Brad Pitt’s fantastic awards season just got even better: At Sunday’s Oscars ceremony, the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actor accepted the first gold statuette of the night, for Best Supporting Actor. Pitt’s speeches have earned him some acclaim this awards season, and his Oscars address did not disappoint.
On stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Pitt cracked an extremely topical joke: “Thank you to the Academy for this honor of honors,” he said. “They told me I only have 45 seconds up here, which is more than the Senate gave John Bolton this week.”
“I’m thinking maybe Quentin does a movie about it,” Pitt added. “And in the end the adults do the right thing.”
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Pitt’s victory is all the more impressive given the talent against whom he competed on Sunday; the category was stacked with nominees, including Joe Pesci and Al Pacino for The Irishman, Tom Hanks for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and Anthony Hopkins for The Two Popes. Although this is Pitt’s second Oscar win, it’s his first victory specifically for acting. (In 2014 he received an Oscar when 12 Years a Slave, which he produced, won Best Picture.)
Pitt expanded on his political comments backstage after accepting his award. According to USA Today reporter Bill Keveney, Pitt told reporters, “I was really disappointed with this week...It’s a sad day and I don’t think we should let it slide."
In addition to the political content, Pitt made sure to add a shout-out to his co-star and best awards season buddy, Leonardo DiCaprio. “Leo, I’ll ride your coattails any day, man,” Pitt said. “The view’s fantastic.”
