The 2023 Independent Spirit Awards were held on the sandy shores near the iconic Santa Monica pier on Saturday, March 4, and Ke Huy Quan took home the first big award for Best Supporting Performance.
The star, 51, was the recipient of the honor for his portrayal of Waymond Wang in the science fiction film Everything Everywhere All At Once.
The Goonies alumnus, who recently shed tears while giving an emotional speech after the historic SAG win earlier last month, excitedly took the stage to accept the Spirit Award in front of the celebrity guests.
After receiving the award for The White Lotus actress, Aubrey Plaza, Quan movingly gushed on stage, ‘This is incredible!’
He continued, ‘I am so incredibly proud to be a part of the Everything Everywhere All At Once family,’ and continued to thank not only the cast, but also the crew involved on the project.
Big win! Ke Huy Quan, 51, took home the first big award for Best Supporting Performance during the 2023 Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday at the Santa Monica Pier
Recognition: The star was the recipient of the honor for his portrayal of Waymond Wang in the science fiction film, Everything Everywhere All At Once
Towards the end of his speech, Ke Huy Quan expressed that he was ‘overwhelmed by the outpowering love’ both he and the film has received since its release. ‘Thank you so much Film Independent.’
The star-studded cast also includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, James Hong and also Jenny Slate.
The premise follows, ‘A middle-aged Chinese immigrant is swept up into an insane adventure in which she alone can save existence by exploring other universes and connecting with the lives she could have led,’ according to an IMDB synopsis.
The 2023 Independent Film Awards were broadcasted live only via streaming and not on the IFC network, a first since 1997.
Another change that was implemented for the 38th annual awards show was making the acting categories gender-neutral, such as Best Lead and Best Supporting Performances.
Best Screenplay, presented by Jamie Lee Curtis herself, also went to Everything Everywhere All At Once.
The screenwriters, Daniel Kwan and also Daniel Scheinert, happily stepped up onto the stage to express their gratitude for the honor.
The duo gushed to the audience that their hard work wasn’t what entirely led to their success, but also the amazing ‘community’ in the entertainment industry.
Excited: The Goonies alum, who recently shed tears while giving an emotional speech after the historic SAG win earlier last month, excitedly took the stage to accept the Spirit Award in front of the celebrity guests
‘Incredible!’ After receiving the award for The White Lotus actress, Aubrey Plaza, Quan movingly gushed on stage, ‘This is incredible!’
The Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series went to Ayo Edebiri for her role as Sydney in the hit series, which was both her first win and nomination at the Spirit Awards held on Saturday.
She humorously began her acceptance speech with, ‘I didn’t really prepare any remarks and my manager gave me a piece of paper.’
‘I just want say I am very grateful,’ the star added. ‘This really nice because I am in a room full of a lot of people that I really admire and that I look up to. But there are also a lot of people that look like me, and feel like me. And that’s really nice.’
The Bear was also given the award of Best New Scripted Series, which starred not only Ayo, but also Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Abby Elliot.
The premise of the hit FX series follows, ‘A young chef from the fine dining world returns to Chicago to run his family’s sandwich shop,’ according to an IMDB synopsis.
Other nominees that were included in the category were shows such as: Pachinko, The Porter, Severance and Station Eleven.
Grateful: The Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series went to Ayo Edebiri for her role as Sydney in the hit series, which was both her first win and nomination at the Spirit Awards
‘Really nice’: ‘I just want say I am very grateful,’ the star expressed during her speech, and added, ‘This really nice because I am in a room full of a lot of people that I really admire and that I look up to’
Other wins: The Bear was also given the award of Best New Scripted Series, which starred not only Ayo, but also Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Abby Elliot
Stunning: The actress opted for a shimmering, silver and gold mesh and embroidered minidress as she made an appearance at the awards show
Best Documentary of the Year was given to All The Beauty And The Bloodshed, which follows, ‘the life of artist Nan Goldin and the downfall of the Sackler family, the pharmaceutical dynasty who was greatly responsible for the opioid epidemic’s unfathomable death toll, according to IMDB.
The director of the documentary was Laura Poitras and other contenders were All That Breathes, A House Made Of Splinters, Midwives, and also Riotsville, U.S.A.
Laura accepted the award, which was both her fourth nomination and her second win at the Spirit Awards.
‘I’m so proud to be here on behalf of our small organization pain and the incredibly courageous Nan Goldin for taking on the Sackler family. The Sackler’s have done untold damage to this country, however, there is hope.’
‘We have drug use led grassroots movement on the ground who know that the solution to the overdose crisis is harm reduction and overdose prevention centers.’
Another win for Everything Everywhere All At Once went to Stephanie Hsu for Best Breakthrough Performance for her portrayal of Joy in the critically acclaimed sci-fi film.
The actress hilariously ran onto the stage barefoot while holding her stylish, black heels in her hand.
She gave a tearful speech, and gushed, ‘Thank you so much! I don’t know why I am so emotional. I guess I have a bad habit of playing it cool. I guess I don’t feel cool inside. I feel overflowing with so much gratitude.’
Best documentary: Best Documentary of the Year was given to All The Beauty And The Bloodshed and the director, Laura Poitras, accepted the award, which was both her fourth nomination and her second win at the Spirit Awards
Tearful: Another win for Everything Everywhere All At Once went to Stephanie Hsu for Best Breakthrough Performance for her portrayal of Joy in the critically acclaimed sci-fi film
Funny: The actress hilariously stepped onto the stage barefoot while holding her stylish, black heels in her hand
‘Overflowing’: She gave a tearful speech, and gushed, ‘Thank you so much! I don’t know why I am so emotional. I guess I have a bad habit of playing it cool. I guess I don’t feel cool inside. I feel overflowing with so much gratitude’
‘So honored’: Stephanie continued, ‘This is my first ever individual award and it feels…it feels incredibly appropriate that it is in this room. And I feel so honored’
‘I came from the world of downtown experimental theater and it is one my biggest, biggest prides to be from that community of knowing how to make something out of nothing, knowing how to support one another, doing it just because you love doing it, and so I feel so honored.’
Stephanie continued, ‘This is my first ever individual award and it feels…it feels incredibly appropriate that it is in this room. And I feel so honored.’
The beauty also took time to thank the cast she had worked with for being ‘incredibly supportive.’
Best First Feature was awarded to Aftersun, which starred Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio, and Celia Rowlson-Hall.
The film, which was directed by Charlotte Wells, follows the premise of, ‘Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier.’
‘Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t…,’ according to IMDB.
Charlotte ‘Charlie’ gave a heartfelt speech as she held the award in front of the cheering audience, and a few supportive cast members who stood closely behind.
‘Thank you Paul and Frankie,’ the director began. ‘We’ve come a long way since that first Zoom. We all looked a lot younger in lots of different ways. And I am so grateful that we have been able to experience this first all together.’
Best First Feature: Best First Feature was awarded to Aftersun, which starred Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio, and Celia Rowlson-Hall
Critically acclaimed: The film, which was directed by Charlotte Wells, follows the premise of, ‘Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier’
The story: ‘Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t…,’ according to IMDB
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