Barbra Streisand leaves the audience in tears with Lifetime Achievement speech at the SAG Awards
At last night's Screen Actors Guild Awards, there wasn't a dry eye in the house when Barbra Streisand was honoured with the ceremony's biggest prize. The legendary entertainer, 81, received the SAG Lifetime Achievement Award from presenters Jennifer Aniston (sporting a chic new bob) and Bradley Cooper, both of whom welcomed her to the stage with touching speeches and anecdotes.
Streisand herself was greeted with an enthusiastic standing ovation and cheers from the crowd. "This is such a wonderful award to get, because you know in advance you're going to get it," she joked. "And you don't have to sit there and squirm. Like I remember, wondering if you're gonna get it, if you're not gonna get it. And if you don't get it, you're gonna have to put on such a happy face, 'I'm so happy to lose!'."
The star – who is one of the few performers to have achieved EGOT status (winning an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony) over her six decade-long career – thanked the actors and directors that she had worked with in her expansive and emotional speech. She mentioned William Wyler (with whom she worked on Funny Girl, for which she won an Oscar in 1969) and Marlon Brando, who she called her "first crush" when watching him in 1955's Guys and Dolls.
She also praised Samuel Goldwyn, Louis B. Mayer and the Warner Brothers, for making their way in the film industry while escaping prejudice in Eastern Europe at the time. "I want to thank you for giving me so much joy, just watching all of you on the screen," she sweetly concluded. "Thank you for that."
Many of audience were seen wiping away tears, including Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Billie Eilish and Kieran Culkin. The appearance was a rare one for the legendary star, who has stayed largely out of the public eye in recent years – although she has made waves with with her recent memoir, My Name Is Barbra.
In an interview with the BBC, she hinted that she would be doing her last few interviews to promote her book, which would mark the end of her public career. "I want to live life. I want to get in my husband's truck and just wander, hopefully with the children somewhere near us.
"Life is fun for me when they come over. They love playing with the dogs and we have fun. I haven't had much fun in my life, to tell you the truth. And I want to have more fun."
See the rest of our awards coverage here, including the best-dressed from the night, and the iconic reunion of the Devil Wears Prada cast.
You Might Also Like