Weirdest people thanked in acceptance speeches

With the world watching, it’s up to the stars of the silver screen to make the best use of the 45 seconds the Academy allocates them. Some will be funny; others make a political statement, many more will blub uncontrollably. But a select few will thank some weird and wonderful people.

So from the Maharashi to the entire human race, here’s a rundown of the most bizarre ‘thank yous’ in Oscar acceptance history.

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A man suing him - Robert De Niro (1981)



After justifiably picking up the Best Actor gong for his wonderful turn as prize-fighter Jake LaMotta in the monochrome modern masterpiece ‘Raging Bull’; Robert De Niro refused to mince his words. As he took to the podium De Niro quipped “I want to thank Joey La Motta, even though he’s suing us. I hope that’s settled soon enough so I can go over to his house and eat once in a while.”

A fellow boxer and one-time manager of his famous brother Jake; Joey was suing the studio because he didn’t like the way he was portrayed by Joe Pesci in the hit film.

Literally everybody – Kim Basinger (1998)

Kim Basinger propelled Hollywood’s own particular brand of hyperbole to new heights in 1998 when she took to the stage and said: “I just want to thank everybody I've ever met in my entire life.”

Yes that’s everybody, literally everybody she’s ever met. From waiters to manicurists and even some people she probably didn’t even speak to, Kim wanted to acknowledge the part they’d played in her success. At least she’s thorough.

A high school drama teacher (who he outed) – Tom Hanks (1994)

Tom Hanks was a worthy winner of the little gold man in 1993 when he scooped the coveted award for his phenomenal performance in ‘Philadelphia’. His acceptance speech wasn’t too bad either. Heartfelt, humble and carefully worded, he even took time to say thank you to some people who’d helped to inspire his role.

Those people included his high school drama teacher Rawley Farnsworth and former classmate John Gilkerson, whom he said were "two of the finest gay Americans, two wonderful men that I had the good fortune to be associated with." It was a fine speech and a lovely sentiment. The only problem was that he’d inadvertently ‘outed’ his former tutor in the process.

Her lawyer – Halle Berry (2002)

After thanking almost everyone in existence, Halle Berry remembered which side her bread was buttered on and gave a shout out to the money men in 2004 when she said: “"I gotta thank my lawyer Neil Myer for making this deal”. Of course who can blame her for thanking the man who added an extra zero to her fee, especially considering the number of lucrative job offers that one of those iconic awards tends to send your way.






Mary Pickford – Jack Nicholson (1975)

Berry wasn’t the first star to think of their finances though. Upon winning the Best Actor award for his performance in ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’ in 1975 Jack Nicholson thanked Mary Pickford “for being the first actor to get a percentage of her pictures”.

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The Maharishi - Rod Steiger (1968)

It had worked for The Beatles, and we all know Hollywood loves a fad so perhaps no one was surprised when Rod Steiger thanked the Maharishi (well, why not?) for guiding him to this glory. Mastering Transcendental Meditation must have been good for the movie star as he went on to shine in classics like ‘Waterloo’ and ‘The Amityville Horror’.

Her unborn child – Catherine Zeta-Jones (2003)

Heavily pregnant and hormonal are probably two of the last things you’d like to be when taking to the stage to accept an Oscar; but that’s the condition Wales’ finest found herself in when accepting a Best Supporting Actress gong for her role in ‘Chicago’ in 2002.

The gushing mother-to-be took the time to acknowledge friends, family and fellow stars before finally finding time to squeeze in a thank you for her unborn child. It’s sweet of course, but let’s be honest, it didn’t have much of an impact on the role, did it?