00:00eek okay I still got to get comfortable with this so I'm very good at having a
00:09script not so good at giving speeches but I'm going to do my best right now in
00:15front of my daughter who is here
00:19firstly thank you Laura Dern who is my girlfriend but also my confidant who has
00:30been privy to so much in my life and has supported me and showing me incredible
00:37sisterhood and off we go we've got things in our future together also thank
00:46you to the Hollywood Reporter team to Mayor and Rebecca and Curtis and welcome
00:51Shirley and now to Sherry Lansing yes because this is an extraordinary full
01:04circle because let me get this here when I first came to America I stepped off
01:12the plane and I came into the office of Sherry Lansing the first executive I met
01:20was Sherry and it was extraordinary because I was nervous intimidated
01:27wondering what my future was as a young actress coming over from Australia and
01:31suddenly there was this woman who was real and interested and had seen my work
01:39which was minimal at that time but had seen it and talked to me just like I was
01:46that I had that I deserved to be there and that is what she is capable of it's
01:52why she's existed in this industry for so long and continues to give give give
01:57so can I just say Sherry Lansing we love you she has been this industry's
02:10mentor and she has helped us and shown us that we can do it and we will and we
02:15need not stop because it hasn't been done before so I think what I'm
02:22interested in talking about today is that yes this is a leadership award but
02:27it's really important to acknowledge that this is about mentorship good
02:32mentors and being mentored and that's what Sherry's given all of us it's what
02:38she gave me and I remember Kevin and I were talking about this Kevin Huvane my
02:44agent 30 years and counting but he said to me we've worked together many times
02:51Sherry but he said remember when the hours was gonna not was meant to be
02:57getting made and then we lost a lot of the money and Sherry was like no I'm
03:01standing by you and I'm gonna make this film with three female leads that was
03:07not a sure thing was a small film about unusual subject matter and she stepped
03:13up to the plate and she did it so it's not talk it's doing this and the hours
03:19for me changed my life so that's mentorship in in action so I also want
03:32to acknowledge the previous winners of this award
03:36Adele Charlize Reese Viola Meryl Barbara Oprah none of these women you have to
03:44use their last names none of them so they are definitely leaders and the
03:53women that I have been lucky some of those women on that list I've been lucky
03:57to share set with a makeup trailer with or see them from afar but some of them
04:04have become my dearest and closest friends and I have sought them out when
04:11I've been grieving I've sought them out when I have been struggling I've sought
04:15them out when I am depressed and they have shown up for me and continue to
04:21guide me and push me and say the future is bright and the future is there so I
04:26want to say thank you to them and then I've had the privilege to work with some
04:30of the young young young emerging talent and I've also had the ability to be able
04:38to use whatever power I've been given now through the generosity of people in
04:44this room and pass it on and Helena rain here is one of those emerging powerful
04:50voices she directed baby girl and she's standing here today and I am lucky to
04:57have worked with her but I'm just happy I get to share some of the power that
05:02I've been given and I can pass it forward so now I'm also going to say my
05:11daughter is here and last night in the name of trying to do it all I was at the
05:19choir concert watching her sing we then got on a plane and we came here and I
05:25started crying because my mama loved choir and she loved education and so
05:36suddenly it was three months down the track from losing her but I'm seeing my
05:42daughter stand there with her whole future ahead of her and then she's
05:46getting on a plane coming with me and she was my mentor because I broke down
05:51with her and she said it's okay mama you're gonna be okay and she's showing
05:55up with me here today and even though I don't have my mama anymore I have my
06:00daughters and I know I'm talking about all the devastation but I'm sure
06:05everyone in this room knows that's probably when you need your friends and
06:08your mentors the most and he has encouraged me to move forward to believe
06:13in my talent and he has believed in me when I never believed in myself so thank
06:18you because I'm still standing and moving forward so so importantly reach
06:29out today when you leave this room and mentor someone because you have no idea
06:36what it means when you get that support and that guidance from somebody else and
06:42there's so many powerful people in this room so reach out show that support
06:48mentor someone well because the world will reap the benefits and share it and
06:53you may impact a life in the same way that Sherry Lansing impacted mine thank
06:58you
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