Video: Patricia Arquette Gives Robert Mueller a Shoutout During SAG Award

By Ewan Palmer On 1/28/19 at 8:48 AM EST

U.S. Russia investigation Movies & TV Robert Mueller

Patricia Arquette's acceptance speech after winning an award at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards for her performance in Escape at Dannemora contained a thank-you for one surprising figure—Robert Mueller.

Arquette, who picked up the award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a television movie or limited series for her role as Joyce "Tilly" Mitchell in the Ben Stiller directed–series, gave a shoutout to the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

"Thank you, Robert Mueller, and everyone working to ensure we have sovereignty for the United States of America," she said onstage, alongside her friends, family and co-stars, in the final part of her speech.

Arquette won the SAG acting award ahead of Penelope Cruz for The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Patricia Clarkson and Amy Adams for their performances in Sharp Objects and Emma Stone in Maniac.

"I thought you were saying Patricia Clarkson, so I was like, 'Yeah! She's awesome.' I told her I wanted to go to her acting class when we're outside," Arquette she said while accepting the award.

"Thank you to my fellow nominees. I love all your work. I'm inspired by all of you. Thank you to Ben Stiller for your incredible support, thank you for letting me explore the character of Tilly. Thank you to [co-stars] Benicio Del Toro and Paul Dano—you are an inspiration."

Arquette, 50, also used her speech to call out production companies that do not pay meal penalties or overtime during shoots. "So start looking at your paperwork—actors depend on that money to survive," she added.

Backstage at the ceremony, Arquette further discussed challenges faced by those in the entertainment industry.

"[There is a] women revolution in Hollywood—[but] there was a lot more women writers in the '30s and after the war, and everything seemed to just get worse for women," she told The Hollywood Reporter.

"When I gave that comment about equal pay and equal speech, I was talking about 98 percent of all industries…. We're 51 percent of the population. I'm glad this industry is pushing forward, but I hope all industries do the same."

Earlier this month, Arquette also won a Golden Globe for her role as Mitchell, a former prison worker who helped two convicted murderers escape from a New York jail in 2015.