CATEGORY: Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
SPEECH BY: Emma Stone
FILM: "LA LA LAND"
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A. Did you guys see that?
Q. So, Emma, congratulations.
A. Thank you.
Q. I just wonder how will you celebrate tonight and who will you call first after the show?
A. My mom for sure. And I'm going to go out with a bunch of my friends and dance and drink champagne. That's pretty much the only plan.
Q. Hi, Emma.
A. Hi.
Q. Hi. Congratulations.
A. Thank you very much.
Q. What does it mean to you as one of the ones who dreamed to have won this award for playing this role that mimics what so many people in this city go through to get to the point of where you are standing right now?
A. Well, it's I guess surreal is probably the only way to describe it. It was ‑‑ I mean, to play this ‑‑ this woman, I knew this ‑‑ I've lived here for 13 years. I moved when I was 15 to start auditioning, and I knew what it felt like to go on audition after audition. So I mean anything like this was pretty inconceivable in a ‑‑ you know, in a realistic context. So right now, it still feels ‑‑ I had a really creepy little moment backstage ‑‑ not to change the subject ‑‑ but I was just like looking down at it, like it was my newborn child. This is a statue of a naked man. Very creepy staring at it. So hopefully I will look at a newborn child differently. But I mean it's, yeah, it's incredibly surreal. I don't have the benefit of hindsight yet. Sorry if that's a terrible answer. Turned it into a naked man story.
Q. How are you doing? You know it's a dream you have to get an Oscar. Did you ever dream like that? And what is the dream when they announce you as the Best Picture, LA LA LAND, and it didn't win?
A. Okay. So yes, of course. I'm an actor. I've always dreamt of this kind of thing, but again, not in a realistic context. And for that, I fucking love MOONLIGHT. God, I love MOONLIGHT so much. I was so excited for MOONLIGHT. And of course, you know, it was an amazing thing to hear LA LA LAND. I think we all would have loved to win Best Picture, but we are so excited for MOONLIGHT. I think it's one of the best films of all time. So I was pretty beside myself. I also was holding my Best Actress in a Leading Role card that entire time. So, whatever story ‑‑ I don't mean to start stuff, but whatever story that was, I had that card. So I'm not sure what happened. And I really wanted to talk to you guys first. Congratulations MOONLIGHT. Hell, yeah.
Q. Hi, Emma. Congratulations.
A. Thank you.
Q. Could you just speak a little bit to what the atmosphere was like after that nightmare? I think the atmosphere in here was crazy.
A. I think everyone's in a state of confusion still. Excitement, but confusion. So there's no real ‑‑ I don't really have a gauge of the atmosphere quite yet. I need to, you know, check in. But I think everyone is just so excited, so excited for MOONLIGHT. It's such an incredible film.
Q. Thank you. Congratulations on the award. A question from Bulgaria.
A. Oh.
Q. How much does an Oscar cost in terms of sacrifice and discipline?
A. Oh, my God. Is that measurable? I don't ‑‑ I don't know. I guess it depends on the Oscar. For ‑‑ in my life, I have been beyond lucky with the people around me, with the friends and family that I have and the people that have lifted me up throughout my life. So in terms of sacrifice, those people are all sitting back in a room right now and I get to go celebrate with them, and it's felt like the most joyous thing. So, I mean, being a creative person does not feel like a ‑‑ like a sacrifice to me. It's the great joy of my life. And so, I mean, I don't know if that's a, you know, a good answer to that question, but I've been very lucky in terms of that.
Q. Congratulations on your award.
A. Thank you.
Q. I'm just wondering as a performer, as someone who's been in Hollywood, you've experienced many things before. Are you able to give us sort of a word picture of what it was like? I timed it by the way, two minutes and 30 seconds LA LA LAND was Best Picture of the year. What was it like on stage when you first thought you won, you didn't win? I know you are taking it in good stride and everything.
A. Again, I don't know if this is a measurable question? Is that the craziest Oscar moment of all time? Cool. We made history tonight. Craziest moment. And again, I mean, I don't ‑‑ I don't even know what to say. I think I'm still on such a buzzy train backstage that I was, you know, on another planet already. So this has all just felt like another planet. But again, God I love MOONLIGHT. I'm so excited. So, it's, you know ‑‑ I think it's an incredible outcome, but very ‑‑ a very strange happening for Oscar history.
Q. Thanks very much.
A. Thank you.
Q. Congratulations on your win.
A. Thank you.
Q. My question is do you feel like owing Emma Watson a drink or dinner to thank her for turning down the role?
A. Oh, my God, you know what? She's doing great. She's the coolest. She's Belle. I mean I think it's all ‑‑ right? It's all good. I think she's amazing.
Q. Congratulations.
A. I think I have beads of sweat dripping down my face.
Q. No, you look amazing.
A. Thank you.
Q. Congratulations.
A. Thank you.
Q. Being on the top of the world right now, what does it humble you?
A. Well, you know, we had a nice little jarry moment that's just, you know, it's very ‑‑ it feels like real life. But everything kind of feels like real life. Like this is an incredible, incredible honor. And you know, and in many ways game changing for me, personally, but it's also just still me. And again, back to the people that I love, nothing changes when I go home. Nothing is going to change at all. So I don't know that there's a humbling moment. It's just already like feels ridiculous. In the best way.
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