The 12th Annual Governors Awards kicked off Oscars weekend with a star-studded celebratory event at the Ray Dolby Ovation Ballroom in Hollywood on Friday night. Well-deserved Honorary Awards were presented to Samuel L. Jackson, Elaine May and Liv Ullmann and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, which is given to an individual in the motion picture arts and sciences whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry, was presented to Danny Glover.
The private and non-televised event, which was planned for January but postponed due to a COVID-19 surge, had a different air this year due to the award show taking place after voting had ended. Void was the usual flurry of Oscar nominees in “campaign” mode, which made the atmosphere more relaxed and solely focused on recognizing the honorees achievements and legacies. In opening remarks, Academy President David Rubin said the Governors Awards “represents a generosity of spirit that’s not always in the Hollywood spotlight.”
The evening started with a cocktail hour that took place a few steps from the red carpet where award recipients as well as attendees like Alfre Woodard, Ruth E. Carter, Alfred Molina, basketball legend Magic Johnson, Rita Wilson, Will Packer, Anna Maria Horsford, and Jennifer Lee walked the carpet and posed for photos. Also in attendance was Ava DuVernay and David Oyelowo.
Samuel L. Jackson, whose right foot was in a walking cast boot and his left in a black velvet slipper, held court at the base of an oversized Oscar statuette as everyone from Magic Johnson and Quentin Tarantino, who was there in support of the “Pulp Fiction” star, walked over to congratulate him. Jackson earned an Oscar nomination for his supporting performance in “Pulp Fiction” (1994).
After cocktail hour was over, we were ushered into the Ovation Ballroom for the start of the show where attendees were met with a picturesque and elegant aesthetic. The soft lighting, table decor, red and gold color scheme and beautiful bouquets of flowers gave the room a charming and stately feel. The tone was warm and intimate, which created a subtle yet elevated ambience. It was hard not to get swept away by the magic of it all.
There to pay tribute to each honoree was Denzel Washington (the only Oscar nominee in attendance), who in all his coolness, presented an honorary Oscar to cultural icon Samuel L. Jackson; Alfre Woodard presented the Humanitarian award to her friend, Danny Glover; Bill Murray presented the award to Elaine May; John Lithgow to Liv Ullman.
“152 movie titles, $27 billion in box office — more than any other actor in history,” said Washington. ‘He’s not just the greatest of all time, but of any time,” Washington added just before presenting his friend with the Oscar.
After reflecting on his 50-year career, Jackson gave a heartfelt thank you to the Governors for the incredible honor, “who knew that a little kid from Chattanooga, Tennessee watching movies wishing he could be here would get the votes of the people who run an organization like this.” Jackson also thanked his publicist, manager, agent and lawyer for “making sure I lived in the comfort zone of knowing what the next two jobs would be.”
“I’ll tell you, this is going to be cherished,” Jackson said.
“It’s been a real pleasure making indelible impressions on audiences as Gang Member No. 2, Bum, Hold-Up Man and the unforgettable Black Guy, just to name a few,” quipped Jackson.
“The dream has been shared with my partner in crime, critic-in-residence, my rock solid foundation and my best friend, LaTanya,” Jackson said about his wife. “This award is a shared accomplishment, it’s always been a two man show.”
Alfre Woodard paid a beautiful and eloquent tribute to Danny Glover: “He levels his light wherever a fellow traveler pools in darkness,” she said. “Danny Glover always does the right thing first, without testing the prevailing winds of public opinion.”
Glover, who said he was “amazingly grateful for this moment” when he took the stage, spoke of his ancestors in his acceptance speech; specifically, his grandparents, who “didn’t allow their daughters and son to pick cotton in September and sent them to school in September,” he said.
“Because of these heroic, amazing people in Louisville, Georgia, [my mother was] the first person to graduate from college in her family and in her community. She inspired me, my mother, because no one worked harder. No one dreamed harder and fought for justice.”
“I am proud to be a part of this place, this space — thank you, thank you, thank you,” he ended his speech.
Danny Glover has been a longtime advocate for economic justice and access to health care and education in the United States and Africa. He has served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Program and is currently a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
The Academy also paid tribute to Elaine May, a prolific filmmaker who has worked as an actress, director and screenwriter. May made her mark as a writer-director with “A New Leaf,” in which she also starred, “Mikey and Nicky” and “Ishtar,” and also directed “The Heartbreak Kid.” The 89-year-old comedy legend arrived fashionably late and arm in arm with Bill Murray, gave a short but graceful and witty speech and departed soon after — still linked to Murray.
Ullman’s ability to approach female roles with emotional transparency and complexity, both in Hollywood and in European cinema, was a big highlight. She spoke of her journey into acting, first as the star of Ingmar Bergman’s films and also as a director. She said she was raised with the Norwegian belief of “Don’t brag. That’s why I brought 20 people from Norway, so they can tell Norway, ‘It is true! She got an Oscar!”
Ullman also spoke about the importance of knowing oneself but also remembering others. “It’s not just about you,” she said.
Ullmann began her career as a stage actress in her native Norway. She came to the attention of international audiences in “Persona,” the first film she made with the Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. Their notable collaboration went on to include “The Passion of Anna,” “Cries and Whispers” and “Autumn Sonata.”
Ullmann and May are one of the first women to direct big-budget movies in Hollywood.
My Governors Awards highlights include — getting an invitation; standing/sitting inches away from some of my favorite actors; shaking hands with Danny Glover, getting a hug from and a photo with Ava DuVernay, chatting with Senegalese jewelry designer MOKO, watching video montages that highlighted each honorees’ most profound body of work both on and off screen, listening to their poignant speeches and most importantly, witnessing (up close and personal) the value in recognition and acknowledgment.
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