On January 5th, 2025, the 82nd Golden Globes Awards ceremony was held. During the event, I was particularly impressed by two women’ speeches: actress Demi Moore and comedian Nikki Glaser.
Demi Moore’s Outstanding Acceptance Speech
Demi Moore, best known for her role in “Ghost,” won her first-ever Best Female Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical/Comedy) award in her 45-year career.
Typically, acceptance speeches include a long list of names and expressions of gratitude. However, this can sometimes fall into what I call the “Unpleasant Pleasantry” category in my Breakthrough Method. (For more on this, refer to my analysis of Hiroyuki Sanada’s speech at the 2024 Emmy Awards.)
At the 82nd Golden Globes, Moore’s acceptance speech stood out for her storytelling skills and crystal clear One BIG Message®, despite being an impromptu speech.
Another standout from the event was host Nikki Glaser.
Let me break down the brilliant elements of their speeches from a professional speaker’s perspective and highlight key takeaways for crafting impactful speeches.
Demi Moore’s Spontaneous Yet Powerful Speech
It was clear from Moore’s reaction that she did not expect to win. Her surprise and emotional response conveyed that the speech was completely off the cuff. Despite this, she delivered a compelling 2-minute and 24-second speech without any notes, crafting a seamless narrative with a powerful message.
Here’s Moore’s full speech :
*”Oh wow. I really wasn’t expecting that. I’m just in shock right now. I’ve been doing this a long time, like over 45 years, and this is the first time I’ve ever won anything as an actor. I’m just so humbled and so grateful.
Thirty years ago, a producer told me that I was a ‘popcorn actress.’ (*) At the time, I believed that meant I could do successful, profitable movies but would never receive recognition. I bought into that belief, and over time, it corroded me to the point where I thought I had done all I could.
At a low point, I received a script that was bold, courageous, and completely out-of-the-box — it was called ‘The Substance.’ The universe was telling me I wasn’t finished.
One key message this film imparts is that in moments when we feel we’re not smart enough, pretty enough, thin enough, or successful enough — essentially, just not enough — I remember something a woman once told me: ‘You will never be enough, but if you put down the measuring stick, you can understand your worth.’ Today, I celebrate this as a marker of my wholeness, of the love that drives me, and of the gift of doing what I love. Thank you so much.”*
(*) “Popcorn actress” is a term often used to describe actresses who appear in entertaining, light-hearted films without much depth, likened to popcorn at the movies. The label implies a lack of serious acting skills or artistic qualities.
2 Key Takeaways from Demi Moore’s Speech
- Use Personal Stories to Connect
Moore shared her experience of being labeled a “popcorn actress” without blaming or criticizing anyone. By framing it as a personal story, she invited the audience to empathize with her.
In the Breakthrough Method, we highlight the importance of the “4 Fs” in crafting compelling stories:
- Failures
- Flaws
- Frustrations
- Firsts
Moore’s story perfectly embodied “Frustration” and “Flaw,” resonating deeply with the audience.
Additionally, her speech was effective because she dived into the story immediately. Without long introductions or disclaimers, she captivated the audience with the powerful, unexpected, almost shocking opening statement, “Thirty years ago, a producer told me I was a ‘popcorn actress.'”
- Anchor Your Story with One BIG Message®
Even the most compelling story won’t leave a lasting impact without a clear message. What is the big idea you want to convey through your story? In the Breakthrough Method, I call this the “One BIG Message®.”
Moore’s One BIG Message® was: “Know the value of your worth.”
She urged the audience not to measure their value by external standards but to recognize their intrinsic worth. This message aligns with the core theme of the movie she played a lead role in – “The Substance” – reinforcing the power of the film and her personal journey.
Nikki Glaser’s Outstanding Hosting
Nikki Glaser is a celebrated comedian, host, and actress in the U.S., known for her sharp humor and insightful commentary. She frequently performs at roast events, where celebrities are humorously teased and honored.
Hosting the Golden Globes was a significant responsibility, especially after the previous year’s host, Joe Koy, faced backlash for controversial jokes about “Barbie” and Taylor Swift. With heightened sensitivities and the political climate ahead of the next presidential inauguration, Glaser had to balance humor with respect.
Glaser skillfully delivered edgy jokes without alienating the A-list audience. She began the evening by calling the event “the biggest night for Ozempic (weight-loss drug) users“, and delivered razor-sharp humor. Cynically hilarious!
Then she continued her opening monologue as follows:
“I’m not here to roast you tonight. How could I, really? You’re all so famous, so talented, so powerful. You can do anything. Well, except tell the country who to vote for.”
What a roast from the get-go!!
Throughout the nearly three-hour live broadcast, she maintained a lighthearted tone, kept the audience laughing, and redeemed the Golden Globes after last year’s flop, expertly fulfilling her role as host.
But her success as a host didn’t magically happen without her pain-staking preparation. It’s reported that Nikki Glaser refined her monologue 93 times before stepping onto the Golden Globes stage.
1 Key Lesson to Learn from Nikki Glaser:
Common Pitfalls Most People Face
How many rehearsals do you do before your big presentation day?
Does any of this sound familiar to you?
– Writing the script down, or prepare a Power Point, and going through it a few times, and calling it “done.”
– Never reciting it out loud.
– Never testing how it lands in a room or resonates in your own voice.
– Or just winging it because “I’m good at improvising.”
But here is the thing. Great speeches aren’t just written—it’s tested, refined, and rehearsed again and again and again.
It’s not enough to know your message on paper. You need the message to be in YOUR own words. You need to identify what feels awkward and what feels genuine. You need to truly embody it.
But it’s not about spending forever rehearsing it aimlessly. Preparation needs to be done strategically and effectively.
Strategically Rehearsing 93 Times
For months leading up to the event, Nikki Glaser tested, adjusted, and refined her material at small venues. She felt the timing, understood when a joke landed or needed a pause, and let the words become part of her.
Moreover, she was strategic about who she sought feedback from. She received advice from trusted peers like Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers. But feedback is not something to seek from just anyone—it matters who you ask. Feedback providers should:
- Have deep knowledge or experience in the field.
- Offer sharp analytical insights aligned with what you need.
- Be someone you trust personally.
As a result, her performance seemed “effortless,” but in reality, it was carefully crafted and intentional. This is true in any field, right? My daughter is a competitive figure skater, and I see Olympic-level skaters every week on the rink. Their dedication and strategic approach to each and every practice are behind their “effortless” elegance in performances you see on TV. But most people don’t see behind-the-scene.
For those who want to delve deeper into building persuasive speeches and presentations effectively, my book “Uncover Your Message” (Routledge Publishing) explains this process in detail.
If you have a speech or presentation coming up, first try reading the whole script out loud, and revise it from “written material” to “speaking material” in your own conversational style. Then clarify what emotion you want your audience to feel. Revise, refine, rehearse!!
As Nikki Glaser demonstrated at the Golden Globes, a performance that looks “effortless” doesn’t come without effort.
