Maureen O'Hara, the Irish-born screen legend who was one of the biggest stars of Hollywood's golden age, received the Honorary Academy Award.

O'Hara, whose breakthrough performance in the Hollywood was How Green was My Valley (1941), was the first actress since Myrna Loy in 1991, to have won the Honorary Oscar without garnering any nomination in the past.

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O'Hara is best-remembered today for her role as Doris Walker, Natalie Wood's mother in the inspirational Christmas classic, Miracle on 34th Street (1947).  

Dubbed as the Queen of Technicolor, the 94-year-old screen legend still boasts her iconic red hair.

Liam Neeson and Clint Eastwood, each confessing their admiration for the Irish-born's beauty, introduced her and presented her with the award.

Neeson called her "one of the true legends of cinema" and "one of the most adventurous women who ever lived." O'Hara was actually one of the first actresses to do their own stunts on film.

O'Hara was wheelchair-bound as she received the award. She read a short message, thanking the three people who did so much to advance her career: Charles Laughton, John Ford and John Wayne, the latter being her long-term screen partner.

O'Hara was actually surprised after Neeson presented her the Oscar trophy. She asked the actor in disbelief, "What's this?!"

"I only hope it's silver or gold and not like a spoon out of the kitchen," she said.

Three other awardees joined O'Hara in receiving the Oscar honors: Harry Belafont, 87; Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, 73; and French screenwriter Jean-Claude Carriere, 83.

Today's biggest stars, including Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell, Kevin Costner, Mark Wahlberg, Sidney Poitier, Ed Norton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Rock, Eddie Redmayne, Ron Howard and Hilary Swank, emerged to give honors to the first batch of Oscar winners as Hollywood officially kicks off its awards season.

The annual Governors Awards was organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in 2009 to provide a separate venue to its honorary awardees, although highlights of the ceremony are not shown live, while highlights of the ceremony are usually shown at the Oscar telecast.

TagsMaureen O'Hara, Oscars