This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/sep/23/michael-douglas-emmy-behind-the-candelabra-liberace
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Michael Douglas wins best actor Emmy for Behind the Candelabra | Michael Douglas wins best actor Emmy for Behind the Candelabra |
| (5 months later) | |
| Michael Douglas last night won the Emmy, US television's highest honour, for outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or movie for his turn as flamboyant singer Liberace in Steven Soderbergh's Behind the Candelabra. | Michael Douglas last night won the Emmy, US television's highest honour, for outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or movie for his turn as flamboyant singer Liberace in Steven Soderbergh's Behind the Candelabra. |
| Douglas thanked his fellow nominee and co-star Matt Damon on stage, telling the audience at the at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles that he could not have done it without the man who played his on-screen lover Scott Thorson. "This is a two hander," Douglas said. "And Matt, you're only as good as your other hand. You're magnificent, and the only reason I'm standing here is because of you. You really deserve half of this. So … you want the bottom or the top?" The actor also thanked his estranged wife Catherine Zeta Jones "for her support". | Douglas thanked his fellow nominee and co-star Matt Damon on stage, telling the audience at the at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles that he could not have done it without the man who played his on-screen lover Scott Thorson. "This is a two hander," Douglas said. "And Matt, you're only as good as your other hand. You're magnificent, and the only reason I'm standing here is because of you. You really deserve half of this. So … you want the bottom or the top?" The actor also thanked his estranged wife Catherine Zeta Jones "for her support". |
| Douglas, 68, found himself in the unusual position of competing for an Emmy, rather than an Oscar, after US studios proved uninterested in helping to fund Soderbergh's biopic. The Ocean's Eleven director eventually sold his project to pay TV network HBO in the US, making it ineligible for film's most high-profile awards ceremony. Nevertheless, Behind the Candelabra screened as a competition entry at the Cannes film festival in May, and later debuted in UK cinemas. Soderbergh revealed last year that Hollywood thought the project would be unlikely to achieve traction with audiences due to its gay themes. | Douglas, 68, found himself in the unusual position of competing for an Emmy, rather than an Oscar, after US studios proved uninterested in helping to fund Soderbergh's biopic. The Ocean's Eleven director eventually sold his project to pay TV network HBO in the US, making it ineligible for film's most high-profile awards ceremony. Nevertheless, Behind the Candelabra screened as a competition entry at the Cannes film festival in May, and later debuted in UK cinemas. Soderbergh revealed last year that Hollywood thought the project would be unlikely to achieve traction with audiences due to its gay themes. |
| Backstage after the ceremony, Douglas told journalists he had known Damon for a while and enjoyed working with him. "I've admired him from early on, with Good Will Hunting, and he did Ocean's Twelve with my wife," he said. "We spent a lot of time together then. He's the kind of guy I like — no BS, great work ethic … I said to him, 'You looked at the script, right?' and he said 'Yep,' and I said, 'Let's go!' | Backstage after the ceremony, Douglas told journalists he had known Damon for a while and enjoyed working with him. "I've admired him from early on, with Good Will Hunting, and he did Ocean's Twelve with my wife," he said. "We spent a lot of time together then. He's the kind of guy I like — no BS, great work ethic … I said to him, 'You looked at the script, right?' and he said 'Yep,' and I said, 'Let's go!' |
| The actor, who in June revealed he had been clear of throat cancer for two years, thanked Soderbergh and Damon for "waiting another year because I wasn't up to speed physically". He said: "Obviously, this picture had special meaning to me. One day, I'm dealing with mortality issues regarding my cancer, and the next day, this jewel was handed to me, this beautiful script." | The actor, who in June revealed he had been clear of throat cancer for two years, thanked Soderbergh and Damon for "waiting another year because I wasn't up to speed physically". He said: "Obviously, this picture had special meaning to me. One day, I'm dealing with mortality issues regarding my cancer, and the next day, this jewel was handed to me, this beautiful script." |
| According to influential blogger Anne Thompson, Douglas also sees the Emmy as compensation for his performance being passed over at Cannes for the best actor award, in favour of Bruce Dern in Nebraska. "Douglas," she tweeted, while attending HBO's after awards party, "still smarts from Dern's Cannes win." Douglas did not discuss his marriage, which has been the centre of furious press speculation. But he said he was currently unable to see his son Cameron, who he said was in solitary confinement in prison. The 34-year-old sometime actor is in a US federal jail on drug-related charges. | According to influential blogger Anne Thompson, Douglas also sees the Emmy as compensation for his performance being passed over at Cannes for the best actor award, in favour of Bruce Dern in Nebraska. "Douglas," she tweeted, while attending HBO's after awards party, "still smarts from Dern's Cannes win." Douglas did not discuss his marriage, which has been the centre of furious press speculation. But he said he was currently unable to see his son Cameron, who he said was in solitary confinement in prison. The 34-year-old sometime actor is in a US federal jail on drug-related charges. |
| "He's been a drug addict for a large part of his life," Douglas said. "If you happen to have a slip as a prisoner who is non-violent … they punish you. So in my son's case, he's spent almost two years in solitary confinement. | "He's been a drug addict for a large part of his life," Douglas said. "If you happen to have a slip as a prisoner who is non-violent … they punish you. So in my son's case, he's spent almost two years in solitary confinement. |
| "Right now I'm being told I can't see him for two years. It's over a year now, and I'm questioning the system. At first I was disappointed in my son, but I've reached the point where I'm very disappointed in the system … The United States represents five per cent of the world's population, and we have 25% of the world's prisoners." | "Right now I'm being told I can't see him for two years. It's over a year now, and I'm questioning the system. At first I was disappointed in my son, but I've reached the point where I'm very disappointed in the system … The United States represents five per cent of the world's population, and we have 25% of the world's prisoners." |
| • Michael Douglas interviewed about playing Liberace | • Michael Douglas interviewed about playing Liberace |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |