I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. To you members of the Academy, to you Harvey, not only because we received tonight the award that any filmmaker would ever dream to receive, but because you’re offering me tonight the opportunity to pay tribute to a member of this Academy that I miss so much, the Oscar winner Claude Berri. And he directed movies like “The Two of Us,” “Jean de Florette” and produced and worked with directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Milos Forman, Pedro Almodovar, Roman Polanski. And I always thought and remember, will I ever one day be able to work with such director? Director that could stand in front of these example. And tonight I know I do because I am the producer of Michel Hazanavicius. And I am glad to be his producer.

Okay thank you. I’d like to say very, very important things. I want to say hi to my kids and it’s six in the morning in Paris so you should go to bed in thirty seconds. I want to say to my wife, Bérénice Bejo, who’s here that I love you, but it’s not just that, it’s about the movie. You inspired the movie and you’re the soul of the movie and the positive feeling of the movie. Thank you for being this in the movie and in my life. And I want to thank three person: I want to thank Billy Wilder. I want to thank Billy Wilder. And I want to thank Billy Wilder. Thank you very much.

Yes, thank you. Thank you very much. I have an Oscar. I forgot my speech. Okay, I am the happiest director in the world right now. Thank you for that. Thank you the Academy, thank you all of you. I want to thank my beloved producer Thomas Langmann. Thank you. I want to thank The Harvey Weinstein Company, ok. I want to thank the cast, Jean, Bérénice, you know, thank you. James Cromwell, John Goodman, Missi Pyle, Penelope, all of you, Malcolm McDowell. Thank you very much. I want to thank all the crew. I want to thank Uggie, the dog, I think he doesn’t care. I’m not sure he understand what I say. He’s not that good, but thank you.

I want to thank the financier, the crazy person who put money in that movie. I want to thank the people who helped that movie like Thierry Frémaux, or Paul Rassam, thank you. And also I want to thank the movie, because the movie, since this movie has been made, its life is full of grace and it brings to us joy and happiness and sometimes life is wonderful and today is one of these days. Thank you for giving it to me. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Thank you. Oui! I love your country. Thank you to the Academy. It’s funny because in 1929 it wasn’t Billy Crystal, but Douglas Fairbanks who hosted the first Oscar ceremony. Tickets cost five dollars and it lasted 15 minutes. Times have changed. So thank you Douglas Fairbanks. Yes Melissa, your grandfather’s spirit and joie de vivre inspired me for this role. And so many of you here tonight have inspired me. Thank you Michel, thank you for this incredible gift. Thank you my wonderful partner Bérénice Bejo. Thank you the wonderful cast and crew. My wife, I love you. Kisses Simon, Jules, Chloe. And if George Valentin could speak, he’d say, Wow! Putain, genial, merci, formidable, merci beaucoup. I love you.

Oh my god. Oh c’mon. Alright. Thank you so much. Thank you, thank you. When they called my name I’d had this feeling I could hear half of America going “oh no…oh c’mon…why…her…again?” But whatever. First I’m going to thank Don because when you thank your husband at the end of the speech they play him out with the music and I want him to know that everything I value most in our lives you’ve given me. And now secondly, my other partner: 37 years ago, my first play in New York City I met the great hairstylist and makeup artist Roy Helland and we worked together pretty continuously since the day we clapped eyes on each other. His first film with me was “Sophie’s Choice” and all the way up to tonight when he won for his beautiful work in “The Iron Lady,” 30 years later, every single movie in between.

And I just want to thank Roy but also I want to thank – because I really understand I’ll never be up here again – I really want to thank all my colleagues, all my friends, I look out here and I see my life before my eyes, my old friends, my new friends and really this is such a great honor but the thing that counts the most with me is the friendships and the love and the sheer joy we have shared making movies together. My friends, thank you, all of you, departed and here for this inexplicably wonderful career. Thank you so much. Thank you.

You’re only two years older than me darling, where have you been all my life? I have a confession to make, when I first emerged from my mother’s womb, I was already rehearsing my Academy thank you speech. But it was so long ago, mercifully for you, I’ve forgotten it. But I haven’t forgotten who to thank. The Academy, of course, for this extraordinary honor and my fellow nominees: Kenneth, Nick, Jonah, dear Max, I’m so proud to be in your company. And of course I wouldn’t be here at all if it weren’t for Michael Mills and his enchanting film, “Beginners,” and my screen partner of course, Ewan McGregor, that superb artist, who I would happily share this award with if I had any decency, but I don’t.

To all the producers, at Olympus Films especially, Leslie Urdang and Miranda de Pencier. All the people at Focus for their tremendous generosity and support, and not to mention my, haha, little band of agents provocateurs: Lou Pitt and his wife Berta, Carter Cohn, Pippa Markham, Perry Zimel, who’ve tried so hard to keep me out of jail, my daughter Amanda who always makes me proud and lastly, my long-suffering wife, Elaine, who deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for coming to my rescue every day of my life. Thank you so much.

Oh, thank you! Thank you, Academy, for putting me with the hottest guy in the room. I have to thank my families. My family in Alabama, the state of Alabama… um… my L.A. family, watching at Steven’s or at Gada, my ‘Help’ family, ‪Tate, Brunson, Kathryn, Allison Janney‬, thank you for being in my life. I share this with everybody. Thank you Steven Spielberg for changing my life, thank you Stacey Snider for changing my life.

Please wrap up, I’m wrapping up. I’m sorry, I’m freakin’ out. Thank you world! Oh God, and thank you to WME, and Viewpoint L.A. I’m sorry guys, thank you, I love you.

I would like to thank the Academy and Sony Pictures Classics and my dear friends Michael Barker and Tom Bernard. At this time many Iranians all over the world are watching us and I imagine them to be very happy. They are happy not just because of an important award or a film or a filmmaker, but because at the time when talk of war, intimidation, and aggression is exchanged between politicians the name of their country, Iran, is spoken here through her glorious culture, a rich and ancient culture that has been hidden under the heavy dust of politics. I proudly offer this award to the people of my country, the people who respect all cultures and civilizations and despise hostility and resentment. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much, this is crazy. Someone asked me if this film was for kids and, I don’t know, but it was certainly created by a bunch of grownups acting like children and we just had the best time. I want to thank the real-world chameleon, Mr. Johnny Depp, and the entire cast for coming out and playing. To the artists, “Crash” McCreery, Jim Byrkit, Hal Hickel, Tim Alexander, John Knoll, everybody at BlindWink and ILM who put so much passion into every frame, and to the early believers: John Logan, Graham King, Brad Grey, and everyone at Paramount who really let us try something different. And to my beautiful wife and my family who inspire me every day with their smiles and laughter. It doesn’t get any better than this, thank you.

This is ridiculous. Wow, okay, we want to thank the Academy for this honor. A year ago today we were sitting in our editing room, depressed thinking nobody was ever going to see this movie and a friend said, “don’t worry, next year you’ll be at the Oscars” and we said, “you’re an idiot.” So we’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to him and say you’re a lot smarter than we thought. We want to share this award with our fellow producers Ed Cunningham, Glen Zipper, and Seth Gordon. If they didn’t believe in us, we would not be standing here today. Thank you so much.

We would also like to acknowledge our fellow nominees. They have inspired us in so many ways. They should be up here with us, actually that would be fucking awesome.

Documentary!

We also are extremely indebted to our friends and family, without them and their support over the years there’s no way that we would be able to do this.

Harvey Weinstein, The Weinstein Company, Nigel Sinclair, Spitfire.

Ralph Zipper and Zipper Bros Films, Chris Miller, Tom Powers

We weren’t expecting this.

No.

I’d like to thank the Academy.

We’re missing some very important people up here with us: primarily David, who’s not here tonight, but Céan and Steven Zaillian and Scott Rudin.

There’s the Roons…miss the black tonight. [Points at Rooney Mara]

All the cast, and…God this is unbelievable.

Let’s get out of here.

We’re editors so thank you.

I can’t believe somebody put cinematography up first because it can only go up from this point. I want to thank you all. Marty, you’re a genius as usual and Graham, sticking in there all the way. I’d love to thank Ian, Chris, Gregor, Kanchan, Maya, Beauty, you’re all my family. And to all the past, future and present filmmakers, this is for you.

This is Jim and this is Nat. i'm Alexander. We bow to our fellow nominees. Stop the counter.

Thank you.

We bow to our fellow nominees. We want to thank Fox Searchlight, producer Jim Burke for all of their good works. We share this with George Clooney and the rest of the cast for interpreting this so generously. We also share it in particular with Kaui Hart Hemmings, our beautiful Hawaiian flower for her novel. And on a brief personal note if i may, my mother is here with me from Omaha. Hold the applause. And after watching the show a few years ago she made me promise that if I ever won another Oscar I had to dedicate it to her just like Javier Bardem did with his mother. So Mom, this one's for you. And thanks for letting me skip nursery school so we could go to the movies.

Wow, thank you Academy. I grew up in New Zealand watching “The Muppets” on TV. I never dreamed I’d get to work with them. And I was genuinely starstruck when I finally met Kermit the Frog. But once you get to know him, he’s just a normal frog. And like many stars here tonight, he’s a lot shorter in real life. Just a few jokes. Okay, I’d like to thank everyone who worked with me on the film especially James Bobin, for doing such a perfect job of bringing the song to life on screen; Mickey Petralia, for getting such a sweet sound; Disney, for making movies with songs in them; my wife Hannah, our two kids Vita and Leo, for all their love and support; my friends and family at home, especially my parents for never telling me to get a real job; and finally Jim Henson and his original team for creating the magical world of the Muppets. It’s a true honor to work the shadows of such legends. Thank you.

Wow, I want to pay, first of all, a tribute for the power of the music and I want to thank you and pay tribute to my co-nominees Mr. Williams, Mr. Shore, and Mr. Iglesias. And Hans Zimmer is downstairs, he refused to submit to this year’s, so I thank you for your chair Hans Zimmer. I don’t know if you can see him. Thank you [unintelligible] and all the musicians tonight for the wonderful show. Can I have ten seconds more, Hans? Sorry, I have a little speech. I’d like to thank the Academy; with this Oscar you have given a man a special honor. And to all of you, please accept me because I’ve got so much love to give. I’ve got so much love to give to you, my wife Sara is there, [French]. Thank you for all. Thank you, Michel.

Thank you to the Academy for this prestigious award. A great thank you goes to the producer Graham King and Tim Headington, to all my art department, but the most of all my very special thank you to a eccezionale director who guide us though this wonderful journey: Martin Scorsese. Thank you, thank you, thank you very much. Grazie, Martin.

This is for Martin and for Italy.

Wow, this is thrilling. I want to thank Michel Hazanavicius for making a beautiful film and having me along for the ride, Thomas Langmann for believing in the film and getting the resources together to make it, and Harvey Weinstein and The Weinstein Company for getting it out to the world. I want to thank my wonderful crew and…you know, I was just a kid from Niagara Falls who dreamed, ate, and slept movies and so I want to thank the Academy for this honor and for making a lifelong dream come true. Thank you.

Well, it’s more important that the Pakistani on the stage speak instead of me, but I just quickly want to simply thank HBO, Sheila Nevins, Lisa Heller for making this film possible, my wife Erin and our editor Davis, but please, please, Sharmeen, speak.

Daniel and I want to dedicate this award to all the heroes working on the ground in Pakistan including Dr. Mohammad Jawad who’s here with us today, the plastic surgeon working on rehabilitating all these women, Rukhsana and Zakia who are our main subjects of the film whose resilience and bravery in the face of such adversity is admirable, and to all the women in Pakistan who are working for change, don’t give up on your dreams. This is for you.

Thank you Academy and thank you to my colleague on “The Iron Lady” Mark Coulier, without whose brilliant prosthetics I wouldn’t be standing here this evening. Thanks Meryl, for keeping me employed for the last 37 years. Your brilliance makes my work look good no matter what. I’m a child of the Saturday and Sunday double-double features so getting to work in the movies is a dream come true. Thank you.

I’d just like to say what an amazing experience. Thanks to Meryl, you were incredible. And just a quick thank you to Barrie Gower and Stephen Murphy and my kids Isabelle, Ethan and my wife Amanda and my dad. Thank you guys.

Like look, we’re just these two, like swamp rats from Louisiana and this is incredibly grand. We love the movies. We love the movies more than anything. It’s been a part of our lives since we were both kids.

It’s been a part of our DNA ever since we were children and it’s made us storytellers.

And there’s guys, there’s thousands of men and women through the whole generations since the beginning of cinema that have inspired us and movies that moved us more than we ever knew you could be moved. And it’s everything we try to do every day is to honor those people and those films and we’re just down there in Louisiana and we’re going to keep on trying and going and thank you to the Academy.

Thank you our wives, thank you our families.

Especially my kids.

The Academy.

And Elizabeth and you guys. Thank you!

Thanks, this is my daughter, the producer. I want to thank the Academy. Now I don’t have to wait for her wedding to tell the world how brilliant she is. Our little film was inspired by the people of Northern Ireland, Protestant and Catholic, who after 30 years of war, sat down, negotiated a peace, and proved to the world that the Irish are great talkers. I want to dedicate this to them. And thank you again. Thank you very much.

You go.

No, “Hugo.”

I’d like to thank the members of the Academy; my crew back in New York City, you know who you are; Thelma, whose indefatigable work ethic is an inspiration to all of us; and Marty, thank you so much for yet another opportunity to work on an “other” great film. Thank you so much.

I just want to thank everybody who’s here tonight and everybody who isn’t and everybody who’s ever been born or may be born or be born again or reborn. If I’ve forgotten anybody then you probably know who you are. I specifically want to thank Graham King and Tim Headington, my wife Gail, my daughter Julia, Thelma, Marty, I love you guys, thank you.

Wow, this is an incredible honor. Thanks to the Academy; thanks to Graham King and Tim Headington for producing “Hugo”; many thanks to my fellow nominees who inspire me and you do inspire me for years; Marty and Thelma, what a joy and privilege it’s been to work with you; and my wife Priscilla for her unending love and support. Everyone back in New York at Soundtrack and C5. Thank you to Dede Allen and Dick Vorisek, you couldn’t be here tonight but I know you are both smiling.

This is such an honor, thank you so much. Thank you to my crew, Mike and Charlotte, and thank you so much to Martin Scorsese. Thank you.

Well, I didn’t expect this. I know it’s a huge thrill to be nominated, but it’s awesome to win and it’s really underrated. I really wouldn’t be here for not for the genius of Martin Scorsese. It’s an epic thrill to work on a movie with Marty and especially this particular movie and the incredible collaborators all of which are nominated here tonight. And by the grace of hundreds of artists all over the world working thousands and thousands of hours, we’re here standing up there and we appreciate that and we want to thank the Academy for recognizing them. And thank you to our producers for giving us the go-ahead to do what we did, and Graham and Tim and Paramount and everyone.