Elaine May was the last person to arrive at the Governors Awards in Los Angeles on Friday, and she was also the first to depart.
Samuel L. Jackson and Liv Ullmann, her fellow honorees and Danny Glover arrived earlier in the day, holding court at Ray Dolby Ballroom. They took photos and enjoyed their time before the 94th Academy Awards.
It was a celebration. They were about to receive something for the first times in their long Hollywood careers: an Oscar statuette.
Jackson, whose right leg was in a walking boot, and his left in black velvet slippers, sat at an Oscar statuette’s base as Magic Johnson, Quentin Tarantino, and Magic Johnson came to congratulate him.
However, May, an 89-year old writer, filmmaker, and comedian, entered the Ray Dolby Ballroom with Bill Murray. She arrived long after the chicken pot pie supper was over. May accepted Murray’s honorary Oscar with grace, and then left shortly thereafter — still connected to Murray.
It’s the type of move that can disrupt a live broadcast. The Governors Awards does not have television cameras. Everybody is just happy to be honoring living legends that are long overdue for an Oscar moment. It’s a show full of beautiful clips and touching tributes, including those of John Lithgow and Denzel Washington for Jackson and Alfre woodard for Glover.
Samuel L. Jackson and Liv Ullmann, her fellow honorees and Danny Glover arrived earlier in the day, holding court at Ray Dolby Ballroom. They took photos and enjoyed their time before the 94th Academy Awards.
It was a celebration. They were about to receive something for the first times in their long Hollywood careers: an Oscar statuette.
Jackson, whose right leg was in a walking boot, and his left in black velvet slippers, sat at an Oscar statuette’s base as Magic Johnson, Quentin Tarantino, and Magic Johnson came to congratulate him.
However, May, an 89-year old writer, filmmaker, and comedian, entered the Ray Dolby Ballroom with Bill Murray. She arrived long after the chicken pot pie supper was over. May accepted Murray’s honorary Oscar with grace, and then left shortly thereafter — still connected to Murray.
It’s the type of move that can disrupt a live broadcast. The Governors Awards does not have television cameras. Everybody is just happy to be honoring living legends that are long overdue for an Oscar moment. It’s a show full of beautiful clips and touching tributes, including those of John Lithgow and Denzel Washington for Jackson and Alfre woodard for Glover.
ACADEMY Awards / OSCARS
The Governors Awards is often a stop on the campaign trail for Oscar hopefuls, but this year’s ceremony was canceled due to the pandemic. Even though the event was less celebrity-laden than usual, there was a silver lining: After Oscars voting had ended, the focus remained on the honorees’ legacies.
Murray was there to celebrate May, a two time Oscar nominee for “Heaven Can Wait” & “Primary Colors”. He also ignored the teleprompter speech, and said, “The most beautiful, intelligent woman I have ever had the pleasure of working with.”
We were shown a highlight reel of her work, including her comedy act together with Mike Nichols, and the films she directed and acted in, ghost wrote, and wrote (like “Tootsie”)
Kenneth Lonergan and Billy Crystal praised Lily Tomlin’s confidence and noted how her films, “A New Leaf” through “Mikey and Nicky,” were so important and different from each other.
Lonergan teased May, saying that she “Gives one of the most touching tribute speeches of all times” — but May kept her time on stage short.
May, referring to Ukraine’s president, said that Zelenskyy had promised to introduce her tonight. But, “Thank God they got Bill instead.” She joked about the event being held in person, saying that she was afraid of COVID, but that it was very nice.
Jackson was next and Washington was the only Oscar nominee. He was there to promote his friend’s 152 movies, $27 billion in box office revenue, his 11 times Nick Fury and once the “Django” awards, as well as his charitable contributions and those of his wife.
Jackson, 73, proudly held his Oscar, and marveled that a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based little boy with a speech disorder had made it this far.
He said, “I went out there to entertain audiences in the same way Hollywood entertained me.” It’s been an honor to entertain you.
Lithgow, toasting Ullmann the Norwegian actor, stated that many people say Ingmar Bergman was responsible for her success. He said that Bergman wouldn’t have been called one our greatest filmmakers if it wasn’t for Liv Ullmann.
They worked together in Broadway’s production of Eugene O’Neill’s Anna Christie.
Lithgow stated, “I’ve seen a lot great acting in my time but I’ve never seen anything similar,”
Ullmann was on stage when she was nominated for two best actress awards for Jan Troell’s “The Emigrants” from 1971 and Bergman’s “Face to Face” from 1976. She recalled her first audition at a Norwegian theatre school, in which she was cut in the middle of a scene in “Romeo and Juliet”. Her grandmother was there to comfort her and nurture her creativity.
She said that Norway is not a country where people can brag or show off.
Ullmann stated, “That’s why we brought 20 people from Norway to say, ‘It’s true, she got an Oscar.'”
Glover was also mindful of his family and heritage while accepting the Jean Hersholt humanitarian award. The 75-year old Glover, who is best known for his roles as “Lethal Weapon” or “The Color Purple”, has been a progressive activist for many decades. He advocated for civil rights and worked as a United Nations goodwill ambassador, and U.N children’s agency ambassador.
His mother was raised in Jim Crow-era Georgia, and his father was a veteran of World War II. He arrived in San Francisco with his parents to work for the postal service.
Glover stated, “I’m amazingly thankful for this moment,” and spoke in detail about the decision of his grandparents to send their children to school over work.
“I haven’t referred to teleprompter at any time.” He said that sometimes actors can get lost without a script. “But I’m proud that I’m part of this space.”