At the Golden Globe Awards’ elegant Golden Eve celebration, Harrison Ford delivered one of the night’s most memorable tributes as he presented the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award to longtime friend and collaborator Helen Mirren. Ford needed only one word to describe the legendary actress: “badass.” The remark drew laughter and applause, perfectly capturing the tone of a tribute that balanced reverence, humor, and genuine affection.
Both actors appeared at the Golden Eve event on Tuesday, Jan. 6, which later aired on CBS. The Cecil B. DeMille Award, presented annually by the Golden Globe Awards, honors outstanding contributions to film and television. For Mirren, whose career spans more than five decades, the recognition marked another milestone in a body of work defined by range, fearlessness, and longevity.
In his introduction, Ford reflected on his long history with Mirren, recalling their first collaboration in The Mosquito Coast, directed by Peter Weir. “She played my character’s wife, and the script required that all of us refer to Helen as ‘mother,’” Ford said. Decades later, the pair reunited onscreen in 1923, created by Taylor Sheridan. Ford jokingly described himself as “an afterthought” on the series, while praising Mirren’s commanding presence. “The word that comes to mind is not Dame,” he said. “It’s badass. And when she goes full badass, it’s awesome to watch.”
When Mirren took the stage, she delivered a thoughtful and witty acceptance speech that reflected on her life and career rather than treating the honor as a final chapter. She noted that the Golden Globes were the first American organization to recognize her work, when she won her first Globe for Losing Chase in 1997. While the DeMille Award is often described as a career recognition, Mirren offered her own interpretation. She preferred to see it as “a life lived, a life survived, a life enjoyed,” adding that she hoped it would be viewed as an ongoing reflection rather than a eulogy.
True to form, Mirren infused humor into the moment, joking that if the ceremony were her memorial, she was “making a list of the no-shows.” She also reminisced about formative childhood experiences, her love of theater and film, and even cruising through Los Angeles in her 1967 convertible Mustang. The actress warmly acknowledged many collaborators from across her career, including Anthony Hopkins, Bruce Willis, and Al Pacino, as well as nodding to the cultural phenomenon of Barbie, which she memorably narrated.
The Golden Globes announced Mirren as this year’s Cecil B. DeMille Award recipient back in November, citing her extraordinary impact on film and television. A three-time Golden Globe winner, she is also nominated this year for her role in MobLand. The 2026 Golden Globe Awards will air live on Sunday, Jan. 11, hosted by Nikki Glaser, on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S.