In a delirious best actress race that broke wide open after January’s Golden Globe Awards, Olivia Colman came out on top and took home the Academy Award for “The Favourite.”
Colman’s win meant that her fellow nominee Glenn Close has extended her losing streak. Throughout her career that spans over four decades, Close has been nominated for seven Oscars for films including “The World According to Garp,” “The Big Chill,” and “The Natural.” Close was widely considered to be the frontrunner in the lead actress category for her performance in “The Wife,” so Colman seemed admittedly surprised to hear her named called.
“It’s genuinely quite stressful,” Colman said while accepting her trophy. “This is hilarious. I got an Oscar.”
Colman gave a nod to Close, admitting she wished the veteran actress took home the big prize.
“Glenn Close, you’ve been my idol for so long,” Colman said while accepting her trophy. “This is not how I wanted to it to be, and I think you’re amazing, and I love you very much.”
Colman also praised her co-stars, calling Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz “the two loveliest women in the world to fall in love with.”
She then gave a shout-out to her kids, who she said she hoped were watching at home. “If you’re not [watching], then, well done. But I sort of hope you are. This is not going to happen again,” she said.
Colman wrapped up her speech saying, “Any little girl who is practicing their speech on the telly, you never know. And I used to work as a cleaner, and I loved that job. I did spend quite a lot of time imagining this.”
Colman is a longtime glitterati of the London stage and captivated critics with her portrayal of the turbulent Queen Anne in “The Favourite.” Under the direction of Yorgos Lanthimos, Colman gave a career-best as a ruler in decline under the control of her dear friend and secret lover Lady Sarah (Weisz), who is suddenly swayed by a new and conniving member to court (Stone). “The Favourite” was nominated for 10 Oscars, but Colman ended up being the film’s sole winner.