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At the event, the comedian shared his memories of growing up in Hollywood and saving up “pennies” to go to the movies with his grandmother.
Carol Burnett is having a full-circle moment.
At the American Film Institute’s AFI Awards on Friday, January 9, the comedy legend stood in front of a room of stars including George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg, Ethan Hawke, Timothée Chalamet, Keri Russell, Seth Rogen, Adam Sandler and Gwyneth Paltrow and marveled at her life’s journey.
“I grew up in Hollywood,” Burnett, 92, noted, even though he was a world away, as he surprised the audience with his annual benediction at the luncheon as AFI honored a year of excellence in television and film. “And my grandmother and I would save our pennies and watch maybe six to eight movies a week.”
Throughout her long and storied career, she added: “I’ve never lost the deep respect and love I have for you (and) all the stories we tell through film and television. The world is a better place for having your voice heard.”
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The appearance comes on the heels of Burnett’s appearance on CBS and Paramount’s primetime special Golden Eve earlier this week, where Sarah Jessica Parker hailed the comedian as a “star of the North.”
Goodwill abounded at the AFI Awards held at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles. Emma Stone and Ariana Grande sat one table away from each other and shared some private time, while Clooney, Paltrow and Ethan Hawke chatted at several tables. Jacob Elordi stopped by DiCaprio’s table to say hello, Patricia Arquette spotted Mia Goth in the crowd and asked for a hug, and Chalamet arrived quietly to sit next to his Marty Supreme co-star Odessa Azion.
This year’s AFI film winners include Avatar: Fire and Ashes, Bugonia, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Jay Kelly, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sinners, Train Dreams and Wicked: For Good. Award-winning television shows include Adolescence, Andor, Death by Lightning, The Diplomat, The Lowdown, The Pit, Pluribus, Severance, The Studio, and Tusk.
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The special award went to “It Was Just an Accident.”
Director Ava DuVernay, who attended the film awards ceremony, pointed out the tense political climate surrounding the event ahead of this weekend’s Golden Globes.
“It’s a dream to be in a room with so many artists, craftspeople, business owners and friends,” DuVernay said. “There’s a lot of nightmare going on outside. So I hope we all walk out of this room a little stronger and keep up the good work.”
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AFI CEO Bob Gazzal echoed this sentiment in his opening remarks. “We must not forget that this year started with fire,” Gazzale said, referring to January’s wildfires that killed 31 people and destroyed more than 13,000 homes and other residential properties. “And we said goodbye to Debbie Lynch, Robert Redford, Diane Keel and Robin Michelle (Reiner).”
They came together because “we need your stories to understand the emotions we cannot escape,” he added.
