Epic sandworm rides across the desert of Arrakis, a thrilling gladiator battle involving a rhino and a display of the unmitigated feeling of pure Anxiety —those are just a few scenes and characters that have entertained audiences this past year, none of which would be possible without the artisans who make the magic happen behind the scenes.
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PeopleTranscript
00:00First, I'd like to obviously thank Hamilton Watches and Variety for finally recognizing people like me.
00:07The lights are so bright. It's so nice.
00:14I just want to start by thanking my collaborators.
00:22Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are two writers that I've been writing Deadpool with for about 12 or 13 years now.
00:30They're not here tonight. I don't think they were behind the camera enough to quite make the cut that I'm in here.
00:38But wonderful guys, immense talents, and I'm especially proud to call them my friend.
00:46Sean Levy as well, who is my creative brother in almost every regard.
00:52The only thing I'm sad about is I found him this late in life, and it's very late for him.
01:01Zeb Wells, of course. So many people who came together to make this film what it is.
01:11This sort of infusion of joy and emotion and warmth and heart and all the things that we love so, so much.
01:19I am incredibly proud of this movie, not just because of the film's performance at the box office.
01:26That's not remotely important unless you don't follow or track box office, in which case, let me tell you.
01:34It's extraordinary. You're welcome, Disney, and I'll see you at the audit.
01:41I would like to dedicate this award. I have four children.
01:48And this will put one of them in the emergency room, so thank you for that.
01:54And that person will be me.
01:56I want to dedicate this very fine honor to a writer, to one of my closest friends, Mr. Eric Gilliland.
02:04Thank you very much. Eric is a magical man.
02:09I wouldn't be standing here if not for that man.
02:13I met Eric when I was a scrawny, desperately hungover 19-year-old kid.
02:19I didn't really know who I was yet. I was trying on personalities like they were shirts.
02:25And Eric liked me. And you know, that made me like me.
02:32And it was a general meeting, which is something that actors do to procure work.
02:38Eric had a lucrative overall deal at 20th Century Fox, which is what writers do to never work again.
02:45And Eric, he immediately, in my first hangout with him, introduced me to Jack Benny, introduced me to Buster Keaton,
02:52all these greats. I mean, the man was just a walking, talking television comedy library.
03:00He invited me into writer circles that no high school dropout had any business being invited to.
03:07And Eric, unfortunately, died a short while ago.
03:13He had many shortcomings.
03:17He was not great at housekeeping.
03:21Not great at buying new shoes.
03:24You know, when most people would have a natural instinct to remove the shoes and throw them out.
03:28Not Eric. He doubled down.
03:31He hung in there and hung in there until his feet looked like they were somehow wrapped in foxhole from World War I.
03:40But Eric's, I would say, prime virtue was that he was kind and that he showed up for people.
03:50He showed up for everyone.
03:52And he didn't care if you were a waiter or a busboy or a movie star.
03:58And I hated that.
04:01But he modeled a way of being for me when I was probably at my most impressionable
04:07and I think to varying degrees of success, I have tried to live up to that impossible standard that Eric set.
04:15He was as good at being brilliantly funny as he was at being a friend and a mentor.
04:20And there are so many people in this room right now who are the best of the best.
04:27And you are all mentors.
04:30And you have the opportunity to mentor somebody.
04:34And as somebody who has been mentored in that way, it just changes lives.
04:39When somebody gives you a moment and gives you the time of day and says, hey, maybe you have something.
04:44That's something that I just don't take for granted ever since Eric.
04:49And I think he'd be pretty damn impressed if he were here tonight.
04:54Probably quite alarmed to learn that we held a memorial for him last week in New York City with 300 of his best friends.
05:03And he was paid for by the proceeds of his estate.
05:08His memorial was a testament to a man who lived life just about as beautifully as any life could possibly be lived.
05:19And it really reminded me of what I love most about this business, and it's that we all get to work together.
05:28We get to create things together.
05:30A filmmaker is not just a director.
05:32A filmmaker is a production designer, a stunt designer, an entire art department and props department, and a production designer.
05:41These are all the engines that go into making a film, and these are all filmmakers.
05:48And at that evening celebrating Eric last Sunday, I watched people in trades,
05:56many of the department heads that are sitting at tables here tonight, stand up and give a speech or two about this man.
06:04And the whole thing was just one of the most emotional and beautiful things that I think I've ever experienced in my life.
06:09It felt like Aaron Neville's Ave Maria, fuck the last five minutes of Shawshank Redemption.
06:16I just have never felt anything that beautiful ever.
06:22And cynicism is all around us right now, and my friend only knew humanity, kindness, and togetherness.
06:29I miss him desperately.
06:31He was one hell of a writer and somebody that I learned so much from.
06:36But he's going to live on because he's inspired so many people to be the best version of themselves.
06:40And again, this is a room of people that are at the absolute top of their game.
06:45So if you run into a scrawny, desperately hungover 19-year-old who recently threw up in the rosebush outside your office,
06:53give that kid a break.
06:56And thank you very much. I appreciate it.