Daniel Kaluuya wins 1st Oscar for ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
The actor won for his critically acclaimed role in Black Panther Party biopic
Years after his first nomination for his breakout role in Get Out, Daniel Kaluuya won Best Supporting Actor at the 93rd Academy Awards on Sunday.
Kaluuya took home the coveted award for his historical role of Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah. The British actor accepted the award with a heartwarming and at times hilarious speech, and even gave an unexpected shoutout to his parents.
Kaluuya dedicated his award to the man he portrayed in the film, Black Panther Party leader Hampton. Kaluuya shared in the speech, “To Chairman Fred Hampton, Bro, man…what a man. How blessed we are to live in a lifetime he existed, understand?”
Read More: Daniel Kaluuya’s Golden Globes win hampered by bad audio: ‘You did me dirty!’
He continued to speak to Hampton’s life, sharing that Hampton and the Black Panther Party showed him “how to love himself.” He added, “And with that love, it overflowed into the Black community and to other communities…and they showed us the power of union, the power of unity.”
He also added a call to action to his fellow Hollywood creatives at the ceremony, saying, “There’s so much work to do guys, and that’s on everyone in this room. This ain’t no single man job…I look to every single one of you. You’ve got work to do!”
With another little joke, Kaluuya added, “I’m gonna get back to work Tuesday morning…because tonight I’m going up!”
Read More: Daniel Kaluuya scores major win at SAG Awards 2021
He continued to speak to the joy of life, specifically referencing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year. The actor explained, “We gotta celebrate life, man! We’re breathing, we’re walking, it’s incredible! It’s incredible, like…my mom and my dad, they had sex…it’s amazing! Like, do you understand, I’m here! I’m so happy to be alive, so I’m gonna celebrate that tonight, you understand?”
After the cheeky comment, the camera panned to his mother watching at the ceremony, who seemed to be just as shocked as the audience with his comments.
Read More: Daniel Kaluuya accepts AFI Award for ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ (Exclusive)
As theGrio previously reported, Kaluuya has won multiple major awards for the role of Hampton in Judas. The actor took home an award for this role at the SAG Awards in March, as well as the Golden Globe Awards earlier this year.
While award season may be coming to an end for Kaluuya, there is still plenty on the horizon for the must-watch actor. As theGrio recently reported, Kaluuya confirmed he will appear in Black Panther 2 while on The Graham Norton Show.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!
