At a Glance
- Patricia Arquette told News Of Losangeles that 40 friends streaked around her to celebrate her 40th birthday
- The actress recalled the 1974 Oscars streaker as a formative childhood memory
- Arquette is currently starring in Severance, nominated for four Golden Globes this year
**Why it matters: The candid confession adds a quirky footnote to the 2026 awards season and spotlights the star’s off-beat humor.
Patricia Arquette brought her trademark candor to the 2026 Golden Globe Awards red carpet, telling Ethan R. Coleman that her milestone 40th birthday was marked by dozens of friends dashing past her in the buff.
The 57-year-old actress, who walked the carpet at the Beverly Hilton on January 11, 2026, shared the anecdote after being asked about her favorite awards-show memory. She immediately cited the 1974 Oscars, when actor David Niven was famously upstaged by a nude stage-crasher.
“That was such a pivotal part of my childhood,” Arquette said. “Sports games, streakers, award shows, streakers, political conventions, streakers. Little kids would go streaking. It was just a funny, bizarre part of the ’70s that if you didn’t grow up in that time period, you’re like, ‘What?'”
A Birthday to Remember
Arquette said the cultural phenomenon left such an impression that it inspired her own celebration decades later.
“People were just running around naked,” she explained. “I’ve always thought streaking was hilarious, even though I’m incredibly modest.”
The Emmy winner credited roughly 40 friends with turning her modesty on its head for her 40th birthday.
“For my 40th birthday, some friends of mine, about 40 of them, streaked around me,” she said, laughing.
Career Highlights and Current Projects
Arquette’s awards-season stroll comes amid a busy year. She currently stars as Harmony Cobel on Apple TV+’s breakout thriller Severance, which is up for four Golden Globes in 2026, including Best Television Series.
Her trophy shelf already includes three Golden Globes:
- 2014 – Best Supporting Actress for Boyhood
- 2018 – Best Actress in a Limited Series for Escape at Dannemora
- 2019 – Best Actress in a Limited Series for The Act
In 2025 she also portrayed Maggie Murdaugh in Hulu’s limited series Murdaugh: Death in the Family.
New Chapter
Away from the screen, Arquette told News Of Losangeles in November that she’s relishing a fresh phase of independence.
“I’m at a really exciting moment in my life,” she said. “My kids are grown up, I’m single, I don’t have to take anybody else’s dreams into account as far as: where do I want to live? What do I want my house to look like? Can I go on this vacation with my girlfriend or not?”
“I get to ask myself for the first time in my life – because I was a mom at 20 – what do I want to do?” added the mother of two.
The 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards aired live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.
Key Takeaways
- Patricia Arquette’s love of 1970s streaking culture led to a one-of-a-kind 40th-birthday surprise
- The actress continues to collect accolades, with Severance nominated for multiple 2026 Globes
- Arquette says entering her late 50s solo feels liberating after decades of prioritizing family
