Spirit Awards: Bashing Putin, Making History and Celebrating Diversity Among Show's Memorable Moments
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- 07 Mar 2022
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Film Independent handed out its Independent Spirit Awards on Sunday. The show aired live on IFC and AMC+, but if you missed it, here are five memorable moments from the ceremony.
Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally Tell Putin to “F*** Off and Go Home”
Hosts Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally directly addressed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, telling President Vladimir Putin to “fuck off and go home.” Offerman began by telling the audience that they’d like to “send our best wishes to those affected by the war in Ukraine and all unjust conflicts around the world.” “I think we speak for everyone here when we say we are hoping for a quick and peaceful resolution. Specifically, fuck off and go home Putin,” Mullally followed up, to audience cheers and applause. Offerman reiterated Mullally’s “fuck off” sentiment, saying “that is the quick and peaceful resolution we’re talking about” before asking the crowd to join together to send Putin off with a Spirit Awards salute as he and Mullally both held up their middle fingers to the camera. — Abbey White
Troy Kotsur Makes History (Again)
Troy Kotsur made history as the first deaf actor to win at the Spirit Awards, taking home the award for best supporting male for his role in CODA, in which he plays deaf fisherman Frank Rossi. After thanking the audience, Kotsur said he was touched to be in the same room as so many other artists. “The difference between Gloucester, Massachusetts, and here in Santa Monica is that a deaf fisherman can’t afford a beer in Santa Monica: it’s expensive,” the deaf actor said via an interpreter onstage. “It’s really interesting to compare the two places.” He added that he’s “so grateful to the entire fishing community” in Gloucester who supported the film. Kotsur thanked the film’s producers and applauded them for their vision. “The spirit is here and that apple has tumbled into Hollywood. It’s an important movie,” he said. The actor’s win in the category comes after he made history as the first deaf actor to win an individual Screen Actors Guild award last week. — Katherine Schaffstall
Andrew Garfield Presents Robert Altman Award to ‘Mass’ Team
Andrew Garfield presented the Robert Altman Award to his old friend, Fran Kranz, for his film Mass, which follows two sets of parents who decide to meet and talk in the aftermath of an unthinkable tragedy. “I was kicked out of the Venice Film Festival’s premiere of Robert Altman’s Shortcuts. I was 12 years old, and my family was on vacation in Italy … and right before the lights went down they were like, “This is a kid, he can’t watch this,'” Kranz said onstage. “I always wondered, who is this Robert Altman guy and what could’ve possibly been in that movie? … I saw it and I know exactly why they kicked me out of there. I saw new definition and depth to the ideas behind acting and ensemble. I saw how different experiences can somehow still be shared human experience.” He added: “I confirmed my suspicion that Robert Altman and his films were among the gold standard of what we were all trying to do here. … It’s not an easy film to celebrate. I wanted to demand a new kind of attention on the pain grief built around this country but also the need to heal and present a new way of looking at one another, seeing one another, speaking to another and maybe find some state of grace in one another.” The Robert Altman Award is presented to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. — Beatrice Verhoeven
Simon Rex Jokes About Prominent Prosthetic After Best Male Lead Win
Simon Rex won his first Spirit Award for his leading role in Red Rocket on Sunday and thanked the organization for recognizing his prosthetic worn in Sean Baker’s film. “Ok, what the fuck?” Rex said onstage. “Thank you, Film Independent, for recognizing my fake penis. Where do I begin? Sean Baker… you took a shot on me when I could not get a callback for a Geico commercial.” Rex explained that they made Red Rocket — about a washed-up porn star who returns to his small hometown in Texas, although no one wants him there — with a very low budget and a 10-person crew during the pandemic. “We were hiding from police. We were hiding from neighbors. I was running down the street butt naked. Like, if this doesn’t embody the spirit of independent film, I don’t know what does,” Rex said. — Beatrice Verhoeven
