Emerald Fennell retaliated tears as she accepted the Best Original Screenplay Oscar on Sunday night.
The 35-year-old actress conceded she hadn’t expected to take the honor for her film ‘Promising Young Woman’ ahead of the writers of the other nominated films, ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’, ‘Minari’, ‘Sound of Metal’, and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’, so apologized to event producer Stephen Soderbergh for not setting up a speech.
She said: “They said write a speech and I didn’t because I didn’t think this would happen, I’m going to be in trouble with Stephen Soderbergh, I’m so sorry…
“The only speech I ever wrote was when I was 10 – it mainly thanks Morris from ‘Saved by the Bell’. Unfortunately he hasn’t been as much of my life as I’d hoped.
“I’m trying very hard not to cry, which is very difficult because as an English person, we don’t cry ever.”
Emerald said thanks to her cast and team, just as her friends and family, as she felt “mortified” to have been singled out for recognition.
She said: “I have so many people to thank, I feel mortified that I’m here when it’s not just my job at all.
“I want to thank Carey Mulligan for being not only the most talented person in the world but also the kindest and funniest, the producers for never giving up, the cast and the crew, the greatest in the world, they just made me look good and I’m so grateful.”
Fighting back tears, she added: “Finally, my family, mum, dad, Coco, my husband, Chris… Come on. Our son who did not arrive until a couple of weeks after shooting, thank God, I crossed my legs all the way through. Thank God.
“Stephen – I hope that was alright.”
In the mean time, the second award of the evening went to Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton, who took Best Adapted Screenplay for ‘The Father’.
Florian accepted the honor in Paris, adulating his associate – who was at the evening’s London center point at the BFI – for their lengthy partnership.
He said: “Thank you so much, it’s such agreat joy and a great honour. I share this with CH, we have worked together for years and he’s a great writer and a great friend.”