“My fellow Americans, I’m going to take this opportunity right here and now, to formally announce my intentions to …”
– Former Vice President Al Gore, jokingly faking a presidential announcement that was broken off by the orchestra
“If my grandmother was here to see me now – she was my biggest inspiration.”
– Jennifer Hudson, who won best supporting actress for her role in “Dreamgirls”
“Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the queen.”
– Best actress Helen Mirren, 61, holding her Oscar aloft
“This is the most international Oscars ever, which is a huge deal, I think. Spain is in the house. Japan is represented. I think I see a few Americans, as well. Of course, I’m talking about the seat-fillers. No one can fill a seat like an American.”
– Ellen DeGeneres, serving as Oscar host for the first time
“More than anything, I’m deeply moved by the open-hearted appreciation our small film has received, which, in these fragmented times, speaks so openly of the possibility of innocence.”
– Alan Arkin, after winning best supporting actor for “Little Miss Sunshine”
“Somebody else did.”
– Peter O’Toole, best-actor nominee for “Venus,” when asked why he did not win for his first nomination as star of the epic film “Lawrence of Arabia”
“I wanted to be very proper and very honest.”
– Rinko Kikuchi, nominated for best supporting actress for “Babel,” commenting on her black strapless gown, a far cry from her pompom fiasco at the Golden Globes
