Rene Russo Thanks Teacher for Keeping Her 'From Killing Myself'

— -- Rene Russo is a longtime movie star with hits dating back to the original "Major League" in 1989.

But the actress, 60, who revealed a lifelong bout with bi-polar disorder last year, spoke at length about hard times growing up at Tuesday night's Movies for Grownups Awards Gala in Beverly Hills, California.

After winning the award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in "Nightcrawler," Russo gushed in a video obtained by E! News, "I've never won anything in my freaking life. ... This is my first award ever. Thank you."

The always-charming Russo then joked about a 1999 Blockbuster Award and thanked her mother, Shirley Balocca Russo.

"I want to thank my mom. ... All the most amazing people are sitting at that table that got me to where I am now," she said, referring to her table at the awards show. "She always told me to take time and smell the roses, and given some of your life challenges, that makes you the best mom in the world."

Next, Russo thanked her 8th grade Spanish teacher, saying during a tough run in school that teacher got "me through those f***** up, a****** football players that called me Jolly Green Giant. You didn't keep me from dropping out of high school -- but you did keep me from killing myself."

Russo was not close with her father growing up, so she thanked her agent, John Crosby, for stepping in as a parental figure and "making up for my deadbeat dad," she said.