Lively, Vergara tout empowerment
Celebrities have plenty to say at People’s Choice Awards
Ah, the People’s Choice Awards, the show where you’re guaranteed to predict winners if you even halfglance at the celebrities in the audience. (Well hello, Tom Hanks, what could you possibly be doing here?)
The night also provided some fairly noteworthy celebrity quotes, thanks to five acceptance speeches:
1 Blake Lively
As Lively accepted her trophy for favourite dramatic movie actress (for The Shallows), she started talking about the Spice Girls, which seemed random — but then segued into an empowering message, explaining that the iconic ’90s pop group was her first introduction to“girl power .”
“When you guys voted for this (award), you didn’t just vote for this movie or me, but you voted for girl power,” Lively said. “Thank you for sending a message to Hollywood that people want to hear stories about women ... Tell your stories, now more than ever. You need to be heard. You are valuable and no one can limit you.”
2 Tyler Perry
The actor-producer accepted the favourite humanitarian award, honoured for the many times he’s helped people after hearing about their struggles on the news. Perry was the only star who directly addressed the divisive state of the country:
“What I have found and what has been so important to me right now is that as I look at the state of the world and the state of our country and everything that is going on, it is so important that we know that no matter how dark it gets, we all have to be light for each other,” he said. “You turn on your phone, you turn on your television, you are met with darkness, negativity, death, destruction, terrorism, murder, hate, racism. You don’t even need to search for it because it’s searching for you. It can find you. It’s right there beside you. It’s in your pocket. And you have to be careful of that when you have things that close to your pocket that they don’t seep into your heart.”
Perry continued: “If you keep taking it in, it can consume you. It can make you become cynical and jaded and remove you from all the struggles of our brothers and sisters and look at it and think ‘Well, you know, it’s just another person going through.’ But what is so important that we all understand is that no matter what everybody’s going through, or anybody’s going through, we’re all going through it together.”
3 Blake Shelton
In what universe does Blake Shelton’s If I’m Honest win favourite album over Beyoncé, Rihanna, Drake and Ariana Grande? The People’s Choice universe, of course! Shelton, to his credit, acknowledged this:
“I look at that category of album of the year and I know that somewhere out there, there’s somebody going, ‘I mean, how did he win album of the year? Isn’t that just a country album full of stereotypical drinking and cheating and tailgates?’” he said. “And to that person I say: You’re damn right it is. Thank you.”
4 Sofia Vergara
The Modern Family star, frequently the target of ridicule at awards shows, landed her first People’s Choice trophy for favourite comedic TV actress — and urged Hol- lywood to hire more Latin actors.
“Never in a million years I thought that with this ridiculous accent I was ever going to be able to be a part of something so successful, something so loved by all of you. I haven’t taken (it) for granted, not even one day of these eight years,” she said.
“It has opened so many doors for me in my career. It has changed my life,” Vergara said. “It has opened so many doors for other Latin actors, and we need so much more doors to be open. But I am thankful. Please keep giving us opportunities, because we will not disappoint you.”
5 Johnny Depp
The A-lister has kept a low profile since his ugly public divorce from actress Amber Heard, who accused him of domestic abuse (he denied the allegations). They settled the case in August and the divorce was finalized last week. Depp looked emotional as the audience loudly cheered his return.
“I came here for you, the people — who, through whatever good times or bad, you know, have stood by me, trusted me. Thank you,” Depp said. “You’ve very, very graciously invited me here once again tonight. So I appreciate that very much. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. I was very deeply affected by the kindness of your recognition and by your well wishes to my family and to myself, which is why it’s especially meaningful to me to be here in front of you to say thank you. And to tell you that I truly feel that need to thank you.”