Starting with a bang! Ricky Gervais kicked off the 2020 Golden Globe Awards with a hilarious opening monologue at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills on Sunday, January 5.
At the top of the 77th annual ceremony, the stand-up comedian, 58, covered everything from Felicity Huffman’s involvement in the college admissions scandal to the rise of Netflix and other streaming services.
“You all look lovely, dolled up,” Gervais told the star-studded audience. “I came in a limo tonight and the license plate was made by Felicity Huffman. No, shush. It’s her daughter I feel sorry for, OK? That must be the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to her — and her dad [William H. Macy] was in Wild Hogs.”
After saying hello to the cast of The Irishman (and jokingly mistaking Joe Pesci for Baby Yoda), the Office creator changed the conversation to the lack of diversity among this year’s nominees.
“Many talented people of color were snubbed in major categories. Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about that. The Hollywood Foreign Press are all very, very racist,” he quipped.
Perhaps the funniest moment, however, came when Gervais talked about the Cats movie adaptation starring James Corden, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen and Taylor Swift.
“Some of the world got to see James Corden as a fat p–sy. He was also in the movie Cats,” he joked. “But no one saw that, and the reviews were shocking. I saw one that said, ‘This is the worst thing that has happened to cats since dogs.’ But Dame Judi Dench defended the film, saying it was the role she was born to play because … she loves nothing better than plunking herself down on the carpet, lifting her leg and licking her p–sy.”
Throughout the monologue, celebrity guests including Tom Hanks, Ellen DeGeneres and Carol Burnett were spotted cracking up at the host’s jokes. Apple CEO Tim Cook, however, looked less than thrilled when Gervais quipped that the company’s streaming service, Apple+, runs “sweat shops in China.”
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced in November that Gervais was set to return as the Globes host for a record fifth time. He previously led the show in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016.
“Once again, they’ve made me an offer I can’t refuse,” the three-time Golden Globe winner said in a statement at the time. “But this is the very last time I’m doing this, which could make for a fun evening.”
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HFPA president Lorenzo Soria teased in a press release that viewers “can always expect the unexpected” with Gervais at the helm, while NBC Entertainment chairman Paul Telegdy applauded the After Life star for bringing “a palpable electricity [to] the room” each time he hosts.
Watch the video above for the five best moments from Gervais’ monologue!
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