Jennifer Aniston remembers New Year's Eve kiss with Barbra Streisand during SAG Awards speech
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Barbra Streisand won the SAG Life Achievement Award on Saturday, February 24, in recognition of her remarkable six-decade career as an artist.
Confessed longtime admirer Jennifer Aniston handed over the prestigious award, referring to Streisand as a “mensch” and a “once-in-a-lifetime” talent.
As Aniston, 55, presented Streisand, 81, the 2024 SAG Awards' Life Achievement Award, she revealed that the two had once shared a kiss to commemorate the clock reaching midnight on New Year's Eve.
Jennifer Aniston claimed to be 'fortunate enough to spend cherished time with' Barbra Streisand
Recalling the "cherished time" with the veteran artist, Aniston said in her speech: "Barbra did not just pave the way for us women; she bulldozed a clearing for us. Magnificent talent aside, she's also a mensch."
"Barbra created the Streisand foundation, giving tens of millions of dollars in grants to more than 800 organizations supporting women's health, civil rights, environmental issues and gun control."
The 'Friends' star also reminded the audience that the icon gave her first major concert on the same stage at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium—home of the SAG Awards—in 1963.
Aniston continued: "And while I haven't had the pleasure of working with her — yet — I've been fortunate enough to spend cherished time with her over the years, and I even got to kiss her at midnight one New Year's Eve."
"I'm telling the truth. Barbra, I love you, I love you, and congratulations on this well-deserved honor," Aniston said, handing the stage to Bradley Cooper, who complimented Streisand on her success and also praised her.
Streisand became the 59th recipient of the prestigious award after Sally Field and Helen Mirren accepted the accolade at the 2023 and 2022 SAG Awards, respectively, per PEOPLE.
Aniston continued by summarizing a few of Streisand's ground-breaking successes, including her cinematic debut as Fanny Brice in the musical 'Funny Girl,' for which she later received an Oscar.
She also brought up Streisand's historic achievement in 1983's 'Yentl,' which made her the first female recipient of a Golden Globe for best director. In that movie, Streisand became the first woman to "write, produce, direct and star."
Stepping onto the stage to a wild standing ovation, Streisand accepted her award and reminisced about her teenage dreams of being an actor, which included reclining on her Brooklyn bed with a pint of coffee ice cream, and a movie magazine.
Jennifer Aniston was delighted to present Barbra Streisand SAG's Life Achievement Award
Aniston was ecstatic to present Barbra Streisand with her Life Achievement Award at the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.
During her interview with PEOPLE on Saturday, the 55-year-old actress stated that Streisand "was in my house since I could remember, I just heard that voice… there’s nothing like her."
"There’s no one that compares to her and she paved the way for a lot of us women, all of us, actually," she added.
Aniston is one of the several celebrities from 'The Morning Show' who have been nominated for a 2024 SAG Award for outstanding ensemble performance in a drama series.
