Taking a Stand at the Oscars: 18 Stars Who Have Spoken Out During the Ceremony

Leonardo DiCaprio Issues a Warning About Climate Change

In 2016, first-time winner Leonardo DiCaprio — who snagged a Best Actor Oscar for his performance in The Revenant — used his time at the podium to draw attention to environmental activism.

"Making The Revenant was about man's relationship with the natural world, a world that we collectively felt in 2015 as the hottest year in recorded history," the actor said. "Climate change is real, it is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating."

He continued: "We need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters or the big corporations, but who speak all of humanity, for the indigenous people of the world, for the billions and billions of underprivileged people who will be most affected by this, for our children's children and for those people out there whose voices have been drowned out by the politics of greed."

Michael Moore Lashes Out at President Bush

In 2003, Michael Moore won Best Documentary Feature for Bowling for Columbine. During his acceptance speech, the outspoken filmmaker challenged President George W. Bush's involvement in the Iraq War and the very veracity of his presidential election win.

"We live in the time where we have fictitious election results that elects a fictitious President," Moore said, referencing the controversial 2000 Bush v. Gore recount. "We live in a time where we have a man sending us to war for fictitious reasons.... We are against this war, Mr. Bush. Shame on you, Mr. Bush, shame on you," he added, drawing both boos and cheers from the crowd.

Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins Sound Off on the Detention of HIV-Positive Haitians

Then-couple Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins got banned from presenting at the Oscars after giving an impromptu speech while announcing the award for Best Film Editing in 1993. The duo went off-script to urge the U.S. government to close the Cuban internment camp where they were holding 250 Haitian refugees who'd tested positive for HIV.

"Their crime? Testing positive for the HIV virus," Robbins said.

The pair's ban has since been lifted.

Richard Gere Backs Tibet

Richard Gere joined Sarandon and Robbins in temporary Oscars exile after the 1993 Oscars, when, onstage to present for Best Art Direction, the actor appealed to Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping.

"I wondered if Deng Xiaoping is actually watching this right now, with his children and his grandchildren, and with the knowledge that what a horrendous, horrendous human-rights situation there is in China, not only towards their own people but to Tibet as well," Gere said. "If something miraculous, really kind of movie-like, could happen here, where we could all kind of send love and truth and a kind of sanity to Deng Xiaoping right now in Beijing, that he will take his troops and take the Chinese away from Tibet and allow people to live as free independent people again."

Marlon Brando Sends Sacheen Littlefeather to Accept His Award

The Godfather actor wasn't at the ceremony to accept his Best Actor statue in 1973. To protest the siege at Wounded Knee and the depiction of Native Americans in television and film, Marlon Brando sent the president of the National Native American Affirmative Image Committee, Sacheen Littlefeather, in his place.

Brando gave the Apache activist a 15-page speech to read, but she saved it for the press room and instead improvised an onstage address after she was warned not to go over her time.

"[Brando] very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award. And the reasons for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry," Littlefeather said, drawing a mixed reaction from the crowd, "and on television in movie reruns, and also with recent happenings at Wounded Knee. I beg at this time that I have not intruded upon this evening and that we will in the future, our hearts and our understandings will meet with love and generosity."

The Academy banned accepting awards by proxy after the demonstration.

Sean Penn Slams Proposition 8

In 2009, Milk star Sean Penn criticized the passing of California's Proposition 8, which made same-sex marriage illegal in the state.

"For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren's eyes if they continue that way of support. We've got to have equal rights for everyone," Penn said during his Best Actor speech.

Vanessa Redgrave Stands Behind Palestine

Jewish Defense League protestors stood outside the 1978 awards to denounce Redgrave, who advocated for Palestinians and had just produced and narrated The Palestinian, a documentary about Palestine.

When she took to the stage to accept her award for portraying an anti-Nazi heroine in Julia, Vanessa Redgrave shot back at the "Zionist hoodlums whose behavior is an insult to the stature of Jews all over the world and to their great and heroic record of struggle against fascism and oppression. And I salute that record, and I salute all of you for having stood firm and dealt a final blow against that period when Nixon and McCarthy launched a worldwide witch hunt against those who tried to express in their lives and their work the truth that they believed in," she continued. "I salute you, and I thank you, and I pledge to you that I will continue to fight against anti-Semitism and fascism."

Patricia Arquette Champions Wage Equality

The actress took home the Best Supporting Actress statue for Boyhood in 2015, but not before putting Hollywood — and the country — on notice for its problem with gender equality.

"To every woman who gave birth, to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else's equal rights. It's our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America," Arquette said during her acceptance speech, prompting audience members — including Jennifer Lopez and Meryl Streep — to erupt in applause.

Bert Schneider Reads a Letter from the North Vietnamese

Having won Best Documentary Feature for the Vietnam War movie Hearts and Minds in 1975, the producer brought his anti-war cause to the stage.

"It is ironic that we are here at a time just before Vietnam is about to be liberated," he said. Schneider then read a telegram from Ambassador Dinh Ba Thi, who was the head of the North Vietnamese delegation at the Paris peace talks. "Please transmit to all our friends in America our recognition of all that they have done on behalf of peace and for the application of the Paris Accords on Vietnam," he read. "These actions serve the legitimate interest of the American people and the Vietnamese people. Greetings of friendship to all the American people."

John Legend and Common Address Racial Justice

John Legend and Common were honored with the award for Best Original Song for Selma's "Glory" in 2015. While the film commemorated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1965 march in Alabama, the singers used their time onstage to raise awareness about the current injustices plaguing America and declare their support for activists.

"We wrote this song for a film that was based on events that were 50 years ago, but we say that Selma is now, because the struggle for justice is right now," Legend said. "We know that the Voting Rights Act that they fought for 50 years ago is being compromised now in this country today. Right now, the struggle for freedom and justice is real. We live in the most incarcerated country in the world. There are more Black men under correctional control today than were under slavery in 1850. When people are marching with our song, we want to tell you we are with you, we see you, we love you and march on."

Charles Ferguson Takes on Wall Street's Impunity

The director won an Oscar in 2011 for Inside Job, a documentary about the elements that led to the 2008 financial crash, and doubled down on the film's message when he took to the stage.

"Forgive me, I must start by pointing out that three years after our horrific financial crisis caused by financial fraud, not a single financial executive has gone to jail, and that's wrong," Ferguson said.

The Smiths Boycott the Ceremony Following All-White Acting Nominations

A number of stars spoke out against the Oscar's lack of diversity after the Academy's 2016 nominations failed to recognize any Black actors. While Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs said in a statement that she was "both heartbroken and frustrated" by the sheer whiteness of the nominees, and promised "the Academy is taking dramatic steps to alter the makeup of our membership," Will and Jada Pinkett Smith announced they would be boycotting the awards in protest.

Will Smith appeared on Good Morning America to discuss why he and his wife would not be attending the ceremony in the wake of the controversy. "At this current time we're uncomfortable to stand there and say this is OK," he said. "There's going to be children who are gonna sit down and watch this show and they're not gonna be represented."

Frances McDormand Champions Female-Led Stories in Hollywood

Upon accepting the award for Best Actress for her role in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Frances McDormand called upon female nominees across all categories to stand up in solidarity — echoing the then-recent #MeToo and Time's Up movements — as she addressed the many women-centric stories waiting to be supported by Hollywood.

"Look around, ladies and gentlemen, because we all have stories to tell and projects we need financed," McDormand stated. "Don't talk to us about it at the parties tonight. Invite us into your office in a couple days, or you can come to ours, whatever suits you best, and we'll tell you all about them. I have two words to leave with you tonight, ladies and gentlemen: 'inclusion rider.' "

Joaquin Phoenix Stands Up for Animal Rights

When awarded the Best Actor trophy in 2020 for his performance in Joker, Joaquin Phoenix — a staunch animal rights activist — redirected the spotlight from himself and used his "voice for the voiceless.” 

"I think, whether we’re talking about gender inequality or racism or queer rights or indigenous rights or animal rights, we’re talking about the fight against injustice," Phonex said. "I think that we’ve become very disconnected from the natural world, and many of us, what we’re guilty of is an egocentric worldview — the belief that we’re the center of the universe."

He continued, "We go into the natural world, and we plunder it for its resources. We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow, and when she gives birth, we steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. Then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf, and we put it in our coffee and our cereal."

Regina King, Daniel Kaluuya and Tyler Perry Address Racial Injustices Amid Black Lives Matter

In the year following 2020's Black Lives Matter movement — which sparked nationwide discussions on systemic racism in the U.S. — several actors used their platforms on the Oscars stage to address racial inequalities both in America and in Hollywood.

One Night in Miami director Regina King opened the show with a subtle mention of Derek Chauvin's conviction for the murder of George Floyd, stating, “If things had gone differently in Minneapolis, I may have traded in my heels for marching boots.”

Similarly, Daniel Kaluuya — upon receiving the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in Judas and the Black Messiah — called on Hollywood to do more in amplifying Black voices. "[The Black Panther Party] showed us that the power of union, the power of unity, that when they play divide and conquer, we say unite and ascend," Kaluuya said. "There's so much work to do, guys. And that's on everyone in this room. This ain't no single-man job."

Tyler Perry, while accepting the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, used his time to urge listeners to "refuse hate," saying:  "With all of the internet and social media and algorithms and everything that wants us to think a certain way, the 24-hour news cycle, it is my hope that all of us would teach our kids, and I want to remember just refuse hate, don't hate anybody."

Jessica Chastain Advocates for the LGBTQ Community

In the wake of Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill — which restricts the way classrooms address issues on sexual orientation and gender identity — The Eyes of Tammy Faye star Jessica Chastain spent her time onstage accepting the Best Actress award advocating for the LGBTQ community.

"Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. It’s touched many families. It’s touched mine and especially members of the LGBTQ community who oftentimes feel out of place with their peers," Chastain said. "We’re faced with discriminatory and bigoted legislation that is sweeping our country with the only goal of further dividing us. There’s violence and hate crimes being perpetuated on innocent civilians all over the world."

She continued, "For any of you out there who do, in fact, feel hopeless or alone, I just want you to know that you are unconditionally loved for the uniqueness that is you."