Oscars 2017: 8 Ups And 6 Downs
3. Viola Davis' Acceptance Speech
"You know, there's one place that all the people with the greatest potential are gathered — one place, and that's the graveyard."
That's a hell of an opening line from Viola Davis, who picked up her first Oscar on the night and then delivered a speech worthy of an award itself. She continues:
"People ask me all the time, “What kind of stories do you want to tell, Viola?” And I say, “Exhume those bodies.” Exhume those stories — the stories of the people who dreamed big and never saw those dreams to fruition. People who fell in love and lost. I became an artist, and thank God I did because we are the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life. So here's to August Wilson, who exhumed and exalted the ordinary people."
It's a touching sentiment, and on an occasion where acting was being celebrated, it really got deep into the core of the profession.