Tom Hiddleston's [1]remarkable performance in the television miniseries The Night Manager scored him a Golden Globe [2]on Sunday night when he beat out the heavily favored Courtney B. Vance of 'The People V. OJ Simpson' in a shocking upset.
The performance that followed that win was not quite so remarkable however, with Hiddleston taking the stage to collect his prize for Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television and then launching into a bizarre speech.
In his remarks, Hiddletson told the audience about volunteering with the United Nations Children's Fund in South Sudan and meeting humanitarian workers who are dealing with the crisis.
He then revealed that these workers all wanted to meet him because they had just binge watched all six episodes of his show The Night Manager, and that he was able to 'provide' them with 'relief' because of his acting in the program.
On Monday afternoon, Hiddleston posted a message on Facebook [3]to apologize for his speech, saying: I just wanted to say… I completely agree that my speech at the Golden Globes last night was inelegantly expressed.
'In truth, I was very nervous, and my words just came out wrong.'
He later voiced his admiration for the residents of South Sudan and the many humanitarian workers who have come to their aid while the country is being savaged by a civil war, stating: 'Sincerely, my only intention was to salute the incredible bravery and courage of the men and women who work so tirelessly for.'
Hiddleston then ended his remarks by saying: 'I apologise that my nerves got the better of me.'
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Self-serving? Tom Hiddleston's thank you speech on Sunday has come under fire, after he launched into a tale about visiting South Sudan
Brutal: He was quickly mocked on Twitter as he appeared to make South Sudan all about him
Bad blood: Twitter was alight with criticism for the British actor
Stellar turn: He won his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in The Night Manager (Hiddleston above with fellow winner Hugh Laurie)
Hiddleston, who famously dated Taylor Swift over the summer, then closed out his misdirected and meandering remarks by stating: 'So I dedicate this to those out there who are doing their best.'
After realizing that was the point of the 35-year-old actor's story, many of the celebrities in the audience looked dumbfounded while Twitter user Anna Silman wrote: 'No wonder TSwift ended things.'
It is unclear if Hiddleston's remarks had been prepared prior to the ceremony in the event that he won or if just delivered his speech on the spot with no real plan,assuming he would not win the category,
An audible gasp was heard from the star-studded room as he changed gears from a tale about humanitarians in the region that is currently in the grips of a brutal civil war.
It also became clear that the story appeared to be a plug for the beauty of his miniseries The Night Manager and his abilities as an actor as much as it was a nod to these workers.
Hiddleston was soon being mocked on Twitter[4] by viewers who noticed the uncomfortable reactions of actors including Christian Slater, Vince Vaughn and Naomie Harris when the camera panned to their faces during Hiddleston's two-minute long self-congratulatory story.
Actor Joshua Malina of West Wing and Scandal fame went after Hiddleston on Twitter right after he was done speaking, writing: 'Thank you to Tom Hiddleston and all actors who dare to perform in projects that are shown in some of the most dangerous parts of he world.'
Another user wrote: 'I see T-Hiddle's white saviour complex is still alive and well.'
When asked later that night about the reaction on twitter to his acceptance speech, he humbly told TMZ[5]: 'We've all just got to do our best to help each other out.'
The speech began with him thanking his co-stars, the writer and his agents, muich like every single other speech delivered on the stage at the Beverly Hilton on Sunday night.
Tom then launched in a tale about the recent trip he'd made to the South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011.
Score: Hugh Laurie (above with Hiddleston) got a big laugh while joking that this would likely be the last ever Golden Globes because Trump hates Hollywood, foreigners and the press
Sarcasm: This writer lavished Tom with tongue-in-cheek praise
Ouch! This Twitter user was clear on his thoughts on the speech
Critics: Twitter users didn't seem impressed by his tale
'A quick story, I know it's been a long night,' said Hiddleston, who picked up his award about two hours into the three hour ceremony.
'I recently went to South Sudan, which is the youngest country in the world - in east Africa, with the United Nations Children's Fund. I do a little bit of work with them, try to spread the word as best I can. It's a terrible situation happening for children.
'The Night Manager is about arms dealing and there are far too many arms going in to South Sudan.'
He continued: 'There's a curfew at 6pm every night because humanitarian aid workers have to be inside so that it's safe - by 6. One night we were having a bite to eat at the canteen where we were staying. And a group of young men and women tottered over to the table and were all having what they call a 'dirty beer' in humanitarian language.
'They were a group of Médecins Sans Frontières doctors and nurses and they wanted to say hello because during the shelling the previous month they had binge watched the Night Manager.
'The idea that I could provide - or that we could provide some relief and entertainment for the people that work for UNICEF and Médecins Sans Frontières and the World Food Programme who are fixing the world in the places where it is broken made me immensely proud.'
Puzzled: Viewers noticed the uncomfortable reaction of Christian Slater in the audience
Awkward: Naomie Harris was noted by watchers to not quite know where to look during the acceptance speech
Pursed lips: Vince Vaughn looked peeved as the camera panned to him during Tom's two minute acceptance on stage
Hiddleston plays Jonathan Pine in the drama series based on John Le Carre's noivel, which also stars Hugh Laurie, Olivia Colman and Elizabeth Debicki.
Laurie and Colman also picked up awards on Sunday in the Best Performance by an Actress and Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television categories.
Those two fared far better than their co-star, with Colman saying nothing as she was not in attendance and Laurie getting a big laugh while joking that this would likely be the last ever Golden Globes.
'I don't meant to be gloomy, it's just that it has the words Hollywood, Foreign, and Press in the title; I just don't know what...,' he joked, making a clear dig at Donald Trump.
'I think to some Republicans even the word association is slightly sketchy.'
Tom will next be on the big screen on Kong: Skull Island, due for release on March 10, and also has Thor: Ragnarok coming out on November 3, and animated feature Early Man due for release in January 2018 - so he may not have to worry again about acceptance speeches for some time.
References
- ^ Tom Hiddleston's (www.bing.com)
- ^ Golden Globe (www.bing.com)
- ^ Facebook (www.bing.com)
- ^ Twitter (www.bing.com)
- ^ TMZ (www.tmz.com)
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