Barbra Streisand was honored at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards on Saturday at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles, receiving a Life Achievement Award. The 30th annual ceremony was streamed live worldwide on Netflix for the first time.
The legendary actress, director-producer and singer is one of the few people to achieve EGOT status – meaning she's won an Emmy, Grammy and Oscar, as well as a Tony Award. For the record, he has won two Oscars, 10 Grammys, five Emmys and a Tony.
Jennifer Aniston and surprise host Bradley Cooper, who did a remake A star Is Born in 2018 (Streisand starred in the 1976 version) presented Streisand with her trophy. After a montage showcasing her career spanning more than six decades, she delivered an inspiring speech that earned her a standing ovation.
“I remember dreaming of being an actress as a teenager, sitting on my bed in Brooklyn with a pint of iced coffee,” she said. Had an epiphany during Children and dolls. “Everything was so beautiful on that screen.” Her first love was the movie star Marlon Brando. “I wanted to be the one who fell in love. This made me believe that the world was much more pleasant than anything I experienced. I didn't like reality.”
Streisand said that even though she didn't look like the other women she saw on screen and her mom told her she needed to learn to type, luckily, she didn't listen. Among the people she thanked were director William Wyler and cinematographer Harry Stradling from her first film Funny girl, who asked for her opinions and adopted them. “They never let me down… And that set the tone for my whole career.”
He added: “It is truly a privilege to be part of this profession. For a few hours, people can sit in a theater and escape from their own problems. What an idea, moving images on a screen. And I can't help but think about the people who built this industry. Ironically, they were also running away from their own problems.”
He named many of the early film industry founders who escaped prejudice in Western Europe because of their religion. “They were dreamers like all of us tonight. And now I dream of a world where such prejudices are a thing of the past,” he said.
“Barbra Streisand is an icon and unparalleled talent, a force of nature who has woven her brilliance seamlessly through the fabric of our industry,” said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher. “From her early days captivating audiences on Broadway to her unforgettable roles in such classics as 'Funny Girl,' 'The Way We Were,' and 'A Star Is Born,' Barbra's ability to inhabit her characters with authenticity it is nothing short of excellent. “
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