BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Hot on the heels of her first Oscar nomination for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Jamie Lee Curtis was honored Saturday at the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards with a lifetime achievement honor and praised by her peers for his milestone.
At 64, Curtis is a fully-fledged adult, but she exuded a childlike energy, soaking up every moment of praise.
Jubilantly walking the red carpet in a classic black suit with floral embellishments, Curtis posed for photos with friend Brian Tyree Henry, paused mid-interview to say hello to his fellow premiere nominee Oscars Brendan Fraser and once again stopped to share a sweet moment with Jeff Bridges as the longtime friends kissed, hugged and quickly caught up before the ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
It was a night to celebrate outstanding television and movies that resonate with fans 50 and older, but the AARP Awards felt more like a pre-Oscar party, as many of the nominees found themselves under the same roof for weeks before the March 12 ceremony.
Here are the highlights of the evening:
Jamie Lee Curtis Marks ‘Huge’ Week by Receiving First Oscar Nomination for ‘Everything, Everywhere, All at Once’
“It’s been a big (expletive) week,” Curtis said on the red carpet of his Oscar nomination. “It will never sink.”
“Everything Everywhere” earned 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Star Michelle Yeoh (who missed the AARP event while filming “Wicked” in London) is a first Best Actress nominee, and Curtis and Stephanie Hsu picked up their first supporting actress nominations.
On Saturday, Curtis celebrated “Everything Everywhere” as a film about “the world’s forgotten.”
“I love that we made a film about the immigrant experience in truth, not fantasy, and that it shows the very difficult aspects of being an immigrant,” she told USA TODAY. on the red carpet.
The film’s themes of love and community spoke to Curtis. “It’s a movie about reconciliation and that if it fails, at the end of the day, we just need love,” she told USA TODAY. “This kindness and love is all we need, and the rest is not important.”
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AARP Awards host Alan Cumming and Brian Tyree Henry sing the praises of Jamie Lee Curtis
“I’m saying so many good things about you guys right now,” Lisa Ann Walter (“Abbott Elementary”) told Curtis on the red carpet as the “Black Bird” actor. Paul Walter Hauser got down on one knee and offered the stunned icon a Smashburger.
“I love you and I feed the people I love,” Hauser told Curtis before the two shared a hug.
Before going on stage to accept her award, Curtis pounded the table excitedly as Henry introduced her, then rushed out of her seat and ran down the stairs.
“For the most part, I really like being an adult,” she said during her speech. “I like that we kind of know who we are and what we are and what we like and what we don’t like, and that gave me the most confidence. I like that we know that we are here for something more than shiny things and instagram loves i love that we know and recognize that it is our responsibility to do our part before we die to just make the world a better place.
On the carpet, host Alan Cumming told USA TODAY that Curtis is “so admirable” because she fought against Hollywood beauty standards and embraced aging.
“She’s been very open about it, and that makes her feel more authentic as a person and as a performer,” Cumming said. “We love that she’s a grown woman.”
Sheryl Lee Ralph on the beauty of aging: “I respect it”
“Abbott Elementary” star Sheryl Lee Ralph, who won Best TV Actress, spoke to USA TODAY about embracing aging.
“It’s my natural face,” she said. “It’s not pulled, it’s not tucked, it’s not filled or anything and it’s my 60-year-old face. My body is still my body, it’s still me. And the way I age, is it different? Absolutely, but I respect it.”
She says she thinks of friends who died young. “I wish they had had the chance to live, to grow old, to be adults. But they didn’t. So don’t refuse to grow old, because not everyone can do it.”
‘Everywhere All at once’ is an emotional punch about erasure, queer acceptance
Meet again: Michelle Yeoh’s Reluctant Heroine Has Dazzling And Dizzying Powers ‘Everything Everywhere’
Austin Butler arrives late to fashion, Baz Luhrmann dedicates his award to Elvis Presley
As arrivals dwindled, “Elvis” star Austin Butler made a fashionable late appearance. Cue the chaos of the red carpet. The star didn’t stop for interviews, but waved to flashing cameras before stepping inside to present Luhrmann with the best director award.
“His intention is to create art for audiences of all ages to enjoy together,” Butler said in his touching introduction. “The stories are specific and its messages are universal.”
Luhrmann called Butler a “miracle” that “humanized Elvis” by bringing “his inner life, his spiritual life and his sensibility” to the forefront of the film.
“I would like to dedicate this award to Mr. Elvis Presley,” concluded the director.
Austin Butler calls ‘Elvis’ nod ‘bittersweet’: “I just wish Lisa Marie was here”
Brendan Fraser, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ star Glen Powell celebrate
Hong Chau, Oscar nominee for “The Whale,” presented Fraser with the Best Actor award.
“Tonight I stand before you as an Oscar nominee,” said Fraser, 54, to thunderous applause and a standing ovation. “I know life doesn’t begin at 50, but it can renew itself and reward beyond our wildest dreams. I am proof of that, like so many in this room.”
Glen Powell awarded producer Jerry Bruckheimer Best Picture for “Top Gun: Maverick”. As Fraser walked back to his seat with his girlfriend Jeanne Moore, he passed Powell and Bruckheimer as they went backstage to take pictures. The three welcomed their honors.
Judd Hirsch, 87, who won Best Supporting Actor for his role in ‘The Fabelmans’, joked director Steven Spielberg said there were ‘no aliens about the dinosaurs in this movie. Well, he was wrong – I’m one of two things.”
2023 Oscar Nominations: ‘Everything Everywhere’ leads with 11, Jamie Lee Curtis gets first nod
Complete List of AARP Winners
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards airs February 17 on PBS.
Professional Achievement: Jamie Lee Curtis
Best Picture/Best Film: “Top Gun: Maverick”
Best Actress: Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere At Once”)
Best actor: Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”)
Best Supporting Actress: Judith Ivey (“Women Who Talk”)
Best Supporting Actor: Judd Hirsch (“The Fabelmans”)
Best Director: Baz Luhrmann (“Elvis”)
Best screenwriter: Kazuo Ishiguro (“Live”)
Best Overall: “She says”
Best intergenerational: “Up to”
Best Time Capsule: “Elvis”
Best Love Story: “Good luck to you, Leo Grande”
Best Documentary: ‘Gabby Giffords won’t back down’
Best foreign film: “The Quiet Girl” (Ireland)
Best Television Actress: Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Abbott Elementary”)
Best TV Actor: Jeff Bridges (“The Old Man”)
Best TV Series: “The old man”
Best TV Movie/Limited Series: “Black bird”
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jamie Lee Curtis Receives AARP Award and Celebrates Oscar Nomination