“I said yes to the fear of being on this stage tonight because I wanted to be here to look out into this audience and witness this moment of change. And I’m not fooling myself, I’m not fooling myself. Next year could be different; it probably will be. But right now, this moment is real. Trust me, it is real. Because I see you. And I see you. All these faces of change. And now, so will everyone else.”
And with that remarkable speech by Sandra Oh, the Golden Globes officially commenced.
It’s been nearly a week since the Golden Globes opened awards season for 2019 and I’m still not over it. There has been many hot takes pop up since then, but I’m sounding off anyway. I’m a big fan of award season mainly because of the speeches. I love hearing from people you may not necessarily hear much about in the film and TV industry, or getting more insight into people who’s work I admire. So here are my favourite moments from this year’s Golden Globes:
- Sandra Oh making history – Not only was she co-hosting this year, but Sandra Oh also made history as the first Asian-American to ever host the Golden Globes. And she also won Best Actress in a Drama Series for her role in Killing Eve. No big deal. During her acceptance speech, she thanked her parents in the audience in Korean and bowed to them to honour them. The gesture was moving and so genuine I couldn’t help but tear up. Sandra Oh has been amazing since The Princess Diaries and I’m glad she is finally getting the recognition she deserves.
- Regina King’s promise – Speaking of severely underrated actors, Regina King is also in that category. A quick look at her IMDB will confirm this – she’s been involved in so many amazing projects, taken on such iconic roles from Legally Blonde, A Cinderella Story, and Miss Congeniality to Shameless, and The Big Bang theory. She’s so diverse and amazing and frankly I’m surprised it’s taken this long. Oh, Hollywood! What are we going to do with you? As she accepted the Best Supporting Actress award, she vowed that everything she will produce will be fifty percent women and put out a challenge to all of us. “And I challenge everyone out there who is in a position of power, in all industries, I challenge you to challenge yourself and stand with us in solidarity and do the same.”
- Glen Close’s speech – Cruella de Vil herself gave one of the best speeches on the night while accepting the Best Actress award for her role in The Wife. The speech resonated with so many people in the audience. There were tears and a standing ovation. Ultimately she talked about how we as women feel we need to keep taking on the role of nurturers as it is what’s expected of us. “We have to find personal fulfillment. We have to follow our dreams. We have to say, ‘I can do that. And I should be allowed to do that.” A timely reminder in this day and age where we are pulled to so many responsibilities, wearing many hats, and trying to be a superwoman. It’s okay to prioritise yourself and chase after your dreams.
It’s clear that the real winners of the Golden Globes are us women and all of us who needed this timely reminder of our worth and that we really can achieve anything we want. Even the biggest dreams come true and we must be here to see it.
