With the Golden Globes just around the corner, we thought we’d take a look back at some of the most memorable moments from ceremonies past. After all, while the Oscars are the film industry’s night of nights, the Golden Globes — handed out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association — are like the Oscars wilder, more rebellious, younger sibling. You know, the one who likes to drink. Basically, it’s a big party, and you never know what’s going to happen, as this list will prove.
Keep reading, and enjoy.
Glenn Close pretending to be drunk
Glenn Close may have won Best Actress in A Drama for her performance in The Wife, but personally, we think her performance of “actress drunk at the Golden Globes” was spectacular. This meme came about when hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler made the actress a punchline during their opening monologue, only to find that Glenn was absolutely willing to play along.
Lady Gaga scares Leonardo DiCaprio
It was quite a surprise when Lady Gaga won Best Actress in a mini-series for her role in American Horror Story, as most people had expected Kirsten Dunst to take home the award for her work in Fargo. That said, no one was more surprised that Leonardo DiCaprio, who was nearly startled out of his chair when Gaga brushed past him.
Tina and Amy’s Leo joke
Another great Leo moment in Golden Globes history, the actor was introduced to the stage by hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler with a divisive but very memorable joke.
J-Law’s First Wives Club joke
Before J-Law’s infamous stumble at the Oscars, there was J-Law’s iconic Golden Globes acceptance speech, which she kicked off with a quote from 1996 comedy, The First Wives Club, in which Bette Midler jokes that an Oscar has “I beat Meryl” engraved on it. The joke was lost on the Twittersphere, though, who thought that the joke was a dig at J-Law’s fellow nominee. In fact, Lindsay Lohan tweeted that “no1 should ever mess with a legend” like Meryl. In the middle of an Oscar campaign, J-Law then went on David Letterman to clear things up, joking: “I wanted to make a public statement like, ‘Hey idiots it’s a quote from a movie and it’s Meryl Streep.”
Diddy recognises Alex Ebert
Have you ever run into someone you met at a party one time? Of course you have. Have you ever done that in front of the entertainment industry, and millions of viewers sitting at home? Possibly not. Did that stop Diddy? Of course not. As he was presenting the award for Best Original Score to Alex Ebert for his work on All Is Lost, Diddy recognised the musician, exclaiming to the crowd that they had met before during one of his boat parties.
Emma Thompson takes the stage, barefoot and drinking
The absolute queen of relatability, Emma Thompson graced the Golden Globes’ stage with her Christian Louboutin shoes in one hand, and a martini in the other. “I just want you to know, this red?” she began, gesturing to the soles of her shoes. “It’s my blood.” We’ve all been there.
Christian Bale thanks Satan
Taking home the award for Best Actor in a Drama for his portrayal of former Vice President Dick Cheney in Vice, Christian Bale thanked his inspiration: Satan himself.
Chrissy Teigen’s awkward face
The other queen of relatability, Chrissy Teigen found herself instantly meme’d when the cameras landed on her during an awkward, emotional facial expression she made while watching hubby John Legend on stage. On Twitter, she joked: “Sorry I don’t practice my cry face okay”.
Renee Zellweger is in the bathroom
It’s probably every actress’ worst nightmare: You win the award, but you’re still in the toilet. As her Bridget Jones’ Diary co-star Hugh Grant announced her first Golden Globe win, confusion ensued as Renee was nowhere to be found. Just as Hugh began accepting the award on her behalf, an embarrassed Renee rushed to the stage, exclaiming: “I had lipstick on my teeth!”
Accepting the award, Renee said it was “a moment [she’d] never forget,” joking that it was “A moment [she] almost didn’t have!” Luckily, Renee got a do-over when she took home Golden Globes in 2003 (for Chicago) and 2004 (for Cold Mountain), and so far, all signs point to her winning big next year for Judy, as well.
Liz Taylor nearly forgets to read the nominees
Ever iconic, Liz Taylor — who had perhaps over-indulged a little throughout the evening — nearly forgot to read the nominees while presenting, going straight for the envelope, instead. Luckily, Dick Clark was there to save the day, as he quickly rushed on stage to remind her of the protocol.
Jack Nicholson is on Valium
While offering a mellow, rambling acceptance speech for his role in About Schmidt, Jack Nicholson casually mentioned that he “took a valium tonight”, which was met with great laughter and applause from the audience.
Natalie Portman drags the Hollywood Foreign Press Association
While onstage with Ron Howard, presenting the Best Director category in 2018, Natalie Portman went off-script as she announced the nominees, with a simple-yet-scathing: “Here are the all-male nominees”.