Oscars 2021: Daniel Kaluuya’s Best Supporting Actor Acceptance Speech Was ‘Gratitude’ All the Way
The Oscar fever finally broke, and Daniel Kaluuya has bagged himself an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the American biographical drama Judas and the Black Messiah.
However, it is not just the Oscar win he will be remembered for; his winning speech was just as memorable.
Kaluuya captured the audience with his moving speech of gratitude at the 93rd Academy Awards. Amongst the recipients of his gratitude was God, his team, and his parents.
A Speech of Gratitude, An Invitation for Change
His speech began with gratitude towards his mother. He thanked her for pouring into him and giving him her resilience and strength so he could stand proud and tall. His mother and sister, growing more and more emotional with every word, were watching from the U.K.
The actor then extended his thanks to his family and friends from London to Kampala, the capital of his fatherland Uganda. He thanked the Late Fred Hampton, his family, and the Black Panthers for their impact on the actor and others like him.
They showed me how to love myself, and with that love, they overflowed to the Black communities and to other communities. They showed us that the power of union, the power of unity, that when they play divide and conquer, we play unite and ascend.
His speech, as much as it reflected gratitude, was an invitation. He added that there was much work to be done in terms of social justice, and it would take the collective effort of everyone watching to do it. He boldly stated that the onus was on everyone.
He Celebrated the Miracle of Life
Finally, his speech was about celebration. While on stage, he celebrated the miracle of life and shared his delight of being alive.
We're breathing, we're walking. It's incredible. Like, my mom, my dad, they had s** — it's amazing! I'm here. I'm so happy to be alive and I'm gonna celebrate that tonight.
Just as the words came out of his mouth, the camera cut to his mother and sister. The proud mother's expressions changed in an instant as she breathed, "what is he talking about?" His sister, on the other hand, was hilariously embarrassed.
The speech caught fire as soon as it landed on Twitter. Here are some of the best reactions.
Daniel Kaluuya before the speech: "This will be the most important speech of my life"
Daniel Kaluuya during the speech: “My mom, my dad, they had sex...”#Oscars — philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) April 26, 2021
Daniel Kaluuya ‘s mom literally said “what is he talking about” #Oscars pic.twitter.com/vrGHBNLn7a — Nicole Perez (@nicole_perez1) April 26, 2021
Incredible that we get to see the real-time reaction from Daniel Kaluuya’s mother as he talks about his parents having sex pic.twitter.com/juxCZeJcQC — Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) April 26, 2021
After his speech, the actor went on to have a backstage conversation with ET, where he joked that he would avoid his phone for a bit.
"I think my mom's not going to be very happy," he added before assuring everyone that his mom has a sense of humor and she'll be cool with what he said on-stage.
Jokes apart, the actor honestly hopes that the story of Chairman Fred would inspire the audiences and acknowledged that the only reason that he was standing on the Academy's stage with the famed statue in his hands was because of what Hampton did, in more ways than one.