Public speaking and delivering great speeches are frightening enough under normal circumstances. And on top of that, if you’re delivering a speech on a global platform on the biggest night in Hollywood, that holds a lot of pressure and nervousness. But not to worry, because often the speeches most remembered are those that end in disasters.
So today, let’s check out every artist who might have won hearts and empathy with their Oscar wins, but failed to strike the right balance of charm and humility with their acceptance speeches. Join us as we dive into 10 of the worst Oscar acceptance speeches ever in Academy history.
10. Melissa Leo — Best Supporting Actress for The Fighter (2010)
Playing the role of Alice Ward, the mother of professional boxer Micky Ward, and his brother Dicky, Melissa Leo delivered a phenomenal performance in the 2010 biographical sports drama, The Fighter. So her Oscar win for Best Supporting Actress was undoubtedly well-deserved. So while the night started fine for Leo, her acceptance speech? Not so much.
Genuinely taken aback by her win and in a moment of excitement, although Leo started off well by handling a slightly awkward interaction with the presenter—she then seemingly let her nerves get the best of her. After constantly saying “wow” and cracking jokes, the actress dropped an F-bomb “accidentally on purpose” on live television.
It wasn’t just the swear word that made things awkward—it was the way she rambled and seemed overwhelmed, making the speech feel more rehearsed than spontaneous.
The Fighter is available on Paramount+.
9. Sam Smith — Best Original Song for Spectre (2015)
Winning an Oscar for a James Bond theme song is a huge honor, but Sam Smith’s speech didn’t go as smoothly as his music career. The singer apparently caused quite the stir when they accepted their award for Best Original Song Writing’s On the Wall, which they co-wrote with Jimmy Napes for the Bond flick in 2016.
During their acceptance speech, Smith mistakenly claimed that “no openly gay man had ever won an Oscar” before—a statement that was factually incorrect. Many LGBTQ+ Oscar winners came before Smith, including Elton John and Stephen Sondheim as prior winners of the Best Song category.
Further, there’s also screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, who won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Milk in 2009. So, instead of being remembered for their talent, Sam Smith’s speech became a lesson in fact-checking before speaking on a global stage.
Spectre is available on Prime Video
8. Joe Pesci — Best Supporting Actor for Goodfellas (1990)
Being a staple in a slew of gangster films and dramas, Joe Pesci appeared in the popular 1990 film Goodfellas. Acting alongside Robert De Niro, Pesci played Tommy DeVito, which has been hailed as one of his most legendary performances. But then when it came to accepting his Oscar for his role, Pesci’s acceptance speech turned into anything but legendary.
Walking to the stage to take his award lasted longer than Pesci’s speech which he sufficed with, “It was my privilege, thank you.” While some considered it classy and humble, others saw it as dismissive and awkward. Considering how Oscars are a once-in-a-lifetime moment for most actors, Pesci’s speech felt rushed and unappreciative.
Goodfellas is available on Apple TV.
7. Renée Zellweger — Best Actress for Judy (2019)
Despite starring in massive films like Bridget Jones’s Diary, it wasn’t until 2020 that Renée Zellweger won her first Oscar for her titular role in Judy—a biopic about legendary actress Judy Garland. Now while Zellweger’s performance was brilliant in the film, her acceptance speech for Judy left many scratching their heads.
In direct contrast to Joe Pesci’s Oscar acceptance speech, the actress seemed to have a lot to say during hers. Starting with the obligatory run-through of those who worked on the film and people in her life, Zellweger shifted to her thanking immigrants, the Williams sisters, Bob Dylan, and more. Then she seemingly forgot the timer and turned on her inspirational mode.
Instead of delivering a heartfelt message, the actress rambled for so long that half of her speech spiraled out of control leaving people confused about what she was trying to say. In the end, Zellweger’s speech became one of the most unforgettable and confusing speeches in Oscar history.
Judy is available on Prime Video.
6. Roberto Benigni — Best Actor for Life Is Beautiful (1998)
Having beaten Hollywood megastar Tom Hanks, nominated for Saving Private Ryan, with his Oscar win for Life Is Beautiful, Roberto Benigni left people baffled with his Oscar speech. Although English isn’t his first language, there’s truly no justification for some of the expressions Benigni used during his 1999 acceptance speech.
When Benigni’s name was announced, the eccentric Italian gave an animated speech with utter excitement. But soon, the words and sentences he used in his remark turned it into a wild, incoherent mess. While his energy was admirable, Benigni dropped the most over-the-top speech, saying: “I would like to be Jupiter and kidnap everybody and lie down in the firmament making love to everybody.”
Life is Beautiful is available on Apple TV.
5. Daniel Kaluuya — Best Supporting Actor for Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
Daniel Kaluuya has been pushing his boundaries in the entertainment industry for years, but it was his lead role in the psychological horror film, Get Out, that truly established him in the industry. But while that performance earned him an Oscar nod, it wasn’t until 2021 that he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Judas and the Black Messiah.
Now, since this Oscar event was happening during the height of a pandemic, perhaps that nerve-wracking isolation played into Kaluuya’s odd speech. While he began normally by thanking God, his family, and friends, the actor surprisingly ended the wholesome moment by dragging his parents’ s*x life in his speech.
My mom, my dad, they had s*x. It’s incredible! I’m here!
Although the speech earned a bit of laughter, it was his mother, seated in the audience, who looked shocked and embarrassed. And quite naturally, this awkward statement went viral and etched itself in Oscar history.
Judas and the Black Messiah is available on Max.
4. Matthew McConaughey — Best Actor for Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Alright, alright, alright—except not really.
Solidifying himself as a steady presence in Hollywood, with a career spanning comedies, romances, thrillers, and dramas, Matthew McConaughey left no genre untouched. But it was his work in the biographical drama Dallas Buyers Club that led him to an Oscar for Best Actor. Playing the role of Ron Woodroof, a man living in Dallas in the ’80s, who is diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, McConaughey dropped a stunning performance.
But it was his Oscar acceptance speech that took a bizarre turn after he spoke about chasing his “future self” as his role model. Well, being a proud Christian while the actor started his speech by thanking God and his deceased father, McConaughey’s speech then took a peculiar turn as he stopped to thank his hero—which is himself. Thereafter, although the star ended his self-indulgent speech with his iconic catchphrase, “Alright, alright, alright”, it didn’t salvage much.
Dallas Buyers Club is available on Starz.
3. Gwyneth Paltrow — Best Actress for Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Although Gwyneth Paltrow’s win for Shakespeare in Love was met with controversy, where many felt her performance was not as strong as other nominees that year, it was her acceptance speech that stole the show—for all the wrong reasons. While people believed that her win was largely attributed to a heavy marketing campaign by Harvey Weinstein, even Paltrow exhibited a similar level of shock when her name was announced.
Taking to the stage, on the verge of tears, Paltrow trembled with emotion as she sobbed her way through a long list of collaborators and loved ones in her speech. While some people felt sorry for her as she was clearly unable to hold it together, others questioned the sincerity of her win, which even she appeared to find unbelievable.
Shakespeare in Love is available on Hulu.
2. Sean Penn — Best Actor for Mystic River (2003)
Although Sean Penn is known for his serious demeanor, his Oscar acceptance speech for Mystic River felt quite the opposite. Perhaps trying to get out of his comfort zone, as Penn tried opening his speech with a joke about the missing Iraqi WMDs, it quickly turned awkward for the audience.
Thereafter, as Penn’s effort to make people laugh fell short, and his remarks were met with unimpressed silence, the actor proceeded to thank a long, scattershot list of collaborators. Thankfully Penn remembered to credit Robin Wright, his then-wife, unlike five years later when he neglected to thank her, after winning again for Milk.
Mystic River is available on Apple TV.
1. Angelina Jolie — Best Supporting Actress for Girl, Interrupted (1999)
While Angelina Jolie is considered a prolific actress known for delivering stellar performances, her public speaking skills don’t seem to match up. So when her appearance in the psychological drama, Girl, Interrupted won her an Oscar, it was her speech that made headlines.
Tapping into her wild and carefree personality from the early 2000s, Jolie declared, “I’m so in love with my brother right now”, during her acceptance speech. Well, her remarks came after her affectionate red carpet moment with her brother James Haven, earlier in the night, where she kissed him on the lips in a way that didn’t look sibling-y.
Jolie’s awkward behavior and her choice of words thus turned her Oscar win into an awkward and controversial moment.
Girl, Interrupted is available on Hulu.
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