Niecy Nash-Betts, Bob Odenkirk, Jamie Lee Curtis, Quinta Brunson and Janelle James recalled the moments that made them want to be actors during the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, in what has become a treasured signature moment of the ceremony.
Nash-Betts shared a moving story of watching TV with her grandmother as a 5-year-old and being blown away by Lola Falana. From that moment, she said, “I wanted to be Black, fabulous and on TV.”
Meanwhile, Curtis shouted out her “nepo baby" roots: “I got my SAG card when I was 19, when I signed a seven-year contract with Universal and starred in an ABC television series called Operation Petticoat that was based on a movie that my father, Tony Curtis – nepo baby! – starred in. I was fired from that TV show a year later and I thought my life was over.” But there's a silver lining: The suddenly unemployed Curtis was able to audition for a small indie horror movie, Halloween, which turned out to be her breakout role.
The tradition dates back to 1995, when the late Angela Lansbury opened the first-ever SAG Awards with a speech listing her many accomplishments on screen: “I’ve been Elizabeth Taylor’s sister, Spencer Tracy’s mistress, Elvis’ mother and a singing teapot,” she said. Over the next few years, actors like Dennis Hopper, Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Bates and more followed in Lansbury’s footsteps, kicking off the proceedings with some career memories.
Since 2003, the format has evolved: Actors of all levels of experience now share their stories during the event, ending with the memorable catchphrase: “I am an actor.”
Head here to see the list of winners.
