Newport Beach, home of the largest luxury lifestyle film festival in the nation.

The Newport Beach Film Festival is just a short trip south from Hollywood.

The Newport Beach Film Festival has been the Surfside celebration destination when honoring and showcasing the world'’s finest filmmakers, storytellers and actors for over the past two decades.

You have to twist my arm to get me to Newport Beach.

Beautiful.

And the 22nd Newport Beach Film Festival was no different.

Each year, the festival plays host to its prestigious awards ceremony.

The Newport Beach Film Festival honors, in addition to some of the industry'’s most established stars.

This event also puts the spotlight on the next generation of world class talent.

With Variety'’s ten actors to watch, and while this is a chance to recognize amazing work and handouts and trophies, it also gives us the opportunity to hear these actors speak openly.

Thank you for including me.

Among this wonderful group of artists, particularly the great Harvey Keitel, who I'’m also pleased to call friend.

Candidly, I never got like top anything to watch and passionately about their careers as artists.

Our job is to turn our light into the pathways for union with each other rather than destroying the bonds between us.

While having some fun along the way.

Welcome to the Newport Beach Film Festival Honors.

Held at the region'’s picturesque Balboa Bay resort.

The event brought together many facets of the film industry.

To honor and celebrate some incredible talent that have graced our screens with performances that have moved us and made us think.

And this season, the Newport Beach Film Festival is proud to honor.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Newport Beach Film Festival honors him today with our Spotlight Award, Simon Rex I don'’t want to be here like this is about.

I don'’t want you to come here to show up like this.

I got my kick.

I just need a place to crash.

I can'’t.

What'’s your name?

What does it look like?

A hotel.

Really?

So it'’s really, really cool to be appreciated.

So truly.

Thank you guys so much.

I'’m going to put this on my mantel.

Regina Hall'’s talent, both in front of and behind the camera, are why we are honoring her today as our artist of distinction.

Don'’t you look at me like that?

Don'’t stare at me like I'’m a psycho.

All right?

Which I.

Probably am.

Newport Beach, steppen it up.

I just really want to say thank you so much for all the support.

Ladies and gentlemen, like presents Ray Liotta along with the Newport Beach Film Festival Icon Award.

I'’m going to have my second set of children with you, and they'’ll be deluged with a light that they could never even imagine over there, like you were Dick as a kid.

Some kind of big talker and things like this.

So just thank you.

Our next honoree, the wonderful ever impressive Rosanna Arquette.

Who is the guy hassling you Guy, guy that just ran off.

We'’re so fortunate to be working artists to have our voices reach others.

Artists, words and emotions are the most powerful forces that we can give one another.

Thank you.

Legend and groundbreaker.

There'’s only a handful of people who can live up to that.

Fortunately, our work was made very easy this year because we have Jeffrey Wright.

I have a typographic memory.

I recollect the written word with considerable accuracy and detail Some of my friends would probably say you mean legend in his own mind.

So thanks to Variety and the Newport Beach Film Festival for validating my delusions, very much appreciate it.

Dear friends is my esteemed honor on behalf of the Newport Beach Film Festival to present our Lifetime Achievement Award to the legendary Mr. Harvey Keitel.

After Monsanto, we needed the muscle to consolidate our power.

I had the right people to do.

Bingo.

The arts are where we have.

The chance to become something beyond what we'’ve been before.

Only the arts can transport us and to understand what is good about our nature.

Thank you all.

You know, I think actors inherently have to be some of the most empathetic human beings.

They get up there and they just show us their emotions and they are willing to fail.

You know, that'’s something I remember lots of acting, an improv teacher saying, like, you have to get comfortable failing because that'’s when you'’re taking risks.

But before the risks comes, the discovery of the craft.

I was working in New York doing a job, and a friend of mine'’s very handsome Greek guy suggested to me one day, Harvey, would you like to see about acting lessons?

I said, okay.

I went with him to a place on 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue, not to Fifth Avenue.

This was a sluggish Fifth Avenue.

And I went into the room and this big guy was sitting behind a desk.

He spoke to us for a little while and then my friend said, Well, Harvey, let'’s go.

I said, I think I'’ll stay.

So his acting teacher, his name was Anthony Menino.

I haven'’t seen him in like 60 years.

He'’s a great teacher.

So he says to me, You see that clothing hanger over there?

The coat hanger?

I said, Yeah.

And he said, Well, go over there and count the hangers.

I said, okay.

I go then has about 50 hangers on it.

So I go over.

I go around.

I come back.

He said, Did you count the hangers?

I said, Yeah.

He said, How many are there?

I said, Well, they'’re about about 30 or so.

He said, Well, go back and count every one of them because acting is doing things truthfully with a purpose.

And that was my first acting lessons.

And I still get the chills.

I like to be a drama major I thought it would be fun like it was in high school.

I finally got inside.

His class just happened to me.

And then I said, Wait, there'’s an audition coming up for a musical or a musical I ever saw was was Pippin on Broadway a hundred years ago.

So singing and dancing.

I'’m just a jock from New Jersey.

That'’s why I went.

And I just I'’m sure I embarrassed myself that there was an acting teacher there, Roberts Buckets Lowry And he was just a nice guy.

He was great.

He just really influenced me, was very helpful in the beginning, feeling that I was not.

This was a path that I said I since junior high school or anything.

And he really helped me a lot.

I got hired to be a veejay on MTV back in 1996 with zero journalism experience, zero music knowledge.

They hired people back then and probably still do that.

Maybe are just new faces, right?

And they gave me the job.

And I remember thinking, wow, this is weird.

And now I'’m overnight.

I'’m on live TV interviewing Tupac and Madonna on red carpets.

And, you know, I was just like thrust into this world.

And Gus Van Zandt called and asked if he could read me for a movie.

And it was Good Will Hunting.

And I went and sat just like we'’re sitting right now with Matt Damon.

And I auditioned for a very small role, and Gus Van Sant stopped me and said, Simon, I have to stop you.

This is a pretty bad audition.

And I said, I know I'’m not an actor.

I'’ve never done this before because you'’re not ready for this.

But you should go take acting classes.

There'’s some really good theater.

This was in New York, so I just went start taking acting classes.

So it kind of came to me right through.

Gus Van Sant, of all people, one of the best directors ever.

The choices we make, that'’s what defines us.

I don'’t question the choices I make, but sometimes actors don'’t have a choice, especially when it comes to picking their first role.

On the first parts I had was a dog and I had no lines, so I woofed as well as I could.

I was six months out of college.

I got an offer after an audition to be on a soap opera.

So I want to be in any soap opera.

You know, I want to work with you.

This was the seventies.

Now shoot the great, great movies.

There is this.

How many times have you been in front of a camera?

None.

Never.

He said it'’ll be just good training just for that.

And he was right.

And these early starts can lead to unique opportunities.

I think there'’s maybe a little less freedom when you'’re playing a non-fictional character or historical figure.

You have an allegiance to the memory and character and legacy of that person.

So you have to work within those boundaries.

And you also are trying to do justification to to their story.

Martin Luther King is obviously an incredibly well-known figure.

His voice is well known.

So you have to be really careful how you present that so that you'’re convincing.

Jean-Michel Basquiat, on the other hand, was not so well-known.

There are different pressures there in that you'’re introducing this man in his life, in his work to members of the audience who didn'’t otherwise know him.

Actors relish any opportunity, but especially when they get a chance to perform a breakout role.

I'’m on top of my game right now on like every single possible level of physical stamina.

My mind is sharp.

I'’m taking five, three, four, seratonin for my brain.

SIMON Rex gives one of the best performances of the year in Red Rocket.

And it is a complicated performance because they are not asking you to like his character.

His character is annoying and selfish.

Look, I'’m going to be straight with you.

I'’m an adult film actor.

Excuse me.

And he'’s a former porn star who kind of comes back to his hometown and he uses people and it'’s uncomfortable.

And Simon, on one hand, he he shows you the charm of this person, but he does not shy away from the ugly stuff.

I'’m not afraid to fight you.

I don'’t give a chance.

Sean Baker showed me footage of the archetype of the character of Mikey Saber, who I play, who'’s basically a narcissistic sociopath, basically a low level pimp and a drug dealer and a really unredeemable character.

So he really just showed me 10 minutes of an interview of one guy.

I can'’t say who it is.

And he showed me one guy and he'’s like, This is the guy that you basically need to do your version of.

And I got it right away.

I just clicked.

I was like, Oh, I know this guy.

I'’m an actor.

I'’m around these kind of people all the time.

From actors finding their big break to stars that have had illustrious careers.

We are proud to honor them all.

Rosanna Arquette from Pulp Fiction and Desperately Seeking Susan.

These are movies I grew up with.

I'’ve been really fortunate to work with really terrific directors in my career.

And so, you know, Scorsese, and Cronenberg and John Sayles and just Tarantino, I mean, really great directors.

So that'’s been fun.

What'’s wrong with that?

So did I get a shot on you?

It'’s funny, both Regina Hall and Simon Rex were here today and I had to tell them both despite all of their amazing performances, I loved them in Scary Movie three.

It takes a very special skill to commit to that kind of.

It looks like dumb comedy, but it'’s very smartly done.

To have the opportunity to go from comedy to broad comedy to drama to dramedy.

I think you know, I think it'’s it'’s been an incredible ride.

Incredible.

And I think she got some lovely awards attention a couple of years ago for Support the Girls, which was a really beautiful movie.

And she just did Nine Perfect Strangers, which I just thought, you know, she was such a scene stealer in that I think it'’s been really wonderful to have a career that'’s continued to build, but also have people who'’ve been watching from the beginning be so supportive.

It'’s like a shock to get this.

I think I did a survivor, a scary movie.

Everyone was like, You'’re not going to work girl In other spheres.

My powers of retention are distinctly impressionistic, known to my intimate as a most forgetful man.

Jeffrey Wright has that theater background where I think for him it'’s about the story and it'’s about the ensemble and directors line up to work with him.

I'’ve been able to draw invitations now from some really wonderful creators, and I'’ve also learned, I think, to recognize a good partnership when I when I see it at the start.

So Westworld, for example, is that the collaborators on Batman were just of the highest level work that I'’ve done now.

And I just finished my second film with him, with Wes Anderson.

And just intensely gratifying.

Yes.

Because of what'’s on the page, but also because of who gathers around to tell these stories.

Powerhouse actors who I want to work with at the top of the list has been Jeffrey Wright.

So I think when it comes to legends and groundbreakers, for me, he'’s literally at the top of the list.

For the many thousands of artists and craftsmen and women who work behind the camera to make my work possible.

I genuinely say that for me, one of the most gratifying parts of my job is when the camera rolls and I'’m able to earn their attention and hopefully give them a bit of satisfaction that their hard work was worth it.

With so many of our modern day greats sharing their stories and thoughts, we were also very proud to pay homage to the next generation of talent that is taking the big screen by storm.

When Variety honored its annual ten actors to watch with four of these gifted trailblazers in attendance.

Variety is so pleased to be back here presenting this year'’s ten actors to watch.

This is the 22nd year of the list.

We have honored over 35 future Oscar nominees and winners.

People like Mahershala Ali, Timothee Chalamet, Brie Larson, Adam Driver, Octavia Spencer all before they were really in the public consciousness.

And I have no doubt we are going to be seeing amazing things from this year'’s class.

Please welcome Moses Ingram.

Her very first TV role ever was The Queen'’s Gambit, and she earned an Emmy nomination.

Morning cracker Also joining us, we have an actor you probably know for his breakout role in the Umbrella Academy, but he is just going to stun you and break your heart in the upcoming after Yang, please welcome Justin Min.

Class.

It'’s been here.

Ghosts can'’t time travel.

Are you kidding me?

Next up, we have an actor who I can'’t believe.

This is his film debut In the Hand of God.

I know actors who have been working for decades who couldn'’t pull off something like this.

Please welcome Filippo Scotti.

So this is an actor who appeared in Fences and Hidden Figures, and now she'’s playing Venus Williams, opposite Will Smith as her father in King Richard.

Did I mention she'’s 14?

The entire world is going to fall in love with her.

It'’s a beautiful movie.

Please welcome to Saniyya Sidney When did you first develop an interest in performing and who were some of the artists that inspired you and maybe you felt you wanted to emulate?

Or maybe you just, you know, from the beginning wanted to carve your own path.

I'’m from Baltimore originally, and in school I had a lot of behavioral problems.

I just I couldn'’t sit still.

You know, I always felt like somebody was trying me.

And so my teacher thought that, you know, theater would make me better, a better person.

And it didn'’t.

But my mother my mother saw how much I loved it.

I just felt like I had a place to put myself.

I felt like I always sort of felt like a little bit of a black sheep or like I felt too deeply.

I was doing too much, but everything seemed to be just the right amount once you finally in the right place.

And I felt seen for the first time in my life and understood and I just had a good time.

It was an existential crisis that led me into acting.

I studied political science and English in college and then sort of realized very quickly that I didn'’t want to use those degrees for an actual career.

I dabbled in, in law and in journalism for a bit.

And then I came back to L.A. after being in New York for a few years and was just really sad and depressed and figuring out what I wanted to do with my life and it through a weird chain of events.

A friend of a friend of mine was helping to cast a trash can commercial, of all things.

And somehow I got that.

I think I realized now, in retrospect, that a lot of the things I enjoyed sort of aligned into acting.

For instance, I grew up doing a lot of public speaking.

I dabbled in journalism for quite a bit, so I really loved storytelling.

I loved listening to people'’s stories.

I started the high school and I was the worst in the class.

That'’s bad.

And basically I was spending my time in the theater and it was better to to be able to say, maybe I'’ll say in Italian It was better to be told off by other actors in the theater than by teachers in school.

And therefore, you would do well in theater and not in school.

The first important one that, you know, turned on my passion for cinema was Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock.

My father showed me the movie when I was nine, and then I started with him longer.

I have to say a long ride, metaphorically, of movies.

My parents used to always turn on like the Oscars and the Emmys, and I just loved watching actors and actresses going up on stage and accepting an award that, you know, they were honored to do.

And they would always talk about how they love what they do and how inspired they are.

And I was just like, Oh, my goodness, I want to do that.

It seems so cool.

And I was like, you know, Mom, I want I want to act.

And she was like, No, I'’m not going to act, mom.

And she was like, Yeah, okay, okay.

And then I just fell in love with that.

And I started reenacting scenes from Gray'’s Anatomy.

I did Fences I was nine.

I was very young, Mr. Washington and I was so funny because I was always singing and dancing.

And he'’s just like, You'’re a confident little being.

You are.

How are you all at audition?

Have you ever had any of those, you know, nightmare experiences?

Many horror stories.

I would say the thing that'’s memorable was one of my first ones for the critically acclaimed show America'’s Most Wanted.

And I had to go in for a Chinese mob boss.

It was my first TV audition.

I was incredibly excited.

Casting directors like, all right.

So for the second half, the scene, you know, can you just translate those lines in Mandarin?

And I said, Oh, I'’m Korean.

I don'’t speak Mandarin.

Oh, and I did not get that job.

I actually don'’t remember what the job was.

And I just remember feeling so bad about it.

Like, I came out and I tried to put my love in the trunk of my car.

I got in What to like hide guys?

Because, you know, you ever be in a place, you just need to be small.

So I, like, opened up my hatch back and I tried to climb in, but then I realized I.

So it was just me making contact, eye contact with this gardener who was like, I feel you, sis.

Yeah, that was pretty much it.

When I first auditioned for a short movie, I was 15 and I was like, Look, Mom, I will go to do an audition.

And then I showed her the subject and she was like, No, you you are not like this.

Come on.

So I was like, Mom, go on.

I mean, let me try.

And yeah, I got that role.

But I think it'’s causing other young talent on too.

They'’re getting their props because I know that they'’re about to embark on a journey if they'’re getting this notoriety now on the level of this at that age, I mean, they'’re going to be just fine.

These actors have so much talent and it'’s fantastic to see such a diverse group of individuals being recognized for their performances around the world.

I think as more Asian American writers have risen up the rings, more Asian-American producers and directors, we'’re all sort of, you know, climbing this together.

And it'’s been an incredible time to be an Asian-American actor, to collaborate with some of these Asian-American storytellers and be a part of their stories.

Great art doesn'’t just exist for the sake of art.

It exists for the sake of humanity, for defining and sharing common ground, the things that bind us together.

We need the magnificent light of women directors, creators and producers like you.

Regina Hall.

Having the opportunity now to produce has allowed different voices and ideas behind the camera.

And so I think in so many ways, I think, you know, the industry is is trying to understand where they can do better.

And then, you know, we'’re trying to understand where we can do and provide and offer better storytelling for a world that looks different.

With the growing opportunities and an exciting new cinematic world comes so many choices with this ever expanding industry.

I want to work more with Shawn Baker type independent filmmakers.

There'’s something about working on a low budget indie that everybody'’s kind of in the boat together.

The hierarchy doesn'’t really exist.

I'’ve been on big studio films where there is this hierarchy and egos and a lot of money involved, and sometimes that doesn'’t make magic happen.

Sometimes the magic happens when it'’s just low budget and everyone'’s just in it to make a good movie.

I think I want to do a movie where I don'’t have to choke the girl to get her to kiss me.

I play very edgy, very edgy parts We'’re so fortunate to do what we do.

To be an artist.

To be an actor.

To be able to express ourselves creatively in the world.

And it'’s truly a privilege.

Truly a privilege.

I'’ve been very lucky to work with some of the great talents of my generation sharing what goes into creating someone anything brings have that they have a static force and one changes you.

Just through something happens, you grieve differently.

You get excited, you tingle you.

You despair differently.

You feel joy in a different way.

And concern has that kind of power thinking.

What would I tell my younger self as far as the work goes and as far as, you know, my career goes, maybe I'’d just go back and tell him you might be on to something.

Thank you all so, so much.

Again, thank you to the wonderful Balboa bay resort to all of our friends are here.

We'’ll see you at the movies.

Thanks very much.