10 Longest Oscar Acceptance Speeches

The 2025 Oscars occurred with their usual style on the evening of March 2, and there is a now a new record holder for the longest accepting speech in the history of the ceremony. The Oscars ceremony was hosted by Conan O’Brien, whose humorous touch made it one of the best editions in recent years. Additionally, the 2025 Oscars saw numerous records broken, marking the evening as one of several important firsts.

The 2025 Oscar winners gave some great and moving speeches, with the winners giving thanks, voicing the hard work that was done across all the productions, and highlighting the causes and stories that they are passionate about. However, one acceptance speech stood apart from the others, as Adrien Brody far exceeded the typical speech length and even told the orchestra to stop playing him off the stage. Fittingly, Brody’s long acceptance speech has prompted many to question other occasions where the Oscar winner went a bit over the typical time limit, and 10 examples stand out as the most notable.

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Yuh-jung Youn (3:20)

Youn Won Best Supporting Actress In 2021 For Minari

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Youn took home the award for Best Supporting Actress at the 2021 Oscars for her performance in Minari, and despite giving one of the longest acceptance speeches in Oscars history, her speech was actually one of the best of the evening. From beginning to end, Youn’s speech lasted approximately three minutes and 20 seconds. While many acceptance speeches come in just under this mark, she managed to beat out the next closest by a few seconds.

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After taking the stage, Youn first took the time to address herself to Brad Pitt, who presented the award, and remarked on her excitement at attending the Oscars after watching it on TV in the past. Youn thanked the cast and crew of Minari for their friendship, noting that they had become like a family. Finally, she humbly thanked her competitors and argued that their roles were all so different and wonderful that it was hard to truly say that anyone was the winner, making the speech very heartfelt and humble for such an impressive performer.

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Al Pacino (3:20)

Pacino Took Home A Best Actor Win For Scent Of A Woman in 1993

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Like Yuh-jung Youn, Al Pacino’s acceptance speech for Best Actor was approximately three minutes and 20 seconds long. Al Pacino was first nominated for an Academy Award in 1973, but his win for Scent of a Woman in 1993 marked his first and only Oscar win. When his name was announced, Pacino received a standing ovation before beginning his speech by saying that he had finally broken the streak.

Al Pacino’s speech was quite moving, with none of his over-three-minutes of speaking time wasted. The actor thanked his team and several individuals involved in Scent of a Woman, including the director, writer, and his co-star. However, the highlight of Al Pacino’s speech was a short moment that he shared with a young girl who was from the Bronx like him, who told him that his work had encouraged her. Pacino then closed his speech by thanking “the Academy for giving us a gift of encouragement” (via Academy Award Speech Database).

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Joaquin Phoenix (3:40)

The Joker Star Won Best Actor In 2020

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The star of the 2019 movie Joker, Joaquin Phoenix, took home the Best Actor award at the 2020 Oscars and delivered one of the longest Oscars speeches in history in the process. The actor’s performance as Arthur Fleck showcased an alternate origin story for one of the most famous comic book villains of all time, and Phoenix beat Antonio Banderas, Leonardo DiCaprio, Adam Driver, and Jonathan Pryce to the award thanks to his layered performance. In stark contrast to his violent character, however, Phoenix’s speech was an impassioned call for equality and responsibility.

After this initial thanks, Phoenix then turned his attention to pointing out various forms of inequality, particularly relating to the environment and animal rights.

Like many winners, Joaquin Phoenix began his speech by thanking those he worked with and noting the talents of his fellow nominees. After this initial thanks, Phoenix then turned his attention to pointing out various forms of inequality, particularly relating to the environment and animal rights. While Phoenix made some valid arguments and impressed some audience members, other viewers felt at the time that the speech was too long and slightly graphic.

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Daniel Kaluuya (3:40)

Kaluuya Won Best Supporting Actor For His Role In Judas And The Black Messiah

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At the 2021 Oscars, Best Supporting Actor went to Daniel Kaluuya for his portrayal of Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah. Kaluuya’s portrayal of the historical figure was certainly gripping, and he extended that intrigue by returning to Fred Hampton in his three-minute and 40-second long Oscar acceptance speech. Kaluuya began by thanking God and his mother. The actor then sent love to his family, friends, and many people who worked on the film with him.

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After drawing attention to the support and friendship that he felt from his castmates and members of the film’s crew, Kaluuya turned his attention back to the subject of the film. He highlighted how much he had learned from playing Fred Hampton and the things that he had learned from Hampton’s life and the Black Panther Party more generally. Finally, Kaluuya ended his speech by saying that he was going to enjoy himself that night and was just happy to be alive.

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Julia Roberts (3:50)

Roberts Asked The Conductor To Sit Down Before Beginning Her Speech

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Julia Roberts took home the award for Best Actress at the 73rd Academy Awards in 2001 for her portrayal of the real-life activist Erin Brockovich in the movie of the same name. When Roberts’ name was announced, and she made her way to the podium, the Best Actress winner began her speech by saying that she was there to talk for a while. Roberts addressed the conductor, saying, “You’re doing a great job, but you’re so quick with that stick. So why don’t you sit,” with her usual charm (via Academy Award Speech Database).

Though many Oscar winners use the time to highlight a cause that they care about, Julia Roberts’ speech was largely made up of thanking various individuals. She stated that she felt honored to be included among a list of such talented actors, and she thanked those involved in making Erin Brockovich as well as her family. While Roberts’ speech did meander quite a bit, the visibly nervous actress still came across as humble and aware of the length of her speech before finally leaving the stage.

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Adrien Brody (4:00)

Adrien Brody’s First Best Actor Win For The Pianist Lasted 4 Minutes

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The 2025 Oscar Best Actor winner Adrien Brody won his first Oscar back in 2003 for the movie The Pianist. Aside from being one of the longest Oscar acceptance speeches of all time, Brody’s first win also remains one of the strangest thanks to his decision to kiss presenter Halle Berry while accepting the award. Though Berry finally got payback on Brody this year, his decision to kiss her without consent was immediately controversial, as was the length of the speech that followed.

During his acceptance speech, Adrien Brody thanked his family and the people involved in the making of the film, as many winners do. However, when the music began to play, rather than wrapping up his statements, Brody shushed the orchestra and continued his speech. He noted that he felt strange accepting an award when the US had recently invaded Iraq, and the Best Actor winner went on to voice his hope for a quick resolution and for Americans fighting abroad to get home safely.

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Renée Zellweger (4:00)

Zellweger Won Best Actress In 2020 For Her Portrayal Of Judy Garland

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Zellweger’s performance in Judy was actually the second time that the performer had won an Oscar, but her previous experience did not stop her from talking for an unusually long time. The star began her speech with the typical thanks to her family, but the majority of the Oscar acceptance was focused on American heroes and how people can be united by moments and people who inspire them. Zellweger included cultural figures like Harriet Tubman, Bob Dylan, and Martin Scorsese in her speech, along with soldiers and firefighters.

Since Garland’s story is one that continues to inspire, Zellweger’s sentiments made sense, but her speech was still slightly longer than was necessary.

Among the many people that Renée Zellweger highlighted, understandably, the most prominent was Judy Garland herself. The actor highlighted how Judy Garland never won an Oscar award during her own life, despite being one of the most influential actors in history. Since Garland’s story is one that continues to inspire, Zellweger’s sentiments made sense, but her speech was still slightly longer than was necessary.

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Halle Berry (4:30)

The Third-Longest Oscar Speech Was Full Of Thanks

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At the 2002 Oscars, Halle Berry took home the award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Leticia Musgrove in the 2001 movie Monster’s Ball. In winning this award, Berry became the first Black woman to win Best Actress, and she reflected on the importance of the moment and how this would open doors for future performers. At the same time, Berry acknowledged the women who had come before her and the talent of several of her contemporaries, who also deserved praise.

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Halle Berry’s speech started very strongly, and the whole thing reflected her gratitude to the numerous people who helped her in her career, but at approximately four minutes and 30 seconds, Berry’s speech became the third longest in Oscars history. While the majority of Oscar winners do thank various people who have supported them or worked with them, Halle Berry took that to the extreme, spending nearly her entire speech giving thanks. However, despite the length of the speech, Berry’s historic win still marks one of the best Oscars moments to this day.

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Greer Garson (5:30)

Garson Held The Record For 82 Years

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For the majority of the Oscars’ history, Greer Garson held the record for the longest acceptance speech at five and a half minutes. Garson won Best Actress for her role in the 1942 film Mrs. Miniver, which also won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Cinematography. However, because this win came at a time before the Oscars were televised, not even the Academy’s database has Garson’s speech archived in whole.

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Of the nearly four minutes of transcript that does remain, Garson reflected on various topics. At the beginning of her speech, she remarked on what it is like to shoot a movie relating to an ongoing war, as Mrs. Miniver takes place in the UK during World War II, by praising the armed forces. She also highlighted the work of her competitors as performers who are equal winners in the award and thanked various individuals.

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Adrien Brody (5:40)

Brody Broke The Record For Longest Speech At The 2025 Oscars

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Adrien Brody holds the record as the only person to have two Oscar acceptance speeches in the 10 longest speeches, which is fitting since he also claims the record for the longest speech overall. After winning Best Actor for his role in The Brutalist at the 2025 Oscars, Brody spoke for a record-breaking 5 minutes and 40 seconds, surpassing Greer Garson’s 82-year-old record. Before getting to the stage, Brody also removed his chewing gum and threw it to his wife, which added another layer of strangeness to the moment.

Adrien Brody’s speech began with giving thanks and highlighting the privilege of the acting profession and being able to attend the Oscars. During his thanks, Brody experienced a moment similar to his win two decades ago when the orchestra began to play him off-stage. The actor stated, “Turn the music off. I’ve done this before, thank you. It’s not my first rodeo,” which has garnered criticism from many audience members. Though Brody ended with calling for more inclusivity and happiness in the world, the length of his speech was one of the more controversial moments of the 2025 Oscars.

Sources: Academy Award Speech Database, Academy Award Speech Database, Academy Award Speech Database

Oscars

8/10

Location

Los Angeles, CA

Dates

March 2, 2025

Network

ABC

Website

https://www.oscars.org/

Source: https://truongnguyenbinhkhiem.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment