There were many moments why the last Oscars was amazing. However, there was one moment that took the cake. Andrew Garfield walked onto the stage with Goldie Hawn to present the award for Best Animated Feature. There had already been breathtaking speeches and incredible wins that evening, but as the two of them stood before everyone, something unexpected happened.
In contrast to the other presenters, their time soon took a personal turn. Garfield strayed from the script and chose to speak from his heart. The Under the Banner of Heaven actor had a personal story to tell and grabbed Hawn’s hand before he started his speech.
Why did Andrew Garfield hold Goldie Hawn’s hand at the Oscars 2025?
Andrew Garfield to Goldie Hawn: “There’s a person that gave my mother during her life the most joy, the most comfort and tonight I feel very lucky because I get to thank that person from the bottom of my heart. That person is Goldie Hawn.”#Oscarshttps://t.co/nl9CxOviL4 pic.twitter.com/ZECLT3Imk4
— ABC News (@ABC) March 3, 2025
Garfield unexpectedly held Hawn’s hand because he wanted to express his gratitude to her. He explained that while his mother was still alive, there was one person whose on-screen presence brought her the most comfort: Goldie Hawn. Grasping her hand, he thanked her not just for her movies but for the joy she unintentionally gave his mother.
The audience erupted into applause as Garfield delivered his words with emotion. Hawn, who was very touched, smiled warmly and also held his hand. She responded with gratitude and jokingly talked about her decades in Hollywood and the joy of making people laugh.
Andrew Garfield’s mother passed away from cancer
Garfield’s gratitude to Hawn came from a loss that changed his life forever. His mother, Lynn Garfield, passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2019. He was shooting The Eyes of Tammy Faye then, a project she had encouraged him to take on despite her poor health.
As her condition worsened, Garfield stepped away from work to be with her in her final days. In the years that followed, the actor took a long time to reflect and then stepped away from acting for a while. Over time, he has talked a lot about how grief is a form of love that doesn’t fade.