Amy Madigan dedicates Actor Award to ‘union people’ after Weapons win
amy madigan won her first Actor Award for supporting actress Sunday for her turn as the unhinged Aunt Gladys in Zach Cregger’s horror film Weapons. The 75-year-old accepted the prize onstage and used her speech to praise union colleagues and celebrate the film’s ensemble.
Amy Madigan’s acceptance speech
Madigan took the stage and began by saying, “It’s such an honor to be here. I’ve been doing this a long ass time. ” She described herself as a proud union member who comes from Chicago and repeatedly emphasized the solidarity of performers: “We’re all union people, ” and “they’re not going to bust us, ever. ” The actor said she has never been nominated by the guild before and reflected on what the evening means coming from her peers.
The win and Oscar race
The Actor Award victory in the supporting actress category was framed as a shake-up of the Oscars race; before Madigan’s win, the field had seemed to favor Teyana Taylor. Madigan was the sole Weapons star nominated at this year’s Actor Awards. She has also earned nominations from the Golden Globe Awards, the Critics Choice Awards and the Academy Awards, and she is nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actress on March 15. It is her second Academy Award nomination; she was previously nominated 40 years ago for her performance as the fiery Sunny in Twice in a Lifetime.
Cast shout-outs and stunt work
Onstage Madigan gave extensive thanks to her Weapons colleagues, shouting out Julia Garner, Josh Brolin and many more by name. Other cast members she mentioned include Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong and Toby Huss, along with the little kids who ran around in the film and the stunt people. She praised the ensemble and singled out the casting work of Allison Jones, noting the many casting changes the production weathered.
Stage moment and Ken doll
Introduced by Orlando Bloom as “terrorizing a suburb in a wig and a tracksuit, ” Madigan performed the film’s iconic run as she came onstage. She picked up the Actor trophy and cracked a self-deprecating joke comparing the moment to the childhood memory of Barbie and Ken, riffing that “Ken has nothing!” and apologizing for digressing because she was nervous and overwhelmed. She also noted that she used a stunt double only for the very last scene of the physically demanding movie and said, “I did all that running and all that ridiculous stuff. ” She added she was proud she didn’t slip or crash during those scenes.
Prequel interest and Zach Cregger
Fans and filmmakers have discussed a possible prequel centered on Aunt Gladys. Madigan said that Zach Cregger has “a map of what he would like to do, ” and called revisiting the character “such a blast, ” adding, “I’m excited about that possibility. ” The film has generated strong audience enthusiasm; it received a 93 percent critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes and helped Madigan find viral fame for her Oscar-nominated turn.
Awards night details and reaction
The 32nd annual Actor Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles on Sunday night, with Kristen Bell hosting. Madigan beat out fellow nominees Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another, Odessa A’Zion for Marty Supreme, Ariana Grande for Wicked: For Good and Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners. Ariana Grande did not attend the show because she was rehearsing for an upcoming tour. Madigan described the moment as exciting and said she is navigating Oscar buzz, press interest and new conversations about what’s next.
In recent interviews and in a podcast episode, Madigan reflected that she had not done this kind of awards attention in a while and called the experience “a little daunting at times, ” while also celebrating that Gladys has “surprised” her and is getting a lot of positive response.
Madigan’s first Actor Award win and first nomination mark a late-career peak for the veteran performer, who has earned widespread praise for her viral turn as Aunt Gladys in the summer horror hit Weapons.
