CATEGORY: Performance by an actress in a leading role
SPEECH BY: Kate Winslet
FILM: "The Reader"
Okay, that fainting thing, Penelope. I'd be lying if I hadn't made a version of this speech before, I think I was probably eight years old and staring into the bathroom mirror. And this (holding up her statuette) would've been a shampoo bottle. Well, it's not a shampoo bottle now!
I feel very fortunate to have made it all the way from there to here. And I'd like to thank some of the people along the way who had faith in me, my friends and my family, especially my mum and dad, who are in this room somewhere. Dad, whistle or something, 'cause then I'll know where you are. (He whistles.) Yeah! (Waving to him.) I love you.
I'd also like to thank Hylda Queally, Dallas Smith and the late, much loved, much missed Robert Garlock. And from Peter Jackson and Emma Thompson to my very own Sam and Stephen Daldry. I'm very lucky to have been given Hanna Schmitz by Bernhard Schlink and David Hare and Stephen and working with you is an experience I will never forget. There was no division between the cast and the crew on this film, and that's what made it so special. So, to have been surrounded by a remarkable group of people who provided an unbroken chain of support from David Kross to Ralph Fiennes, Bruno Ganz, Lena Olin, from hair and makeup to cinematography, from the art department to the ADs, and from New York to Berlin. And I am so lucky to have a wonderful husband and two beautiful children who let me do what I love and who love me just the way that I am.
Anthony and Sydney, this is for you. This is for both of you. And I want to acknowledge my fellow nominees, these goddesses. I think we all can't believe we're in a category with Meryl Streep at all. I'm sorry, Meryl, but you have to just suck that up! And, just to the Academy, thank you so much, my God! Thank you!
Her backstage Q & A:
A. Hi.
Q. Kate, congratulations. You are fantastic. You know that. Thank you very much.
Q. My question is: Do you have any concerns or what your thoughts about your wonderfully portrayed character in the film, people loving that character would show sympathy for a Nazi, uhm, because your character was portrayed so beautifully?
A. I don't have any concerns, you know. I mean, I can't be responsible for the emotional response that an audience has to any film. I don't think any actor really can, and I think going into it, I was very aware that if an audience did feel any level of sympathy for Hannah, and they felt morally compromised as a consequence, that would be an interesting emotion for them to then deal with. It certainly wasn't my intention to make people sympathize with an SS guard.
Q. Kate, over here.
A. Hi.
Q. What is your reaction to the people, and there's some people in Britain who were upset that you were crying in some of your acceptance speeches. And tonight, you did get to show some emotion.Do you think that they're going to start getting on you for that as well?
A. I really don't care. I really don't care. And quite honestly, it makes me very sad that my own country can't be pleased for the successes of their own kind in the way that America really seems to be able to be. So, I really don't care.
Q. Kate, in front. Congratulations.
A. Thank you very much.
Q. Thank you for mentioning Robert Garlack. I want to ask you, you recently said that you were going to give you were going to retire some of the nude scenes, your gutsy nude scenes. Which actor would you like to pass the nude torch to next? Brad Pitt? Leonardo? Who would you like to see it go to?
A. Oh, my gosh.
Q. You have to pick someone?
A. Do I really?
Q. Yes.
A. It's the one time I feel like reaching for my publicist. Do I really have to answer this question? Uhm, I got to go for a woman actually and be really controversial.
Q. Great.
A. Okay, who?
Q. Do you want keep going and we'll come back?
Q. No, no, no, she will never do it?
A. No, I am... no, I am really trying to thinnk of someone.
