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The Oscars continue to be one of the biggest events of the world and the ceremony has housed some of Hollywood's greatest historic moments. Being one of the most prestigious and revered award ceremonies in the film industry, millions of people across the world tune in to the the Academy Awards ceremony every year.
Throughout the history of Academy Awards, there have been several instances that have jolted and molded the entertainment industry. From Charlie Chaplin's historic return to the US to Halle Berry making history as a black actress in 2002, here's a glimpse at some of the most amusing and profound historical moments from the previous Academy Awards.
Revisiting five historic Oscar moments from the previous years
1) Charlie Chaplin's receives a 12-minute long standing ovation
Charlie Chaplin became a global icon and a creator of the silent comedy genre in the early 20th century. However, he was barred from returning to the United States for nearly 20 years after being branded a communist.
Thus, his honorary Oscar win was significant not just because Hollywood ultimately acknowledged his substantial contribution to the film industry, but it also marked his first return to the United States in a very long time. The audience gave him a 12-minute long-standing ovation, the longest in the history of the event.
2) Alfred Hitchcock's acceptance speech
Over the course of his long film-making career, Alfred Hitchcock was nominated for five Academy Awards. However, the director, known for his classic suspense films such as Rear Window, Vertigo, and Psycho, didn't win an Academy Award until 1968.
He received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, which is equivalent to a lifetime achievement award for filmmakers, instead of one of the Academy's standard awards. Hitchcock's acceptance speech was one of the shortest in the history of the event, representing his clear dissatisfaction with receiving the honor or to simply create a funny moment.
To the audience's surprise, the director only said two words, "Thank you."
3) Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins get political
During the 65th Academy Awards in 1993, Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins used their on-stage moments as an opportunity to talk about concerning political matters. While Sarandon and Robbins spoke for the people of Haiti living with severe HIV conditions, Gere talked about China's invasion of Tibet.
Unsurprisingly, the Academy's reaction was far from positive as the three were debarred from the event for life. Nevertheless, three years after the incident, both Sarandon and Robbins won Oscars for Best Actress for Dead Man Walking and Best Actor for Mystic River, respectively. According to several reports, Gere has also made numerous appearances at the event.
4) Halle Berry's revolutionary victory
In 2002, little did Halle Berry know that she would be making history at Oscars. The actress won the Best Actress Academy Award for her role in the movie Monster's Ball, creating history to become the first black woman to ever win an Oscar in the category.
The Catwoman star was ecstatic about her win and burst into tears on-stage, giving one of the most memorable acceptance speeches. She was shaken to the point where she couldn't find the words to say.
When Berry finally accepted her victory and the award, she said,
"This moment is so much bigger than me. It's for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened."
It was a particularly proud moment for her fellow actors present in the audience as they joined in her celebrations.
5) Eminem's return with Lose Yourself
The 93rd Academy Awards, which also happened to be the last Oscars before COVID-19 struck, had several noteworthy moments, including Brad Pitt's first Academy Award and all of Parasite's victories. However, the most sensational moment for the celebrities present there and fans at home arrived when Eminem stepped on stage for the iconic Lose Yourself performance.
In 2003, eighteen years ago, the same song won an Oscar for Best Original Song. Unfortunately, back then, he infamously skipped the event and later thanked the Academy via an Instagram post for letting him return the favor by performing all these years later.
While audiences patiently await the 2022 event scheduled for March 28, these historic moments will help them prep for the 94th Academy Awards.
