Michelle Yeoh accepts the Best Actress award for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” Photo: Getty Images
Ahead of the 98th Academy Awards, watch 20 memorable Oscar speeches throughout history.
At the 57th Academy Awards, actress Sally Field gave us one of the most popular misquotes in pop culture: “You like me, you really like me.” What she actually said was, “I can’t deny the fact that you like me. Right now, you like me!” Although misquoted, the speech became one that audiences will never forget. And as we head on to the 98th Academy Awards this year, here are 20 more Oscar speeches we’ll always remember.
Hattie McDaniel, Best Supporting Actress (1940)
At the 12th Academy Awards, Hattie McDaniel made history as the first Black person to win an Oscar, taking home Best Supporting Actress for her role as “Mammy” in Gone with the Wind. “I sincerely hope I shall always be a credit to my race and to the motion picture industry,” she famously says in her 67-second speech.
Bong Joon Ho, Best Director (2020)
Upon winning Best Director, Bong Joon-Ho’s 2020 Oscar speech honored fellow nominees, specifically quoting Martin Scorsese and thanking Quentin Tarantino for supporting his films when they were unknown in the U.S. “When I was young and studying cinema, there was a saying that I carved deep into my heart, which, ‘The most personal is the most creative,’” he says through his translator, Sharon Choi. In English, he jokes, ”I will drink until next morning. Thank you.”
Sacheen Littlefeather on behalf of Marlon Brando, Best Actor (1973)
At the 45th Academy Awards, Marlon Brando refused the Best Actor award for his performance in The Godfather, sending Native American actress and activist Sacheen Littlefeather in his place. She initially was supposed to deliver a 15-page speech on his behalf, but was unable to do so because of time constraints. “He very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award,” she says. “And the reasons for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry.” She was met with a mixture of boos and applause, but ultimately, the message was delivered loud and clear.
Halle Berry, Best Actress (2002)
In 2002, Halle Berry became the first Black woman to win Best Actress, winning for her role as Leticia Musgrove in Monsters Ball. When she took the stage, Berry acknowledged that in 74 years of the Academy Awards, no black woman had ever won Best Actress. “This moment is so much bigger than me,” she says, overwhelmed with emotion. “This moment is for Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Diahann Caroll. It’s for the women that stand beside me, Jada Pinkett, Angela Bassett, Vivica Fox. And it’s for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened.”
Michelle Yeoh, Best Actress (2023)
At the 95th Academy Awards, Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman to win for Best Actress, and only the second woman of color to win in this category. Winning for her role as Eveling Wang in Everything Everywhere All at Once, her speech focused on breaking barriers for Asian actors and validating a 40-year career. “This is proof that… dream big, and dreams do come true. And ladies, don’t let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime. Never give up,” she says.
Tom Hanks, Best Actor (1994)
Tom Hanks’ Academy Award acceptance speech for Best Actor in Philadelphia tackled the stigma of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and became a major moment for LGBTQ+ visibility in Hollywood. “I know that my work in this case is magnified by the fact that the streets of heaven are too crowded with angels,” he says. “They finally rest in the warm embrace of the gracious creator of us all. A healing embrace that cools their fevers, clears their skin, and allows their eyes to see the simple, self-evident, common-sense truth that is made manifest by the benevolent creator of us all and was written down on paper by the wise, tolerant men, in the city of Philadelphia two hundred years ago.”
Matthew McConaughey, Best Actor (2014)
In 2014, Matthew McConaughey won Best Actor for Dallas Buyers Club. His speech certainly left an impression on audiences, highlighting his three-part framework for a fulfilling life: something to look up to (God), something to look forward to (family), and someone to chase (his future self). “Now, when I was 15 years old, I had a very important person in my life come to me and say, ‘Who’s your hero?’ And I said, I don’t know; I gotta think about that,” he says. “You know who it is? I said, it’s me in 10 years.”
“So you see every day, every week, every month, and every year of my life, my hero’s always 10 years away. I’m never gonna be my hero,” he continues. “And that’s just fine with me, because that keeps me with somebody to keep on chasin’.”
Viola Davis, Best Supporting Actress (2017)
At the 89th Academy Awards, Viola Davis won Best Actress for her role as Rose Maxson in Fences. With this award, she became the first Black actor to achieve the “Triple Crown of Acting” (winning an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony). In her speech, she talked about the importance of storytelling, honoring “ordinary” lives, and gratitude for her personal journey. “You know, there’s one place that all the people with the greatest potential are gathered. One place. And that’s the graveyard,” she says at the beginning of her speech. “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.”
Heath Ledger, Best Supporting Actor (2009)
Almost a year after his death, Heath Ledger was posthumously awarded the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight at the 81st Academy Awards in 2009. The award was accepted by his father, Kim, his mother, Sally Bell, and his sister, Kate. “Heath was such a compassionate and generous soul who added so much excitement to our lives,” says Sally Bell. “We have been truly overwhelmed by the honor and respect being bestowed upon him with this award. Tonight, we are choosing to celebrate and be happy for what he has achieved.”
Sidney Poitier, Best Actor (1964)
At the 36th Academy Awards, Sidney Poitier became the first Black man to win Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field. Not wasting time, the actor thanked Ralph Nelson, James Poe, William Barrett, Martin Baum, and members of the Academy.
Denzel Washington, Best Actor (2002)
Almost 40 years after Sidney Poitier’s win, Denzel Washington won the Best Actor award for Training Day, becoming the second Black man to win the category. During his speech, he paid direct homage to Poitier, who received an Honorary Oscar that same night, saying, “I’ll always be chasing you, Sidney… I’ll always be following in your footsteps, sir.”
Ke Huy Quan, Best Supporting Actor (2023)
In 2023, Ke Huy Quan won for Best Supporting Actor in Everything Everywhere All at Once at the 95th Academy Awards. Quan opened by stating, “My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp. And somehow, I ended up on Hollywood’s biggest stage.” He ends his speech by encouraging others: “Dreams are something you have to believe in. I almost gave up on mine. To all of you out there, please keep your dreams alive.”
Marlee Matlin, Best Actress (1987)
At the 59th Academy Awards, Marlee Matlin not only won Best Actress for her first film role, Children of a Lesser God, but also became the first deaf performer to win an Oscar and the youngest to win in the category (at age 21). During her speech, she used American Sign Language, interpreted by Jack Jason. “I, to tell you the truth, I didn’t prepare for this speech. But I definitely want to thank the Academy and its members. And I want to thank all those special people in the film,” she says, thanking director Randa Haines, producer Patrick Palmer, castmate William Hurt, and her family, Eric, Marc, Gloria, Zachary, and Liz.
Merl Streep, Best Actress (2012)
Meryl Streep won her third Academy Award in 2012 for Best Actress for her role in The Iron Lady. Streep takes the opportunity to make a joke during her speech: “First, I’m going on to say that I can hear half of America going, ‘Oh no, come on, why her again?'” The audience laughs, and shegoes on to thank her friends. “I look out here and, you know, I see my life before my eyes: my old friends, my new friends. And really, this is such a great honor, but the thing that counts the most with me is the friendships and the love and the sheer joy we have shared making movies together.”
Adrien Brody, Best Actor (2025)
Twenty-two years after becoming the youngest Best Actor winner for The Pianist, at age 29, Brody, at 51, took home the title again in 2025, for his role in The Brutalist. He also holds the record for the longest acceptance speech in Oscar history, lasting 5 minutes and 40 seconds. In his speech, he talks about the fickle nature of an acting career: “Acting is a very fragile profession. It looks very glamorous, and in certain moments it is, but the one thing that I’ve gained, having the privilege to come back here, is to have some perspective. And no matter where you are in your career, no matter what you’ve accomplished, it can all go away. And I think what makes this night most special is the awareness of that and the gratitude that I have to still do the work that I love.”
Rita Moreno, Best Supporting Actress (1962)
In 1962, Rita Moreno became the first Latina to win an acting Oscar, for her role as Anita in West Side Story. Her speech is often cited as one of the shortest in Oscar history, consisting only of 11 words: “I can’t believe it! Good Lord! I leave you with that.” In 2022, Moreno told the New York Times that when she won, she decided not to thank anyone, believing she earned her role through a superior screen test rather than as a favor.
Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Best Song (2014)
In 2014, Filipino American songwriter Robert Lopez completed his first EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) with a Best Song win for Frozen’s “Let It Go,” which he co-wrote with his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez. The couple saw the Oscar win as an opportunity to get creative with acceptance speeches, delivering a rhyming speech thanking the cast, crew, and their family.
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, Best Original Screenplay (1998)
In 1998, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon won Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting, which they wrote together based on their own ideas and experiences. The win makes Affleck the youngest to win an Academy Award for screenwriting, at age 25. “I just said to Matt, losing would suck and winning would be really scary,” Affleck says, unprepared for the moment. “It’s really, really scary.”
Olivia Colman, Best Actress (2019)
In 2019, Olivia Colman gave us one of the most relatable Oscar speeches when she won Best Actress for her role as Queen Anne in The Favourite. She began her speech with “It’s genuinely quite stressful. This is hilarious, I’ve got an Oscar.” Colman also addressed Glenn Close during her speech, who was considered the frontrunner for the award. “Glenn Close, you’ve been my idol for so long, and this is not how I wanted it to be.” When she was told to wrap up her speech, she blew a raspberry at the teleprompter.
Michael Moore, Best Documentary (2003)
In 2003, Michael Moore delivered one of the most political speeches in Oscar history. Winning Best Documentary for Bowling For Columbine, the director took the opportunity to share his opinions on President George W. Bush and the U.S.’s invasion of Iraq. “We are against this war, Mr. Bush!” he shouts. “Shame on you, Mr. Bush! Shame on you!”
