The Oscars: Famous Quotes & Speeches in History

The 85th Academy Awards show, which has officially been rebranded as The Oscars (effective February 2013), is going to kickoff THIS Sunday at 8:30pm [EST]. The awards show began as a small private brunch gathering at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in 1929 with only 270 people in audience. The price of admission was only $5.00 (woah, seriously?) with only fifteen statues distributed to honor artists, directors, and other personalities in the filmmaking industry. 

The Oscars has grown to be an elaborate, fabulous, and entertaining awards show that is watched by millions. Our favorite names in Hollywood will walk the red carpet with style and grace as we all huddle around our televisions to see who is the best and worst dressed, who will win which award, and which award acceptance speech will be best remembered the morning after the curtain closes.

Here’s a look back in time at some of the greatest quotes and speeches from The Oscars… 

FAMOUS QUOTES FROM THE OSCARS:

What does the Academy Award mean? I don’t think it means much of anything. – Sally Field

I don’t care who you are. When you sit down to write the first page of your screenplay, in your head, you’re also writing your Oscar acceptance speech. – Nora Ephron

To get an Oscar would be an incredible moment in my career, there is no doubt about that. But the ‘Lord of the Rings’ films are not made for Oscars, they are made for the audience. – Peter Jackson

The Golden Globes are fun. The Oscars are Business. – Warren Beatty

People have a preconceived notion about who I am and it’s interesting. It’s like picking who you want to win for the Oscars and not seeing the movie. – Amanda Bynes

I hope to God I don’t win an Oscar tomorrow night. It would really depress me if I did. I really don’t deserve it. It wasn’t that important a part anyhow. – Dustin Hoffman, 1968 

We want to thank all of you for watching us congratulate ourselves tonight. – Warren Beatty

The only way to find the best actor would be to let everybody play Hamlet and let the best man win. – Humphrey Bogart

I’ve been working and doing this work for, like, over half my life and I finally got one right I guess. – James Coburn [best supporting actor for "Affliction"] 

I’m in shock. And I’m so in love with my brother right now, he just held me and said he loved me. - Angelina Jolie 

The Oscar is the most valuable, but least expensive, item of world-wide public relations ever invented by any industry. – Frank Capra

The Oscars demonstrate the will of the people to control and judge those they have elected to stand above them much, perhaps, as in bygone days, an election celebrated the same. – David Mamet

Losing would suck and winning would be really scary. And it’s really, really scary. - Ben Affleck (1998)

It’s like winning the golden dude. A great honor. Before I didn’t have the chance of the Jamaican Bobsled team of winning… now I do. – Robin Williams (1998) 

I’m a sucker for a free tuxedo. – Billy Crystal, [discussing hosting the Oscars for the sixth time; 1998]

I just want to thank everybody I’ve ever met in my entire life. – Kim Basinger [Best Supporting Actress; 1998]

Marlon Brando very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award. And the reason for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry. - Sacheen Littlefeather [refusing Brando's 1972 Best Actor Award

If I'd known this was all it would take, I'd have put that eyepatch on 40 years ago. - John Wayne

Good evening, Hollywood phonies. - Chevy Chase [host 1987]

I don’t feel very deserving of this in your presence. - Gwyneth Paltrow [best actress winner; sobbing as she named her fellow nominees] 

I love you! Tom Cruise, I love you, brother! I love you, man! Everybody, I love you. I love you all . . . I love you. Everybody who’s involved with this, I love you. I love you. Everybody involved. - Cuba Gooding, Jr. 

God bless that potential that we all have for making anything possible if we think we deserve it. I deserve this. - Shirley MacLaine 

I love the world! I’m so happy! Thank you! – Julia Roberts [Best actress; "Erin Brockovich"] 

Oscar Acceptance Speeches:

No matter what you say to yourself, you do want to win. You try to look casual, like you’re not thinking, "oh, please pick me." – Whoopi Goldberg

Most of all, I want to thank my father, up there, the man who when I said I wanted to be an actor, he said, "Wonderful. Just have a back-up profession like welding." – Robin Williams

Gee, this isn’t like I imagined it would be in the bathtub. – Dianne Wiest

I want to thank the members of the Academy who were bold enough to give me this award for this song which, obviously, is a song that doesn’t pussyfoot around or turn a blind eye to human nature. God bless you all with peace, tranquility and good will. Thanks. – Bob Dylan [Original song award; "Things Have Changed" from Wonder Boys]

Oscar and I have something in common. Oscar first came to Hollywood scene in 1928. So did I. We’re both a little weather-beaten, but we’re still here and plan to be around for a whole lot longer. – John Wayne

I’m just a girl from a trailer park who had a dream. I never thought this would ever happen. – Hillary Swank

It has been a long journey to this moment. – Sidney Poitier

What a thrill. You know you’ve entered new territory when you realize that your outfit cost more than your film. – Jessica Yu, Best Short Subject Documentary 

I haven’t had an orthodox career and I wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn’t feel it, but this time I feel it and I can’t deny the fact that you like me—right now, you like me! – Sally Field

Am I allowed to say I really wanted this? This is fantastic. – Steven Spielberg

I just said to Matt [Damon], ‘Losing would suck and winning would be really scary.’ And it’s really, really scary. – Ben Affleck

There’s been a lot of criticism over the years over this award, and some of that criticism has been warranted. But whether it’s warranted or not, I think it’s one hell of an honor, and I thank you. – Jack Lemmon

I guess this proves there are as many nuts in the Academy as anywhere else. – Jack Nicholson

Roxy Sorkin, your father just won the Academy Award. I’m going to have to insist on some respect from your guinea pig. – Aaron Sorkin

It is possible for a kid from east Texas, raised in South Central L.A. and Carson, who believes in his dreams, commits himself to them with his heart, to touch them, and to have them happen. – Forest Whitaker

Did I really earn this, or did I just wear you all down? – Sandra Bullock

This is a terrible mistake, because I used up all of my English. – Roberto Benigni, after winning his second Oscar of the night

I know that my work, in this case, is magnified by the fact that the streets of heaven are too crowded with angels. – Tom Hanks, Best Actor for "Philadelphia"

I, uh…I have a television, so I’m going to spend some time here to tell you some things. [To orchestra conductor:] And, and…and sir, you’re doing a great job, but you’re so quick with that stick, so why don’t you sit. ‘Cause I may never be here again. – Julia Roberts

I don’t have a sense of entitlement or that I deserve this. You’d be surprised at the lack of competition between nominees – I think a lot of it’s imposed from the outside. Can I have my champagne now? – Cate Blanchett

This is one night I wish I smoked and drank. – Grace Kelly

As a little kid, I lived in the projects and you’re the people I watched. You’re the people who made me want to be an actor. I’m so proud to be here. – Whoopi Goldberg

Getting a standing ovation was kind of humbling that so many people are so happy that I have been named for this award. A lot of people say you’re due – maybe you are, maybe you aren’t – it’s an accolade. – Morgan Freeman

There are a lot of great movies that have won the Academy Award, and a lot of great movies that haven’t. You just do the best you can. – Clint Eastwood

I won and I get to scream and jump a little. But I got to go back to work tomorrow. – Benicio del Toro 

Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted this. You don’t know. – Whoopi Goldberg

Right now I don’t know if I have dreamt about this or not. But when you are in the ocean you must swim. Being on the race for the Oscars, logically I want to win. – Pedro Almodovar

During my out-of-body experience earlier tonight, I didn’t acknowledge her [Erin Brockovich], shamefully. And really, she is the centre of the universe which was our movie . . . So, with great humility, I acknowledge her profusely. – Julia Roberts [Best actress winner for Erin Brockovich]

I am king of the world! – James Cameron

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. – Halle Berry

She [grandmother] still talks to me now, only now she talks to me in my dreams. And I can’t wait to go to sleep tonight because we have a lot to talk about. I love you. – Jamie Foxx

I bet they didn’t tell you that was in the gift bag. – Adrien Brody [after kissing Halle Berry]