Photo credit: Courtesy of the Studios
Best Picture: 12 Years A Slave
Brad Pitt: “It’s a real achievement by Mr. McQueen here. I love this movie. I think it’s important that we understand our history not for any kind of guilt, but that we understand who we were so we can better understand who we are now and why we’re having the specific problems we’re having or the successes we’re having; and more ‑‑ most importantly, who we’re going to be. But listen, at the end of the day we just hope that this film remains a gentle reminder that we’re all equal. We all want the same. We want dignity and opportunity for ourselves and our family, and that anothers’ freedom is every bit as important as our own; and that’s it, and that’s everything.” Academy Award®
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Matthew McConaughey
“And so, this being Dallas Buyers Club, when we did the film, it was also on my desk five years ago, that we finally got made two years ago, it sort of feels like a bit of a culmination. Not really a destination as far as work goes, but the movie, the script, no one wanted to make it for 20 years. It got turned down 137 times. And then it came across my desk, I jumped on with the team that was trying to get it made and we somehow got it made and got it across the line. That was a minor miracle in itself, so that felt great.” Academy Award®
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Cate Blanchette (Blue Jasmine)
“Look it’s ‑‑ roles like this don’t come along very often, and as I think I said, or I hope I said, or I imagined I said, that it was a real synthesis for me of the long, deep connection I’ve had with the Theatre. And the kind of often sort of intangible connection I’ve had to film. And I think Woody Allen and the script that he wrote provided me that forum to kind of make that synthesis happen. You know, someone who is ‑‑ had a very fragmented sense of self. I mean, I don’t think I could have approached that in as bold a way as perhaps I did risking for a year as I did without having worked with the folks at the Sydney Theatre Company as intensively as I have.” Academy Award®
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years A Slave)
“I know that my country has been extremely proud of me. I stumbled upon a big, big, big, like, good luck ‑‑ I don’t even know what to call it, but something at the rugby sevens in Las Vegas, and they created this big, big canvas saying thank you to me; and I stumbled ‑‑ stumbled upon it on Instagram. And that was just amazing to see all of these hundreds of people holding up this thing saying good luck to me, and so I know I mean a lot to my countrymen, and I am so grateful for that kind of support from the entire world actually, that the entire world did not have a say in whether I got this or not, but the fact that I won in so many people’s hearts, that is incredible, and I am so grateful for that.” Academy Award®
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)
“It’s safe to say from the moment the film premiered at Toronto Film Festival, my professional life changed. You know, but I’m still ‑‑ I wouldn’t say that I’ve changed. But a lot of things around me have. And I’ve always been an artist interested in creativity and doing something that I was proud of and, you know, taking on challenging projects and pushing myself to the limit. Dallas Buyers Club was my first film in six years. Did you guys not know that?” Academy Award®
