And the winner of the Bafta is... being led away in handcuffs
Jane Fonda makes acceptance speech for gong – while being arrested over climate protest!
THE awards were announced, and the audience waited for the dewy-eyed acceptance speech...
But this time the recipient was a little tied up.
In what must surely be one the most unusual film award moments in history, Jane Fonda accepted a Bafta gong – while being arrested for protesting about climate change.
The 81-year-old had been due to collect her prestigious Stanley Kubrick award at Bafta’s annual Britannia Awards in Beverly Hills on Friday.
Instead of watching Miss Fonda take to the stage for her acceptance speech, the audience was shown a video of the screen star being arrested in Washington DC earlier in the day.
Members of audience, including Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Steve Coogan, gasped as the actress and activist was shown with her hands bound with plastic zip-ties.
Miss Fonda, who moved to the US capital four months ago to take part in regular Friday protests against global warming, was shown being cuffed and dragged off by police while yelling: ‘Thank you Bafta! Bafta, thank you for the Stanley Kubrick award for excellence in film. I’m sorry I’m not there, I’m very honoured.’
At one point the Hollywood legend, dressed in a long red coat, raised her bound hands up as if in triumph.
The awards ceremony audience were then played a taped message from the actress, who earned the nickname ‘Hanoi Jane’ for her Vietnam War protests.
In a video filmed after her release from custody, she added: ‘I’m so honoured. I can’t even believe it. I’m so grateful. It’s thrilling and I’m sorry I’m not there, but as you may have heard, I’ve been getting arrested.
‘I decided I need to do more about climate change. And so I moved to DC f or f our months, t r yi ng to heighten the sense of urgency that there needs to be.’ Fonda’s unconventional speech received rousing support, with loud cheers and a standing ovation from those gathered for the £2,500-a-ticket awards at the fivestar Beverly Hilton hotel.
Welsh actor Taron Egerton, who starred in this year’s Elton John biopic Rocketman, accepted the award on her behalf and said: ‘Jane, we are sending all our love and support.’
Miss Fonda was one of more than 30 climate protesters arrested outside the US Capitol building on charges of unlawful demonstration by what she called ‘extremely nice and professional’ police officers.
It is now the third Friday in a row that the actress has been arrested during protests in the US capital after vowing to demonstrate about climate change every Friday.
The star had said she intended to be apprehended while protesting in Washington every Friday for the next 14 weeks after being inspired to return to activism by teenage climate change protester Greta Thunberg.
Fellow Hollywood star Ted Danson, 71, was also handcuffed during the protest on Friday, which took place on the steps of the Capitol building.
He was pictured laughing as he was detained in the same handcuffs. Miss Fonda is due in court within the next few weeks and faces a fine of $250 (£216) and up to 90 days in jail if convicted of unlawful demonstration. The Oscar winner, who is receiving rave reviews for her Netflix show Grace And Frankie, was a prominent face of the anti-Vietnam War protest movement in the 1970s.
She drew outrage in 1972 when she travelled to Hanoi in North Vietnam to see the damage caused by bombing and was pictured with troops manning an anti-aircraft position.
Her dramatic acceptance speech was the talk of the awards, overshadowing other winners including Miss Waller-Bridge, who picked up a gong for Artist of the Year.