Dressed in a striking red gown, Natalie Portman walked onto the stage holding the envelope. Perhaps still reacting to the host's earlier jokes, she ran straight toward the host's podium at first. Only after being gently reminded did she feign surprise and trot adorably to the microphone at center stage.
Luckily, she didn't get flustered by the misstep and maintained her charming, graceful demeanor.
"I'm honored to present the award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. The nominated actors are…
George Clooney, The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Leslie Cheung , Silence
Roy Seasonstar, Silence!"
Each name she read out was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience—but the last two names triggered the loudest and most thunderous cheers of the night.
Natalie, ever the straightforward girl, didn't make any additional remarks either before or after the list. She simply tore open the envelope and read out the winner without any delay.
"Leslie Cheung, Silence!"
The venue erupted.
Fans watching on their TVs erupted.
Audiences across 199 countries watching the broadcast erupted.
This was a moment that would be etched into film history!
No one was happier than the fans back in the East. Before the announcement, they were still anxiously trying to comfort themselves—telling each other that even if he didn't win, it was okay. After all, if there's a first, there'll be a second. Being nominated once already meant future wins weren't far off.
And yet now… he had really won!
It wouldn't be long before this amazing and shocking news spread like wildfire across the entire country. It was a moment worth celebrating to the fullest! What a shame they couldn't be there to cheer for their idol in person—if they had been, they would've screamed their lungs out with pride!
Leslie smiled calmly as he received congratulations from the guests around him.
If Laila hadn't been closely observing his every move, she might have missed that brief, subtle moment—the way his hand suddenly clenched tightly upon hearing his name announced.
So… he wasn't as composed as he looked after all.
Laila decided to keep that little secret to herself and collapsed laughing into Roy's arms.
"You're this happy when I didn't win?" Roy teased, reaching out to pinch her nose.
Only then did it hit her—if Leslie won, that meant Roy had lost. Laughing like that… wasn't it just rubbing salt into his wound?
"I didn't mean it that way! I'm sorry!" she apologized quickly, following it up with a rapid string of reassurances:
"We'll have plenty more projects together in the future. Whatever award you want, I'll make sure we get you one. If once isn't enough, we'll go for twice—if twice isn't enough, we've got decades ahead of us. Right?"
Roy had only been teasing to begin with. His co-star's win made him nothing but proud. How could he have any hard feelings? He'd just seen his wife laugh so wholeheartedly and couldn't resist messing with her a bit.
Still, even he hadn't expected his joke to work so well—she really thought she had hurt him. That part about "decades" of trying together made him grin from ear to ear.
Yes, they'd spend the coming decades together—happily and side by side.
Their loving banter wasn't missed by the cameras either. Once again, audiences at home were subjected to another round of PDA from the shamelessly affectionate couple.
Leslie walked up to the stage, one step at a time.
To others, he seemed calm and composed. But only he knew just how chaotic his thoughts were in that moment.
He had received plenty of awards before, basked in glory, and stood on countless stages. Yet now, as he stood here, he realized something—
He hadn't really "let go of everything," not the way he had thought.
Images flashed through his mind like a film reel:
He first stepped into the entertainment industry.
The TV shows and films he'd worked on.
The hardships he had endured, the applause he had received.
Looking back… the road had been so, so difficult.
But he had made it.
As he stepped on stage, as Natalie handed him the trophy, as he looked out over the crowd and saw the blinking lights of the cameras…
A light mist of emotion rose in his eyes, impossible to suppress.
"To be able to win this award, to stand on this stage… I'm truly honored."
His English was excellent—no odd accent or awkward delivery. He spoke slowly, each word floating gently like a feather, landing straight in people's hearts.
His voice carried a unique rhythm, a soothing elegance.
"First, I must thank Mr. Buddy, who wrote such a wonderful story.
Then Roy—an incredible partner. Working with him taught me so much.
And finally, Director Moran. Thank you for bringing this story to life, and for allowing me to be a part of it."
"Before coming to the U.S., many friends gave me their blessings. I'm grateful for their love and support.
Others, perhaps not as directly, kept reminding me not to feel disappointed if I didn't win. I thank them as well."
The audience chuckled at that last part.
This win—an Eastern actor receiving Best Actor at the Golden Globes—was a first in the award's long history.
A truly historic moment.
Black actors had fought hard for recognition and eventually saw their fair share of wins.
But Eastern actors?
This was the very first time.
It was a moment destined to be remembered not just by the East, but by media and fans all across Asia.
Leslie continued:
"Lastly, I want to say this—never give up on your dreams. No matter how hard it gets, as long as you work for it, that day will come.
Thank you."
His message was crystal clear.
For someone from the East to stand on this stage as Best Actor, it would have sounded like a laughable fantasy in the past.
But now, in this moment—
That barrier, the one that had always stood in the way of Eastern actors, was broken.
The applause surged again, long and unending, as everyone watched him step down from the stage and walk toward Laila.
"Thank you," he said, reaching out a hand to her.
By American custom, a hug would've been more appropriate. But he felt awkward opening his arms to a woman young enough to be his daughter. A handshake was the best he could do to express his gratitude.
But Laila didn't care about that at all.
This was her one chance to shamelessly hug her idol. There was no way she was passing it up.
She stepped forward and gave him a huge hug. Fortunately, she still remembered they were on live TV, being watched in 199 countries. She let go after just a moment.
If it had been up to her, she'd have hugged him enough to make up for both her current and previous life combined!