Emmys 2013: Six greatest acceptance speech moments

1/20

From “Breaking Bad’s” big win to the world’s shortest acceptance speech, here’s a look at some of the best and worst moments from the 2013 Emmy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

2/20

E!’s red carpet coverage has pioneered such red carpet firsts as the finger fetish-izing “Mani-Cam,” but this year’s addition, the “Glamazoom,” may be the least inspiring yet. The camera allows E!’s red carpet experts to zoom in on the details of any starlet’s Emmy ensemble and really be able to critique it with maximum effectiveness. We can only hope that deep within the E! channel’s bunker, there is a J. Robert Oppenheimer-like figure, wracked with fear and remorse over the red carpet innovation he has unleashed upon the world. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

3/20

Aside from all the blah-blah-blah, occasionally, a true, interesting moment transpires in front of the cameras on the red carpet. In this case, it was “Big Bang Theory” star Jim Parsons meeting “Behind the Candelabra” star Michael Douglas for the very first time. Douglas went out of his way to praise Parsons and tell him how much his children enjoyed watching his show. Parsons, visibly taken aback said, “You’re so nice.” Douglas replied, “No, I’m not.” Right away, Parsons replied, “Well, you’re not mean.” Great comeback and part of the reason Parsons keeps winning these things. (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)

4/20

Guliana Rancic asked newlywed Aaron Paul, nominated for his role in “Breaking Bad,” about what viewers would see if E! were to do a reality series about Paul’s first year of marriage to wife, Lauren Parsekian (pictured). Paul attempted to answer as honestly as he could, but did we mention his mom was standing right there? She was. (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)

5/20

CBS almost had a messy situation on its hands when the NFL game between the Jets and the Bills nearly ran into the scheduled Emmy broadcast time. What dedicated awards fans could have been thinking when they switched over from E! to find football encroaching on their glamour-ama is anyone’s guess. Crying? Swearing? Gnashing of teeth? Yet somehow, as if by magic, the game ended just one minute before 5 p.m. PDT. (Rich Schultz / Getty Images)

6/20

After several sterling Tony Awards hosting jobs, everyone seemed primed to see him bring that same magic to the Emmys. Sadly, NPH (second from right) is only a mortal. Same as you and me. And like you and me, he stumbled his way through an awkward and interminable opening film and monologue that was extended to painfully unfunny lengths through the addition of four former Emmy hosts (including, from left, Jane Lynch, Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon). (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

7/20

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler heckling from the audience: “Take your pants off! Twerk!” and Kevin Spacey channeling his Frank Underwood role from “House of Cards” were clever and fun highlights. (Robert Gauthier/ Los Angeles Times)

8/20

It’s rare that the first award of the night offers up the best speech, but in this case it’s true. Supporting actress in a comedy series winner Merrit Wever was visibly shocked when she won the award for her role on the Showtime series “Nurse Jackie.” So shocked, in fact, that she gave one of the all-time great acceptance speeches: “Thank you so much! Um -- I gotta go. Bye.” In three sentences, she earned the respect of every award-weary performer in Hollywood. (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

9/20

The Emmys are a celebration of TV, which is nice because most everything on TV is archived in some capacity. So it was an odd choice to not air a single moment of footage of the late Jonathan Winters during his tribute. Instead, Robin Williams spoke eloquently about the man and even performed a bit of one of his most famous routines. It’s nice that Williams has such clear memories of Winters, the rest of us will have to make due with Williams’ Winters impression. Or Rob Reiner’s best Archie Bunker. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

10/20

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tony Hale carried their characters from “Veep” up on the stage for Dreyfus’ win for actress in a comedy series. Hale, who had just won for supporting actor in a comedy series, stood behind, holding her clutch and whispering acceptance speech suggestions, such as “You love them so much.” If only more performers brought their characters on stage with them, maybe people wouldn’t dread award speeches so much. (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

11/20

Tonight’s mid-Emmy restroom/snack, brought to you by Elton John, came at an inopportune moment for CBS. For while Sir Elton was lulling the Nokia Theatre audience asleep to the tune of his new Liberace tribute song, the at-home audience was discovering that the penultimate episode of “Breaking Bad” was starting right at that moment. Hey, where did everybody go? (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

12/20

Laura Linney didn’t attend the Emmys, and surprise, surprise, she won the award for lead actress in a miniseries for “The Big C: Hereafter.” Getting in a slight dig, presenter Matt Damon told the crowd, “She’s such a great actress, she didn’t even need to show up.” That’ll teach her. (Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP)

13/20

“Homeland” writer Henry Bromell died earlier this year, so when it was announced that he had won the Emmy for best writing in a drama series, his widow came to the stage. Visibly moved, Sarah Bromell kept her remarks very short but very affecting. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

14/20

Here’s where we say something about how host Neil Patrick Harris seemed obligated to do a song-and-dance number for the Emmys and, therefore, did a song called “This Is the Number in the Middle of the Show,” which seemed uninspired and dull. And then we wrote something about how it didn’t seem like anyone really cared enough to put their hearts into it. And neither did we. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

15/20

Bobby Cannavale was up against Mandy Patinkin, Aaron Paul and other great actors for the supporting actor in a drama series. But Cannavale was the surprise winner for “Boardwalk Empire.” His gushing, astonished, self-effacing speech was better than the usual canned emotion given out by long-expected winners. (Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP)

16/20

There’s nothing like giving an award to an underdog to get some good TV. For best actor in a drama series, most thought it would go to Bryan Cranston, Kevin Spacey or Damian Lewis. But no, it was Jeff Daniels, starring in the polarizing HBO drama “The Newsroom,” who won. And just to prove how much he didn’t expect it, Daniels came on stage chewing gum. “Well, crap,” he said, by way of acceptance. Indeed. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP / Getty Images)

17/20

The Emmys decided to pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of 1963 this year, which included such Emmy-worthy moments as the JFK assassination. It also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ American TV debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” which technically happened in 1964. To pay tribute, singer Carrie Underwood performed the Beatles’ hit “Yesterday,” which actually didn’t come out until 1965. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

18/20

Michael Douglas’ personal life may be a little rough these days (he recently separated from wife Catherine Zeta-Jones), but he was in rare form when he came to the stage to accept the Emmy for lead actor in a miniseries or movie for playing flamboyant piano-playing superstar Liberace in the HBO movie “Behind the Candelabra.” Referring to his co-star and onscreen lover, Matt Damon, Douglas quipped, “This was a two-hander, and you’re only as good as your other hand. Matt, you deserve half this. You want the bottom or the top?” (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

19/20

The final few minutes of any marathon awards show can find most people a little punchy. Maybe that’s why Will Ferrell’s bit about coming on stage in shorts and T-shirt with his three kids in tow went over so well. Claiming that he was a last-minute presenter to announce the winners of best comedy series and best drama series, the Ferrell clan stole the show. (Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP)

20/20

“Modern Family” won the Emmy for best comedy series, and “Breaking Bad” won for best drama series. Neither show was a surprise win, but “Family” executive producer Steve Levitan summed up the feelings perfectly with his speech: “This may be the saddest Emmys ever, but we couldn’t be happier.” (Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP)

By Patrick Kevin Day

Sept. 23, 2013 6:30 AM PT

For most award shows, the acceptance speeches are the worst part. Laundry lists of names get checked off, and there are casual nods to fellow nominees and occasionally breathless exclamations. They’ve become so deadly that awards show producers have instituted even stricter limits on how long these speeches can last.

Still, this hasn’t made the speeches more interesting, so instead, the voting members of the TV academy came up with an ingenius new approach. Instead of voting along popular conventional wisdom, make a series of wackadoo voting choices and sit back as flabbergasted performer after flabbergasted performer comes to the stage to accept his or her award.

For the 65th Emmys show, that tactic seems to have gone a long way to redeeming what was otherwise a show of lackluster comedy bits and awkwardly staged “In Memoriam” tributes.

Emmys 2013: Full coverage | Best & worst Emmy moments | Red carpet video | Quotes from the stars

So here, for the perusal of future awards show winners (we’re looking at you, Oscar hopefuls) are some of the best acceptance speech moments from the 2013 Emmy awards:

Very short, very sweet: “Nurse Jackie’s” Merritt Wever clearly wasn’t ready to be the night’s first award recipient. Her win for supporting actress in a comedy series came as a shock to the audience, and to her as well. Her speech, in its entirety: “Thank you so much! Um ... I gotta go. Bye.” A speech so great, not even Sorkin or Mamet would have thought to try it.

Bring the characters to the stage: Singers usually perform their nominated song at the Oscars, so why shouldn’t actors show off a little of their skill at these award shows? Julia Louis-Dreyfus clearly got the message. She came to the stage to accept the award for lead actress in a comedy series and carried along a little bit of her “Veep” character, Selina Meyer. Co-star Tony Hale (himself an Emmy winner), became her aide, just like on the show, standing just behind her, carrying her clutch and whispering reminders about her speech into her ear. That’s a way to win an award.

Real emotion, as opposed to the other stuff: We’ve all seen actors and actresses get up there and gush and blubber and we have to wonder if it’s all a little bit affected. And then there’s Sarah Bromell, widow of the late “Homeland” writer Henry Bromell, who won an award for one of his teleplays. She said, with palpable emotion, “I accept this award on behalf of Henry with deep appreciation for the Academy. Thank you so much.” Simple and powerful.

More Emmys 2013: Top winners & nominees | Show highlights

A guy you want to get a beer with: “Boardwalk Empire’s” Bobby Cannavale seemed shocked to beat out Aaron Paul and Mandy Patinkin for the supporting actor in a drama series Emmy. Of Patinkin, he gushed: “Mandy Patinkin is the first person I ever saw on stage, and he’s, like, my favorite person.” Of series executive producer Martin Scorsese, Cannavale was even more aw shucks, telling the audience what they already knew, “You know, he’s great!”

Don’t swallow the gum: Having some kind of business to do on stage makes you a more interesting performer. Jeff Daniels must know that in his bones, since he refused to swallow his gum after coming to the stage to accept the Emmy for lead actor in a drama series, an award that was favored for Jon Hamm or Bryan Cranston or even Kevin Spacey. Anyone, really, but Daniels. Chomping on the gum like mid-’80s Burt Reynolds, Daniels checked out the hardware and uttered, “Well, crap! I didn’t expect this.” He went on, “The last thing I won... was the best actor over 50 from the AARP.”

If all else fails, sex jokes work: Michael Douglas couldn’t resist the double entendres when he picked up the Emmy for lead actor in a miniseries or movie for playing flamboyant Vegas performer Liberace in “Behind the Candelabra.”

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