This was one of the more unusual podcasts in memory - mainly because it was on my birthday, and I had the profound experience of being with my friend Luana Anders on my birthday. Here, Luana left the planet in 1996, and being able to ask her questions and get answers, as well as ask her to give her Oscar's speech - is mind bending.
Here's Jack Nicholson mentioning Luana in his Oscar speech: https://youtu.be/jS7Z--qJ-Dw
So in light of asking my pal Luana what she might have said had she won an Oscar, she said:
"I would like to say to all of those viewers out there... how much I love what I do.
I loved what I did there, I love what I do here... I love the intersections, the intercrossings.. all the directors, the actors, the people that feed them... how it takes everything, every unique talent and every situation -- that connects us all.
If everybody knew that this was a play; that you are here in front of me and you are one of the actors in my play and I'm one of the actors in your play, wouldn't we get along better if we knew we had to be clothed and fed and taking care of each other?
And maybe "The Union" was God? Or whatever (term) to keep things going? It could be that simple.
We make it so difficult to care for one another. Why can't we just care for everyone?
I just want everyone to know that we are all in this together and I'm grateful for everyone who is listening, from afar to here. To those that don't know us yet, to those that will never know us - when you bring up your abilities to wake up, to be connected, to know you are connected... Then anything else can be a little bit easier.
Just be who you are and know you have an important part in everybody's play."
Luana was a lifelong Buddhist, a member of SGI here in Los Angeles, along with her pals Herbie Hancock, Tina Turner, the late Wayne Shorter - and I know Jennifer well enough to know that she would not have given her Oscar speech in this fashion, but I know for a fact that it is in line with everything that Luana believed in when she was on the planet, and chanted for on a daily basis.
Our loved ones are with us. Try to not forget that. But also try to remember, we are all actors in each other's plays - try to love without conditions.