Barry Diller made a rare Hollywood appearance at the PGA Awards, delivering a humorous and candid speech while presenting the Milestone Award to his friend, Jason Blum. Diller, known for his past roles as CEO at Paramount and Fox, began by roasting industry figures like Jack Warner and Harvey Weinstein. He quipped about current Paramount CEO David Ellison’s background as a “stunt pilot.”
Highlighting Blum’s career, Diller compared him to legendary filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille, noting Blum’s knack for producing films on small budgets—an enduring trait. Diller humorously described Blum’s frugality, recounting his creative air travel habits with inflatable mattresses and a free-food philosophy. He also referenced their shared history, noting Blum’s early days working with Harvey Weinstein and lauding his subsequent success with 300 low-budget films that earned artistically and financially.
Diller praised Blum for focusing on low-cost, high-profit productions instead of chasing industry awards or big franchises, sticking to his passion for horror and encouraging self-belief. Concluding, Diller described Blum as a modern Renaissance man, embodying the idea that “a man can do all things if he will,” and expressed joy in presenting the award to him. Blum jested that getting Diller to the PGAs was his greatest achievement.