“Thank you, Golden Globes”: Christopher Nolan’s Speech for 1st Golden Globes Win Has an Emotional Callback to Heath Ledger
The awards season is in full swing. As a new year begins, it gives us time to reminisce and express our appreciation for the movies that stole the spotlight in the previous year. In the Golden Globes 2024 ceremony, the world-famous director Christopher Nolan snagged the Best Director Award for his mammoth flick Oppenheimer which became an international phenomenon. Here’s what he said in his acceptance speech.
Christopher Nolan’s First Golden Globe Win
In 2009, Christopher Nolan stepped onto the Golden Globes stage to accept Heath Ledger’s Best Supporting Actor award for The Dark Knight. Fast forward to 2024 when the visionary director accepted the Best Director Award for all his impactful hard work on the movie Oppenheimer. His acceptance speech began by remembering the late Heath Ledger and then he moved on to the crew he worked with on the 2023 blockbuster.
“The only time I’ve ever been on this stage before was accepting one of these on behalf of our dear friend, [the late] Heath Ledger, and that was complicated and challenging for me. And in the middle of speaking, I looked down at Robert Downey Jr., [who] caught my eye and gave me a look of support. The same look [he’s] giving me now — the same love and support he showed so many people in your community over the years.”
By grossing millions in profits, Oppenheimer has become one of the most famous biopics of all time. With a star-studded cast, the movie attracted people from across the globe who wanted to be a part of history in the making. Being a director, Nolan emphasized the fact that even for the Best Director award, he was accepting it on behalf of his cast and crew who indeed made the movie what it was.
“I thought it would be simpler accepting for myself. But, as a director, I realize I can only accept this on behalf of people. As directors, we bring people together and we try to get them to give their best.”
Christopher Nolan’s acceptance speech for his first Golden Globe win.
See the full winners list: https://t.co/rstXyD7v3d pic.twitter.com/5wh0HaZaCk
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Nolan gave a shout-out to the actors in the movie including Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, and Emily Blunt. Oppenheimer bagged numerous nominations in this year’s Golden Globes out of which Cillian Murphy took home the Best Lead Actor in Drama award.
Other Nominated Directors
In the Best Director category, there were some big names in the running. Greta Gerwig was also nominated who was the director of Barbie, the movie that went head-to-head with Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Many people anticipated Gerwig to win the award because of the ceiling-shattering narrative of her movie.
Martin Scorsese for Killers of the Flower Moon, Bradley Cooper for Maestro, Yorgos Lanthimos for Poor Things, and Celine Song for Past Lives were also nominated for the prestigious award. As Nolan said, it’s not just the director who makes the movie extraordinary, it’s the entire crew together who ensures the movie aligns with the vision of the story.