Source: Crowe Crossing message board
January 11, 2002
Russell's Acceptance Speech at The BFCAs thanks to "Cat"
He walks to podium doing the 3 fingers things with each hand, going "Three-peat." Marisa Tomei hands him the award and you hear her go, "Congratulations." He sets award on podium and says, "Hold on, just gotta do that again. What do you call that, a three-peat, in North America that's a three-peat, eh?" gets notes out of pocket. "Hey, I feel like Michael Jordan. Yeah, and Will Smith's sitting down there going, 'yeah, and ya act like him, too."
(Russ is grinning looking at Will and Will is cracking up. Crowd is laughing)
"Actually, ya know what?. Was I the only one who saw the pathos in 'Space Jam?'"
(Shakes head and shoulders, Smith is just dying in the crowd. Crowd is really laughing at this--louder than for any of Bill Maher's jokes all night!)
"I wanna take this opportunity to congratulate Will Smith for his work in Ali."
(Cut to Smith nodding 'thanks, thank you man' and clapping).
"And also to the elusive Mr. Penn...whom I'm SURE is not here tonight."
(Russ giggles. Audience is laughing, clapping)
"You know, he continues to inspire, he is a fantantic actor.
I was very lucky to work with not one great company on this film, but 3. To Brian Grazer from Imagine, to Stacy Snieder and Ron Meyer from Universal, and my man 'JK' (ed - Jeffrey Katzenberg) from Dreamworks. All I can say is thank you very much."
"It is only a superb writer like Akiva Goldsman who can take such an unwieldy and unlikely subject matter and condense it into such a gorgeous and compelling screenplay, that's when it's easy, when you've got a great script, Mate." (ed - Jeffrey Katzenberg)
(big applause, camera on Akiva, nodding thanks to Russ)
"Um, I want to thank a great cast, Mr Harris, Mr Plummer, Mr Bettany, Mr Goldberg, Mr Grace, Mr Lucas (pause) and to the sublime Miss Connelly."
(big applause, camera on JC, big smile to him)
"And to Ron Howard, who's command of the medium is beyond question. Whose attention to detail and willingness to collaborate and whose intellect are all pristine examples of a director in his prime. So, suffice it to say, 'Opie done good.'"
(crowd laughter)
"I'm Sorry, Mate, uh, sorry, ah, it was cheap, but the opportunity was too good!" (Russell continues to giggle.)
(Straightens up) "Anyway, so" (slaps his own hand for being bad).
"Ok, and thanks very much to the BFCA, um, such an eclectic bunch, and of course, eclectic is a polite way of saying strange. I thank you for taking my work seriously, and as long as God gives me the, ah, the, as long as God lets me intimidate publicists, I will give you my time and my heart, uh, cheers, folks, have good evening, thanks very much."
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