Last night across the pond, the BAFTAs were handed out, once again giving prognosticators something to think about, particularly as they are the last major awards before the Oscars (full list of winners here). And essentially, there is no frontrunner, with “Gravity” taking six awards, but “12 Years A Slave” winning the key categories of Best Film and Best Actor. But one sure thing is Cate Blanchett who has pretty much won everything this awards season for her turn in “Blue Jasmine,” and she used her time in the winner’s circle last night to honor a late, great talent.
Hitting the stage to accept her Best Leading Actress trophy, Blanchett dedicated her win to Philip Seymour Hoffman. She called him “a monumental presence who is now sadly an absence,” and closed off her brief speech by saying, “Phil, buddy, this is for you, you bastard.”
Blanchett and Hoffman only featured in one film together — “The Talented Mr. Ripley” — but the respect he garnered from his colleagues speaks for itself. And we’re sure come Oscar night, there will be more tributes to the man who was one of the best of his generation. Watch Blanchett’s speech below.