oscar acceptance is the ultimate catharsis. It is the most emotionally explicit Oscar speech in years, Quan sobbing his way through directly addressing his mom and brother, retelling his story as affirmation of the American Dream, and encouraging viewers through the camera not to give up their own dreams. He went through a lot to get that Oscar and it didn't take much to convince us he'd earned it.
11. Hilary Swank -Best Actress 2000 -Boys Don’t Cry
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The first ever "trans lives matter" statement in an Oscar speech (and there really haven't been many since); and coming as it does in the year 2000 from an actress accepting an Oscar for a polarizing transgender movie to say the least, it is shocking how well it holds up. Whatever you might say about the movie, Hilary Swank's heart seems to have always been in the right place, as evidenced by her conceding in recent years she wouldn't take the role now. In her speech she expresses immense pride over the movie's progressive message, its humble backing, and emotionally evokes her character Brandon Teena (using the right pronouns -the Oscars announcer did not). She apparently got some flak for not thanking her husband, but really her critics should have been focused on the rest of her speech -we might be in a better place if they had.
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“Well it looks like you all hated me so much that you’re giving me this award for it.” Louise Fletcher knew the score. But on this night, we loved her wholeheartedly and completely forgot about her character, one of the greatest and most infamous screen villains. Her acceptance is quite charming; she gives credit to all the right people and the dedication of her co-stars as she smiles and basks in the glow. The heartfelt beat at the end though is what makes it so grand and moving, as she signs the last part of her speech for her parents -both of whom were deaf all their lives- to let them know in real time that her dream has come true. There’s been some signing at Oscars ceremonies since -none have felt more meaningful.
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Older, conservative movie fans like to say that the Oscars are too political now and that they were better in some mythic past era -when in truth the Oscars have always been political and even the most partisan speech of the past ten years can't hold a candle to Vanessa Redgrave, who spent a chunk of her acceptance speech boldly denouncing Zionism, fascism, anti-Semitism, and McCarthyism -shrewdly tying them together through the "credit" she gives the industry in standing up to them. A lifelong supporter of Palestinian rights, the Jewish Defence League protested her nomination and burned her in effigy; and after her speech, Paddy Chayefsky in his own essentially told her to 'stay out of politics'. It is perhaps the most confident stance made by an actor with that platform, and with each year Redgrave is more and more vindicated -not that she needed to be.
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Far and away the cutest Oscar win of all time, the lovably earnest little speech by eleven year-old Anna Paquin -the second-youngest winner in Academy history- is one of the most charming Oscar moments to revisit. Her barely suppressed excitement as she makes her way to the stage, possibly on the verge of hyperventilating, is so sweet and pure; and you can feel the thrill and happiness of everybody in the room for her (not least her cheerleading co-star Holly Hunter in perfect mom mode). Her speech is short, clearly delivered from memory, but this itself is adorable too. Paquin has spoken in the years since of the weird feelings she has around winning that award so young, how it didn't really register for her. It certainly did for everyone else though, and we welcomed it.
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What more could you expect from Robin Williams winning an Oscar? It is as fine-tuned and versatile while seeming spontaneous as the performance he won it for, as he switches between clever ribbing (“I still want to see some I.D.”) and thoughtful expression of credit (of Gus Van Sant: “so subtle you’re almost subliminal”). In fact each individual thanks is tailor-made to its recipient, including -one can only assume- his father, whom he ends his statement on in a manner both cheeky and touching. This is probably a speech that has gotten better and more meaningful with age and in the aftermath of Williams’s death as it proves a great microcosm of his personality as an artist and of his art itself. And his manner on stage also begs the question, why he was never asked to host?
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"Two birds in one night." Denzel Washington has always been one of the most irresistible personalities in Hollywood, and he pulled out all of his wicked charm the night he became the second black actor to win this top prize -acknowledging the fact and cheekily commenting on his predecessor Sidney Poitier receiving an honourary award at the same show. His opening line was of course in reference to Halle Berry having taken the Best Actress prize minutes earlier -the only time that such a thing has happened in Oscar history. Washington’s cool in this acceptance, lightly subversive in knowledge of the critical moment, is borderline unparalleled -he knew as well as audiences he had long deserved this award. And he smoothly saps up its victory as only Denzel Washington can.
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Each of the three Best Actress speeches Frances McDormand has given on that stage have been tremendous, but it is this one that I think stands just above the others. The actress who has always instantly commanded any scene states decisively "I've got some things to say" right at the start -and we were all on the edge of our seats. It comes halfway through her speech when she, foregoing her ownership of the moment, beckons every woman nominee in any category to stand up ("Meryl if you do it, everybody else will") and speaks to the industry itself -demanding that it pay attention to and finance women's art. Her dropping of the term "inclusion rider" is the cherry on top of a speech that may well have been a decisive push in Hollywood reform over the next few years. A most critical and noble use of the Oscar platform.
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Unconstrained giddy befuddlement may be the most authentic Oscar reaction there is, and it is why no Oscar speech in the last ten years has been as much a joy as Olivia Colman's unexpected, self-effacing, rapturous, and flawlessly British accepting of moviedom's highest honour. Rather than a burst of excitement, she is taken aback when her name is called. Fumbling over her words a bit in the heat of the stress and (to her mind) absurdity, it is still beyond doubt a moment for her of ecstatic sweetness. And nowhere has an actor being off-script been more delightful, as she apologizes to Glenn Close, calls out her husband's crying, and even blows a raspberry -something that nobody else has ever done- before being starstruck by fellow nominee Lady Gaga. Gaga is exuberant though, everybody is. A true speech like no other.
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When discussing Dustin Hoffman's first Oscar speech, it helps to have a bit of context. For the first decade of his mainstream career, Hoffman was a vocal critic of the Academy Awards. It was even the butt of a few jokes at ceremonies. And then he won an Oscar. Beginning by taking the piss out of the statue itself, running off a couple jokes, he soon gives a sharp yet graceful speech in which he tears down the idea of competition between actors, refusing the notion he "beat" his fellow nominees. From here he acknowledges the crews who don't get recognition, the unions, and all the working actors without the privileges or opportunities to make it to that stage. Accepting the Oscar while denigrating the pageantry, he chooses to be a mouthpiece for the community and it is extraordinary. "To that artistic family that strives for excellence, none of you have ever lost."
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Probably the platonic ideal of an Oscar speech was delivered in 1994 by Tom Hanks. It touches on all of the notable markers -referencing their past, the film in question, a political point associated with the film, thanking the usual folks with special attention to a romantic partner and to God. And yet all of it is delivered with such verbose clarity, wit and sincerity. Many a winner will talk about the ideal speech they practiced for years -Tom Hanks actually gave it. Having played a gay man dying of AIDS, he name-drops two highly influential gay men in his own life and moves you to tears in lamenting that "the streets of heaven are too crowded with angels -we know their names". A speech that compelled Steven Spielberg so much it debatably brought him and Hanks together, it leaves you stunned, even inspired -the kind that the Oscars feel made for.
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I thought about this speech before even embarking on the research, and at the end of it, I couldn't justify not putting it at number one. The milestone is part of it -in 2002, Halle Berry became the first black woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress. As of 2025, she is still the only black woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress -she is a singular anomaly of its history and her iconic speech reflects that. Like Poitier before her, she knows the gravity of this win, she makes explicit how much bigger it is than her, and that is where the outpouring of emotion comes from. The immeasurable weight of it is as tangible as the relief, as she dedicates the Oscar to other black actresses -nominees but never winners. The moment is searingly personal too though -you feel the impact of every person she thanks and the confluence of circumstances that led her there. She was mocked for her emotional sincerity at the time, became a popular source of parody that still persists a little to this day; and which I think shows how little the broader culture grasped the meaning of her win. Subsequent years have only affirmed that. But Halle Berry's breakthrough is still monumental, her reception of it and cognizance of the platform entirely earned. The most important Oscar speech of any actor.
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