Congratulations, Clooney
I like to say that George Clooney is the new Cary Grant, and nobody agrees with me, but you all have to have fallen in love with him tonight. I still had tears in my eyes, laughing from the shtick with Jon Stewart…
(Digression: Wouldn’t George and Jon be the cutest gay couple? The passion for politics, the salt-and-pepper hair?)
…and then Clooney cracked me up with his “All right, so I’m not winning ‘Director’‿ opener. He worked in his “Sexiest Man Alive 1997‿ credit, and was reunited with his “The Peacemaker‿ co-star, Nicole Kidman, onstage. What a Hollywood ending.
Cheers, George! Celebrate with the interchangeable brunette of your choice.
(Photo courtesy of Richard Roeper.)
UPDATE: The official transcript of Clooney's speech:
Wow. Wow. All right, so I'm not winning director. It's the funny thing about winning an Academy Award, it will always be synonymous with your name from here on in. It will be Oscar winner, George Clooney. Sexiest Man Alive, 1997. Batman, died today in a freak accident at a -- Listen, I don't quite know how you compare art. You look at these performances this year, of these actors and unless we all did the same role, everybody put on a bat suit, and we'll all try that. Unless we all did the same role, I don't know how you compare it. They are stellar performances and wonderful work, and I'm honored, truly honored to be up here. And finally, I would say that, you know, we are a little bit out of touch in Hollywood every once in a while. I think it's probably a good thing. We're the ones who talk about AIDS when it was just being whispered, and we talked about civil rights when it wasn't really popular. And we, you know, we bring up subjects. This Academy, this group of people gave Hattie McDaniel an Oscar in 1939 when blacks were still sitting in the backs of theaters. I'm proud to be a part of this Academy, proud to be part of this community, and proud to be out of touch. And I thank you so much for this.
