Jamie Lee Curtis broke down in tears while honoring her famous parents at the 2023 SAG Awards.
The 64-year-old paid tribute to her family lineage during her Female Actor in a Supporting Role acceptance speech at Sunday’s ceremony, where she took the stage to receive the honor for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
“I’m wearing the wedding ring that my father gave my mother,” Curtis said while getting visibly emotional, referencing the piece of jewelry her father, Tony Curtis, gave to her mother, Janet Leigh. “They hated each other, by the way. But, my sister, Kelly, and I were born from love. My father was from Hungary and my mother was from Denmark, and they had nothing, and they became these monstrous stars in this industry they loved so much. My parents were actors.”
After previously making a joke about being a “nepo baby” — someone who finds success in Hollywood after being born into a famous family — during the telecast’s cold open, Curtis again referenced the label during her speech.
“I married an actor. I love actors, I love acting, I love the job we get to do, I love being a part of a crew, I love being part of a cast, I love what we do with each other, it’s such a beautiful job and I know that so many people in our industry who are actors don’t get to do this job, and you look at nights like this and you think, is that ever going to be possible for me?” she continued. “I know you look at me and go, ‘Nepo baby, that’s why she’s there,’ and, I get it, but, the truth of the matter is: I’m 64 years old, and this is just amazing.”
The Halloween franchise staple then led the room in a group chant in honor of her Everything Everywhere costar Michelle Yeoh, also nominated at the SAG Awards for her role in the sci-fi multiverse epic that’s swept the current awards season.
Invoking the names of their respective characters, Curtis closed her time on stage with a nod to the film that stars Yeoh as a laundromat owner who clashes — and deeply connects — with an IRS inspector across several alternate universes in the film.
“For all the Evelyns and Deirdres in the world, we love you, we see you, we feel you, we are you, we’re here together,” she said. “God bless you all. What a f—ing dream, man!”
In addition to Curtis’ buzzy speech, the victory also boosted her bid as a front-running contender for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, thanks to the SAG Awards’ heavy membership crossover with The Academy. Up to this point, fellow nominee Angela Bassett had swept most of the major precursor awards — including the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards, though The Banshees of Inisherin performer Kerry Condon beat both of them at last week’s BAFTA Awards.
The 2023 SAG Awards are airing live Sunday night from the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles. Check out the full list of winners.
