Two of Hollywood’s leading ladies were honored by the Golden Globes ahead of Sunday’s awards ceremony. The televised event, called Golden Eve, celebrated the work of actors Helen Mirren and Sarah Jessica Parker.
The stars were awarded the Cecil B. DeMille Award and Carol Burnett Award, respectively, making it the first time the Globes had presented these awards together in a televised event.
In her speech, Parker said she first knew years ago she wanted to be an actor after “sitting in the audience” at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.
“I had this desire to audition,” she said during her speech. “To work hard, to care, to worry about the work, to be nervous, to fail, to be fearless and committed like Carol Burnett, to succeed, to have made friends, to be in another fitting, to fall in love with crews, to weep when saying goodbye to them all, to be challenged and to hear the word ‘action.’ I wish this for all young actors.”
Actors Ted Danson, Kristin Davis (Parker’s “Sex and the City” co-star), Colman Domingo and Matthew Broderick (Parker’s husband) all appeared onstage at various times to praise Parker and her body of work.
Next up was Mirren, whose husband, Taylor Hackford, was also on hand to give remarks about her storied career. Actors Tessa Thompson, Viola Davis (last year’s recipient) and Harrison Ford (Mirren’s “1923” co-star) also spoke.
“I prefer to think of this as an ongoing reflection of my career, rather than a eulogy,” Mirren smiled. “I’m not writing my own eulogy. Although I have to say, if this were my memorial, looking out at this audience, I’m absolutely thrilled who showed up for me, and I am making a list of the no-shows.”
She wrapped up her speech by joking she’s going to go “have a cocktail now.”