The 62-year-old gave an impassioned speech as she collected her award, telling the audience she was “at a low point” in her career before being cast in The Substance.
Moore said the award was a celebration of “the gift of doing something I love and being reminded that I do belong”.
Other film winners included Emilia Pérez, The Brutalist and Wicked, while Baby Reindeer and Shōgun won the big TV prizes.
One of the night’s big surprises was Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres winning best drama actress for her tremendous performance in I’m Still Here, which held off competition from Hollywood A-listers Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman.
‘Popcorn actress’
Moore said she was “in shock” after winning in such a competitive category, which also included Anora star Mikey Madison, Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo, and Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón.
“I’ve been doing this a long time, over 45 years, and this is the first time I’ve ever won anything as an actor,” she said.
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“Thirty years ago, I had a producer tell me that I was a popcorn actress and at that time, I made that mean that [awards] weren’t something that I was allowed to have, that I could do movies that were successful, that made a lot of money, but that I couldn’t be acknowledged,” Moore said in her acceptance speech.
“I bought in, and I believed that, and that corroded me over time, to the point where I thought a few years ago that maybe this was it, maybe I was complete. I’ve done what I was supposed to do.
“And as I was at kind of a low point, I had this magical, bold, courageous, out-of-the-box, absolutely bonkers script come across my desk called The Substance, and the universe told me that you’re not done.
The Brutalist, a three-and-a-half hour film about a Hungarian architect who builds a new life in the US after World War Two, won three prizes, including best drama film, and best actor for Adrien Brody.
Brady Corbet was named best director, and acknowledged in his acceptance speech that the film wasn’t a traditional proposition.
Nobody was asking for a three-and-a-half hour film about a mid-century designer,” he joked.
“I was told that this film was un-distributable, that no-one would come out and see it, that the film wouldn’t work, and I don’t resent that.
“But I want to use this as an opportunity to lift up filmmakers… Films don’t exist without the filmmakers. Please let’s support the filmmakers, let’s prop them up.”
Getty Images Sebastian Stan, winner of Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Award for “A Different Man” poses in the press room during the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 05, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California
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