Every time Brad Pitt gets nominated for an Oscar, we’re rooting for him. But this year’s nomination was particularly well-deserved for his spectacular performance in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — and luckily, Pitt snagged the win! Pitt got surprisingly vulnerable during his acceptance speech, dwelling on how incredible it was to find himself there on that stage, and ending with a sweet shout-out to his kids.
Pitt accepted tonight’s award from presenter Regina King, and opened his speech with a joke — a politically-charged joke that took aim at Donald Trump’s impeachment trial last week, at that. “I was told I have 45 seconds up here,” he said. “45 seconds more than the Senate gave John Bolton this week.” Backstage, Pitt expanded on his comment: “I was really disappointed with this week,” he said of Trump’s acquittal, and the manner in which the trial was conducted. “I don’t think we should let it slide. I’m very serious about that.”
Brad Pitt backstage at the #Oscars talking about what prompted the political reference in his speech: "I was really disappointed with this week…I don't think we should let it slide. I'm very serious about that." pic.twitter.com/OlQA2cLQCC
— IndieWire (@IndieWire) February 10, 2020
As the speech went on, Pitt started to get emotional — and, dare we say it, even a little choked up. Reflecting on his long, illustrious career in Hollywood, he thanked director Tarantino and co-star Leonardo DiCaprio (“I’ll ride on your coattails any day, man”), among others. After a joke about how well the title of his film described this moment — “once upon a time in Hollywood, indeed,” he quipped — he ended with the comment that really tugged at our heartstrings.
"I’ll ride on your coattails any day, man. The view is fantastic." Brad Pitt thanks Leonardo DiCaprio during his #Oscars speech https://t.co/xIgMGObsBvpic.twitter.com/QCUscq4kG7
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 10, 2020
“This is for my kids, who color everything I do,” Pitt told the audience. “I adore you.”
Pitt shares six children with ex-wife Angelina Jolie: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Vivienne and Knox. Since their 2016 split, Pitt’s relationship with his children has reportedly been strained, especially with oldest son Maddox. In fact, it was an alleged altercation between Maddox and Pitt on a plane in 2016 that led Jolie to file for divorce.
Brad Pitt had family on his mind after winning Best Supporting Actor at the #Oscars. https://t.co/SmOjikHjH0pic.twitter.com/Xa4XsPR9wz
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) February 10, 2020
In recent years, Pitt has worked hard on his sobriety and vowed to do better going forward. He’s reportedly working hard on repairing his relationship with his kids, and this speech confirms that the actor knows just how much he owes to his family. While he and Jolie may no longer be together, we hope Pitt and his children can find their way back to feeling like a family again — and this sweet shout-out to the world is a good first step.
Click through the gallery to see all the celebrities on the red carpet at the 2020 Oscars.
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