The only thing more trite than a star thanking their publicist, their stylist and their agent during an awards speech is laying on the waterworks.
Or, in the case of Michael Keaton, who let it rip at the Golden Globes in spectacular fashion, it can come across as painfully sincere. Just take a look at these five winning crybabies, from blubbering fools to those who attempt — in vain — to keep their cool.
Sally Field, Academy Awards, 1985
And the world is still cringing. The “Places in the Heart” winner famously laid on the schmaltz, making for an epic — and oft-mocked — speech that crescendoed into a tearful realization of her acceptance into the acting establishment — the infamous cry, “You like, me, you really like me!”
Gwyneth Paltrow, Academy Awards, 1999
Hamlet was never this over-the-top. The then-26-year-old “Shakespeare in Love” star blubbered her way through her first Oscars acceptance speech with an “Aw, shucks” quality never to be seen again. Ever since, people have mocked her for this blubbering cry fest — perhaps an early hint of just how much she could rub people the wrong way.
Halle Berry, Academy Awards, 2002
You can hardly fault the femme fatale for not keeping it together on her big night. The “Monster’s Ball” actress became the first black woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress, making for a momentous — and watery — speech for the ages.
Adele, Academy Awards, 2013
You’d think she would be used to picking up so much hardware by now. But there’s just something about the Oscars that reduces even the most composed to tears. The songstress was overcome by emotion accepting the Best Original Song statuette for “Skyfall,” for which she also won a Golden Globe and Grammy.
Kevin Durant, NBA Most Valuable Player Award, 2014
Waterpoof mascara is no longer mandatory for just the ladies. Newly minted MVP Durant cried like a baby, especially when thanking his mom for the sacrifices she made for the family — further proof that real men are comfortable with their emotions.