It is not every day that a woman wins an Oscar and then goes on to give a very spontaneous yet amazing speech, thus we give you Olivia Colman. The British actor had been a front-runner for the 91st Academy Awards, for her performance in The Favourite, although many people had their bet on Glenn Close. So what does Colman do when she gets on stage to receive her award? She goes on to acknowledge her fellow nominee, whose performance in The Wife had made her a favourite in the awards season. Colman said, "To be in this category, and these extraordinary women and Glenn Close, you are my idol and this is not how I wanted it to be. I love you all."
SOME TAKEAWAYS
- Olivia Colman's acceptance speech after winning the Academy Award for Best Actress Is winning the Internet over.
- Her speech was in equal parts hilarious, charming, inspiring and spontaneous.
- Amidst everything, she also made it a point to fawn over her fellow nominee Glenn Close, a front-runner for the Oscars this year.
- When women acknowledge each other's talent and achievements, it helps us bond better and feel confident about our capabilities.
What does Colman do when she gets on stage to receive her award? She goes on to acknowledge her fellow nominee Glenn Close.
She further went on to encourage little girls to keep dreaming, "Any little girl who's practicing their speech on the telly - you never know!" The reason why Colman's speech is so special is that it was so spontaneous. There were no rehearsed powerful one liners or a sequence to it. It was as if Colman couldn't believe that she won. If that is indeed the case, then full marks for her sense of humour. We also need to take a minute to acknowledge, how despite winning, she didn't forget to show her adulation for Close from the Oscar stage. Success often changes your mindset and your priorities. It puts you on a peak, which others can only dream of climbing.
For women, professional success often comes at a cost of hostility from their female co-workers, who have worked equally hard but get passed on.
It is natural for a winner to thus feel guarded about their achievements. But instead of alienating each other women can appreciate each other. In 2017, after winning her Grammy Award for best album, Adele used much of her time on stage to fawn over Beyoncé, who was also nominated in the category. “I can’t possibly accept this award, and I’m very humbled, and I’m very grateful and gracious, but the artist of my life is Beyoncé,” she said, the Vanity Fair reported. Colman and Adele show us that women can choose not to be rivals. They can even use the platform they have gained from success to express admiration for colleagues and fellow artists. These women had a long list of people to thank to and endless things they were grateful for. But they chose to use the mic in their hands to give a shout out to other women. It is not easy and it doesn't strike everyone on the right moment.
These women had a long list of people to thank to and endless things they were grateful for. But they chose to use the mic in their hands to give a shout out to other women.
Another significant moment in Colman's speech was when she told little girls to never give up on their dreams. Here was a who had to work as a cleaner (as she mentions in her speech) and went on to win an Oscar, her childhood dream. We often tell little girls to grow up. To give up on their childish fantasies and face the realities of the world with a practical outlook. But perhaps it is time to tell them to never stop dreaming big. Two African-American women, created history today, by winning Oscars in non-acting categories in more than three decades.
Would Hannah Beachler and Ruth E. Carter have managed to do so, had they given up on their dreams because no woman had managed to do it in more than thirty years? Perhaps not, and that is why we should tell young girls to keep dreaming. As for those who want to deflate their morale, Colman blowing a raspberry from the Oscar stage makes for an appropriate response to them.
Also Read : Period. End of Sentence wins Oscar for Best Documentary Short
Picture Credit: junkee.com
Yamini Pustake Bhalerao is a writer with the SheThePeople team, in the Opinions section. The views expressed are the author’s own.
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