20 Of The Shortest Oscars Speeches Ever – And Why The Stars Shut Up Fast

An Oscar acceptance speech is a strange beast. Sometimes heartfelt words can hit the emotional highs, but other times gushing stars fall very, very flat. And while there have been great oratories that went long, others have decided to keep their thoughts brief – and sometimes remarkably so. These 20 winners opted for brevity with their speeches; the results were decidedly mixed.

20. Patty Duke - 1963

Patty Duke was only 16 years old when she won Best Supporting Actress for her role as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker. She had previously played the deaf-and-blind icon on Broadway from 1959 to 1961 and took her amazing performance to the big screen in 1962. Her acceptance speech, if you could even call it that, still stands as the shortest ever. It was two simple words, “Thank you.”

19. Morgan Freeman - 2004

The legendary Morgan Freeman bagged his first Oscar when he won Best Supporting Actor for Million Dollar Baby. It was his fourth nomination and, having lost out three times before, you might have thought he’d have a lengthy speech in his pocket for this one. But he kept it simple, saying only 62 words, and signing off with, “This was truly a labor of love.”

18. Frances McDormand - 2021

Nomadland was the biggest winner at the 2021 Academy Awards, taking home three trophies including Best Picture and a historical Best Director win for Chloe Zhao. Frances McDormand also won Best Actress and her speech for that award was easily the shortest of the evening. Her carefully chosen words were powerful, though; they included the lines, “My voice is my sword. We know the sword is our work,” making a particular impact.

17. Billy Wilder - 1961

In 1961 director Billy Wilder picked up three trophies for his film The Apartment. He kept the speeches for all three wins short, with his Best Picture speech running to a brief 70 words. That was long in comparison to the other two, though, which were only a handful of words each. Amusingly, he and co-writer I.A.L. Diamond thanked each other during their speech for Best Screenplay. Brilliant.

16. Gloria Grahame – 1953

When Gloria Grahame took to the stage to accept her Best Supporting Actress gong for The Bad and the Beautiful, she looked genuinely stunned. She managed only four words: “Thank you very much.” She then rushed off the stage, leaving the crowd equally astonished. It turned out the 29-year-old had a bad case of impostor syndrome, believing she wasn’t worthy of the award. A year later she described it as, “Oscar fright” during an interview.

15. Jerome Hellman - 1970

Midnight Cowboy is one of a select few films credited with helping bring about the end of the old Hollywood studio system. A gritty, challenging character piece, it is still the only X-rated movie to win a Best Picture Academy Award. When producer Jerome Hellman picked up the trophy in 1970, he wasn’t one to labor his point too much. He spoke for only 20 seconds.

14. Dorothy Malone - 1957

In 1957 midway through Dorothy Malone’s acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress, presenter Jack Lemmon appeared beside her tapping his watch. It was undoubtedly funny, but also must’ve been pretty embarrassing for the Written on the Wind star. It wouldn’t fly in this day and age, that’s for sure. She’d just have to speak loudly over the orchestra as they tried to play her off.

13. Mark Bridges - 2018

At the beginning of the 2018 ceremony, host Jimmy Kimmel made an unusual offer to the person who delivered the shortest acceptance speech of the night: a jet-ski. One worth nearly $18k, no less. It turned out not to be a joke, as Phantom Thread costume designer Mark Bridges took home the prize, which was showcased on-stage by none other than Dame Helen Mirren. We bet he was happy he kept his speech to 36 seconds!

12. Anna Paquin - 1993

Winning an Academy Award must be a breathtaking experience, even for an established veteran of Hollywood. So it’s understandable that 11-year-old Anna Paquin had trouble catching hers for a few moments when she got up on stage to accept her Best Supporting Actress trophy for The Piano. She gave her thanks to a select few, all while a smiling Gene Hackman watched on, no doubt amazed at the poise of someone so young.

11. Louie Psihoyos - 2009

Louie Psihoyos, director of the The Cove, which won Best Documentary at the 2009 Oscars, only got to say two words of his speech. Producer Fisher Stevens hadn’t gone over the allotted 45 seconds, but still the orchestra played Psihoyos off. It was a bit awkward, but at least he was later able to release the speech he would have given, in full. Whoops.

10. Delbert Mann - 1956

When he accepted his Best Director Oscar for Marty, Delbert Mann said the following: “Thank you. Thank you very much. Appreciate it.” In 2002 he admitted to Daily Variety magazine, “I was so stunned at being called the winner, I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t have a speech prepared. I simply stood up and said, ‘Thank you very much,’ and walked off the stage.”

9. Juliette Binoche - 1996

In 1996 the world expected Lauren Bacall to win Best Supporting Actress for The Mirror Has Two Faces, but The English Patient star Juliette Binoche caused an upset. When she went on stage, she was genuinely stunned. She exclaimed, “I’m so surprised. It’s true I didn’t prepare anything, I thought Lauren was going to get it.” A scant 59 words, and she was on her way.

8. William Hurt - 1985

The first ever independent film to receive a nomination for Best Picture wasn’t Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, like many believe. Rather, it was the 1985 drama Kiss of the Spider Woman. William Hurt won Best Actor for his role in the film and gave a succinct speech at the podium. He spoke of co-star Raul Julia, saying, “I share this with Raul,” before imitating his heart beating out of his chest.

7. Dimitri Tiomkin - 1953

In 1955 esteemed composer Dimitri Tiomkin produced such a funny speech at the Oscars that it was reported in the media that he’d topped host Bob Hope. But two years earlier when he won Best Dramatic or Comedy Score and Best Original Song for High Noon, he didn’t crack any jokes at all. He gave simple thanks for speech one, then said, “I feel like a mother of the wonderful twins” for speech two. Classy.

6. Tatum O’Neal - 1974

“All I really want to thank is my director, Peter Bogdanovich, and my father. Thank you.” This was the succinct speech given by ten-year-old Tatum O’Neal when she won Best Supporting Actress for Paper Moon. It got the job done. The tuxedo-wearing little girl then tried to leave the stage, but her grandfather brought her back on to add a few additional thanks from the family O’Neal.

5. William Holden - 1954

In the 1950s William Holden was a huge box-office star. In fact, in 1956 he was voted the number-one draw in Hollywood by those running the theaters. During that period, he starred in classics such as Sunset Boulevard, The Bridge on the River Kwai and Stalag 17, the last of which earned him the Best Actor gong. A man of few words, his acceptance speech was simply, “Thank you. Thank you.”

4. Marion Cotillard - 2007

French actress Marion Cotillard’s acceptance speech for Best Actress was a charming outburst of emotion. While accepting the prize for playing legendary singer Édith Piaf in La Vie en Rose, she cried tears of joy, thanked her director profusely and paid tribute to the City of Angels itself. All in all, she spoke for only 72 words, but each one was delightful.

3. Alfred Hitchcock - 1968

The fact that Alfred Hitchcock never won a “real” Oscar is preposterous. He’s arguably the greatest director ever, and yet was only rewarded with the Irving G. Thalberg Lifetime Achievement trophy. With customary humor though, he walked up to the podium, while everyone in attendance expected a lengthy speech. Instead, he just said, “Thank you. Very much indeed,” with the last three words being partially cut off by the microphone. Oh, Hitch.

2. Rita Moreno - 1962

At the 2021 awards ceremony, West Side Story icon Rita Moreno presented the Best Picture trophy to Nomadland. It was a fitting return to the Oscars for Moreno, who had won the Best Supporting Actress gong in 1962 for her role in the legendary musical. Her speech back then had been short but put smiles on lots of faces: “I can’t believe it! Good Lord. I leave you with that!”

1. Joe Pesci - 1991

Joe Pesci’s Best Supporting Actor victory was the only Academy Award bestowed upon Martin Scorsese’s seminal gangster movie Goodfellas. That’s crazy, but perhaps it does explain why Pesci’s acceptance speech was so memorably short. He probably thought it was a long shot for him to win, so was taken aback, managing only to say, “It’s my privilege. Thank you.”

While the speeches are no doubt memorable – well, especially these ones, anyway – there is another part of the Oscars that captures everyone’s attention: the outfits. From the timeless classics to the revealing and downright outrageous, we’ve seen it all. Here are 20 we’ll never be able to forget – ever.

40. Barbra Streisand (1969)

After the 1969 Academy Awards, there were two things everyone was talking about with regards to Barbra Streisand. Firstly, she tied for Best Actress with Katharine Hepburn. Secondly, the actress and singer’s zany outfit – created by Arnold Scaasi – was somewhat transparent. But to be fair to Streisand, she apparently had no idea just how see-through it would prove as the flashes fired and the camera shutters clicked.

39. Taraji P. Henson (2018)

Empire star Taraji P. Henson rocked up to the 2018 Oscars wearing a black Vera Wang dress with a very daring slit and necklace. But one month later the star told Entertainment Tonight that the gown could have been even more scandalous. She said, “I’m not afraid. Vera was like, ‘Let’s take it there!’ Wangy bangy, baby.”

38. Jennifer Lawrence (2013)

Jennifer Lawrence wore a Dior Couture dress while accepting a Best Actress award at the 2013 Oscars. But it famously caused her a problem. You see, the star fell over as she walked to the stage to collect her gong for Silver Linings Playbook. It turned out, Lawrence later revealed to British newspaper The Independent, that dreams of cake meant that she had momentarily forgotten her stylist’s prescient advice that she should kick the fabric away from her legs as she moved.

37. Gemma Chan (2019)

Crazy Rich Asians actress Gemma Chan chose an eye-catching Valentino gown for the 2019 Oscars. It was unique in many ways: it was large; it had a high collar; it was bright pink; and it had pockets. Chan admitted later that she’d used the pockets to hide snacks she could eat during the long ceremony.

36. Jayne Mansfield (1956)

The fashion rules in 1956 were, of course, more conservative than they are now – but that didn’t stop Jayne Mansfield. That year, you see, the blonde bombshell posed in a daring dress in front of an Oscar statue with Cleo Moore. The look created one of the most fabulous Academy Award photographs of all time.

35. Uma Thurman (2004)

For the 2004 Academy Awards, Uma Thurman decided to wear a white lacy Christian Lacroix dress that billowed out everywhere. And according to the subsequent press, the gown didn’t flatter her in the slightest. The media actually dubbed the look “Swiss Miss,” and Thurman herself later expressed dissatisfaction with it. But no matter what else, the look certainly wasn’t boring.

34. Penélope Cruz (2007)

Penélope Cruz dazzled audiences in 2007 when she showed up to the Academy Awards in a pink Atelier Versace dress with a feathered train. Everyone was impressed. In fact, in February 2019 – over a decade after the fact – The Daily Telegraph declared that the gown was “everything and more than you could ever want from an Oscars dress.”

33. Kim Basinger (1990)

Batman actress Kim Basinger tried something new and very unusual for the 1990 Oscars. In fact, she wore a white gown/tuxedo hybrid, complete with just one glove. The star even designed it herself! And while many contemporary fashion critics mocked the look, the outfit is still being talked about even today. So clearly Basinger had the last laugh.

32. Charlize Theron (2019)

Charlize Theron had three things to show off at the 2019 Academy Awards: brown hair, shoulder blades, and a dress that complimented both. So Theron’s chosen gown was a light blue design from the Haute Couture Christian Dior collection. The stunning creation was wide open at the back and certainly got the job done.

31. Kate Hudson (2001)

When Kate Hudson attended the 2001 ceremony, her dress didn’t meet with much approval. In 2014, though, the actress told the Evening Standard, “I was 21 years old when I was nominated for an Oscar for Almost Famous and to have Stella McCartney dressing me for the ceremony I felt like the hippest, coolest girl in the world. I woke up the next morning and turned on the television to find out I was on every worst-dressed list. So I called Stella, and we just laughed our *sses off.”

30. Diane Keaton (2004)

Diane Keaton decided not to wear a dress for the 2004 Academy Awards and opted instead for a Ralph Lauren suit and bowler hat. Yet it wasn’t the first time that she’d done such a thing, as she’d worn a white suit in 1978 when the star won her Oscar for Annie Hall. And while some loved the look, some hated it. But either way, it was extremely memorable.

29. Gwyneth Paltrow (2002)

When Gwyneth Paltrow arrived for the 2002 Oscars, people noticed that her sheer Alexander McQueen dress was maybe a little too revealing. Paltrow thought so, too, and wrote on her website in 2013, “I still love the dress itself, but I should have worn a bra, and I should have just had simple beachy hair and less make-up.”

28. Lizzy Gardiner (1995)

Costume designer Lizzy Gardiner wished to feature a dress made out of American Express cards for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, but the company wouldn’t let her. They did, however, let her wear said dress to the 1995 Oscars – where it gained plenty of attention. In 1999, in fact, the gown was auctioned off, with the money going to an AIDS research foundation.

27. Shanina Shaik (2019)

Model Shanina Shaik wore a stunning Maison Yeya dress to a 2019 Oscars afterparty. She might not be wearing it again, though, because she suffered not one but two wardrobe malfunctions while walking the red carpet. First, the front part came out and exposed too much. And then the slit on the leg revealed her underwear. Oops!

26. Cate Blanchett (2016)

Cate Blanchett, nominated as Best Actress for Carol, rocked something both beautiful and unusual on the 2016 Oscars red carpet. Indeed, she wore a seafoam-green gown decorated with fabric flowers, a creation of Armani Privé. Vanity Fair declared at the time, “Scientists have proven it is impossible to look at this dress and not gasp and then remain speechless for at least ten seconds.”

25. Edy Williams (1974)

Edy Williams was one of the most scandalous actresses of her era. During the 1974 Academy Awards, for instance, she pulled her fur coat off to reveal nothing but a leopard-skin bikini underneath. She would probably have shown the most skin of the whole ceremony if a streaker called Robert Opel hadn’t later run across the stage.

24. Cher (1974)

Over the years, Cher has made a habit of wearing weird, wacky outfits to the Oscars. For sheer daring, though, her 1974 ensemble takes the cake. After all, that’s the year she wore a colorful sarong-like skirt and a bikini-like top designed by Bob Mackie. It’s a style that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a sunny beach somewhere.

23. Marion Cotillard (2008)

In 2008 Marion Cotillard channeled her inner mermaid and wore a beautiful Jean Paul Gaultier dress designed to look like fish scales. It turned out to be an extremely good night for Cotillard, too. Not only did her gown win acclaim, but the star also picked up the Best Actress Oscar for playing Édith Piaf in La Vie en Rose.

22. Whoopi Goldberg (1993)

Whoopi Goldberg might just take home the award for the most colorful Oscars outfit of all time. Back in 1993, you see, Goldberg was hosting the ceremony and wore a purple satin coat that opened up to reveal a cascade of bright green. Apparently, the actress had simply bought the dress in a boutique.

21. Angelina Jolie (2000)

People might have mistaken Angelina Jolie for Morticia Addams when she picked up her Oscar for Girl, Interrupted in 2000. After all, the star wore a gothy black Versace gown and even had black hair extensions put in. Yet it wasn’t the outfit that grabbed all the headlines – for that was the year Jolie kissed her brother on the Oscars red carpet.

20. Sharon Stone (1998)

Sharon Stone decided to wear something a bit different for the 1998 Oscars. In fact, she paired an attractive lavender Vera Wang skirt with an ordinary white Gap shirt that belonged to her spouse, Phil Bronstein. The media were totally shocked – but the look went down in Academy Awards history.