On Sunday night, protean actor Gary Oldman won his long-deserved Oscar, and promptly thanked America at the very beginning of his acceptance speech. Unlike other moments in his speech, which triggered applause, Oldman’s gracious display of gratitude to his adopted country was met with silence by the Hollywood crowd.
Oldman began, “My deepest thanks to the Academy and its members for this glorious prize. I owe this and so much more to so many. I’ve lived in America for the longest time and I’m deeply grateful to her for the loves and the friendships I have made and the many wonderful gifts it has given me: my home, my livelihood, my family, and now Oscar.”
Crickets.
Oldman continued, “The movies, such is their power, captivated a young man from south London, and gave him a dream,” then added a list of co-workers and producers whom he wanted to thank, which elicited applause at one point.
Oldman concluded:
I would just like to salute Sir Winston Churchill, who has been marvelous company on what can be described as an incredible journey, and my wife, Gisele, for traveling that road with me and being at my side. … I would like to thank my mother who is older than the Oscar. She is 99 years young next birthday (applause) and she’s watching the ceremony from the comfort of her sofa. I say to my mother, thank you for your love and support. Put the kettle on, I’m bringing Oscar home.
Here’s the speech:
Though the Hollywood crowd didn’t give Oldman any applause for his tribute to America, there were plenty of America lovers who made sure to point out exactly what Oldman had offered:
H/T Twitchy