Sandra Oh gets real in the Golden Globes opening monologue: 'I wanted ... to witness this moment of change'
You’re not the only one surprised to see a dramatic powerhouse like Killing Eve star Sandra Oh hosting the 2019 Golden Globe Awards. At the close of her opening monologue with co-host Andy Samberg, the actress — who previously won a Golden Globe in 2006 for her role on Grey’s Anatomy (and would later win for her lead role in the BBC series Killing Eve) — confessed to a serious case of nerves about standing up in front of the Beverly Hilton’s star-filled International Ballroom.
But then Oh shared the inspiring reason for why she agreed to this unlikely opportunity. “I said yes to the fear of being on this stage tonight, because I wanted to be here, to look out into this audience and witness this moment of change,” she remarked, referring to the impressive (and overdue) diversity on display in the room. “I’m not fooling myself,” she added, acknowledging that the complexion of the nominees — as well as the hosts — might not be as unique in 2020. “Next year it could be different. It probably will be. But right now this moment is real. Trust me — it is real. Because I see you … all these faces of change. And now, so will everyone else.”
That heartfelt moment is precisely why Oh was a great choice to co-host the Golden Globes this year. Another reason? Because, as she reminded the audience at the top of the monologue, she and Samberg are “the only two people left in Hollywood who haven’t gotten in trouble for saying something offensive.” To try and counter their image as the town’s nicest people, the duo promptly launched into a Ricky Gervais-style takedown of some of the celebrities sitting in the audience.
Only Samberg and Oh quickly revealed themselves to be the anti-Gervais. Addressing BlacKkKlansman director Spike Lee, Samberg said, “I’ll tell you who does the right thing — you as a director! Lifetime fan, can’t wait to see what you do next.” Meanwhile, when Oh addressed A Star Is Born nominee Bradley Cooper, the best put-down she could come up with was “You are hot.” And while she did call Sharp Objects star Amy Adams “a piece of dog-crap,” that insult was notably preceded by the words “mega-talented.”
If that bit sounds a bit awkward … well, it was. But not as awkward as Samberg’s attempts to poke fun at Black Panther director Ryan Coogler by asking if members of the actual Black Panther party tried to audition for the blockbuster Marvel movie. Coogler’s confused reaction spoke for all of us at home.
At least Jim Carrey was in on the joke when Samberg and Oh banished him from the movies section of the ballroom to the TV section. Nominated in the Best Actor, Musical or Comedy category for the Showtime series Kidding, the actor first insisted that he had a new movie coming out in November — the live-action version of Sonic the Hedgehog. But Carrey eventually caved, grabbing his plate and moving to the back of the room, saying, “I wouldn’t want to leave any of my DNA in the film section!” (Don’t worry — he was back at his table in time to watch the statue go to The Kominsky Method star Michael Douglas.)
Before she arrived at her dramatic finish, Oh scored some of the monologue’s biggest laughs when she took comic aim at another hot-button topic: Hollywood’s still-pervasive problem with hiring female directors for major studio movies. Referring to First Man star Claire Foy, the actress said, “First Man is also how studios looks for directors. ‘First, man; if no man available, then pair of man, then team of man … then eventually, maybe woman.'” We’d say that maybe Oh should host the Oscars too, but as she and Samberg joked in the monologue, no one wants that gig.
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