The formidable Frances McDormand has won her second Academy Award, this time for her portrayal of Mildred Hayes in Irish playwright Martin McDonagh's harrowing movie "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri".
Frances McDormand has two words for you all: Inclusion Rider.
As women, we all have stories to tell - and McDormand is going to make sure they get the platform and the purse strings that they need.
Rounding off a particularly empowering Academy Awards ceremony, the two-time Oscar winner called on every single female nominee of the night to stand in union and recognize their greatness.
The 60-year-old screen legend put great emphasis on the term inclusion rider. For the uninitiated, an inclusion rider is essentially a clause in a contract that requires provisions for gender and racial diversity on a project.
Her speech, which saw every woman in the room give a standing ovation, was widely regarded as the best of the night.
Host Jimmy Kimmell joked that the actress would probably win an Emmy for her powerful speech.
Here is the transcript of her soon-to-be iconic speech:
"So, I think this is what Chloe Kim must have felt like after doing back to back 1080s in the olympic half pipe, did you see that? Okay, that's what it feels like. I want to thank Martin McDonagh, look what you did. We are a bunch of hooligans, and anarchists, but we do clean up nice. I want to thank every single person in this building. And my sister, Dorothy, I love you, Dot. And I especially want to thank my clan.
Joel and Pedro McCoen, these two stalwart individuals were well-raised by their feminist mothers. They value themselves, each other and those around them. I know you are proud of me, and that fills me with everlasting joy. And now, I want to give some perspective. If I may be so honored to have all the female nominees in every category stand with me in this room tonight. The actors—Meryl, if you do it everyone else will—the filmmakers, the producers, the directors, the writers, the cinematographers, the composers, the song writers, the designers. Come on! Okay, look around everybody, look around, ladies and gentleman because we all have stories to tell and projects we need financed. Don’t talk to us about it at the parties tonight. Invite us into your office in a couple days or you can come to ours, whichever suits you best, and we can still you all about them. I have two words to leave with you tonight, ladies and gentleman, inclusion rider."
Frances gets all the female nominees standing #Oscars pic.twitter.com/71d53uTOby
— Alicia Malone (@aliciamalone) March 5, 2018
THIS IS A MOMENT. Thank you, Frances!
"We all have stories to tell and projects that need to be financed."#Oscars pic.twitter.com/bXVKuxqRbj
— The Kit (@TheKit) March 5, 2018
The ladies who lost—Meryl, Saorsie, Margot, Sally—all embraced in a hug during commercial #Oscars
— Tim Stack (@EWTimStack) March 5, 2018
#FrancesMcDormand getting all the Best Actress nominees to stand with her at the #Oscars was THE BEST pic.twitter.com/OdMe38DEOS
— Access (@accessonline) March 5, 2018
That speech deserves the Jet Ski. #FrancesMcDormand #Oscars
— Debra Birnbaum (@debrabirnbaum) March 5, 2018
#InclusionRider Put it in your contracts influential men and women of Hollywood or any industry who want to be part of the solution. #FrancesMcDormand @ReignOfApril
— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) March 5, 2018
That was an A+ speech from Frances McDormand, the best of the night. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/xzG1KxHyGS
— Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) March 5, 2018
...and the Oscar for the best acceptance speech goes to Frances Mcdormand #Oscars2018
— Laura Chinchilla M. (@Laura_Ch) March 5, 2018
McDormand's co-star Sam Rockwell also received a nod from the Academy, who awarded him with the Best Supporting Accolade.
McDormand and Rockwell's wins were a small triumph for Martin McDonagh, who lost out on Best Picture to "The Shape of Water".
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