From Troy Kotsur’s history-making win to a full performance by none other than Queen Bey herself, here are all the memorable Oscars moments that you won’t want to overlook.
Though a certain slap heard around the world may have stolen the show, this year’s Academy Awards were full of moments that filled us with joy and even moved us to tears. From Troy Kotsur’s history-making win to a full performance by none other than Queen Bey herself, here are all the memorable Oscars moments that you won’t want to overlook. Ariana DeBose makes history For her luminous performance as Anita in «West Side Story,» Broadway veteran DeBose took home the Oscar for best supporting actress, making her the first out queer woman of color to win in her category. In a concise speech, DeBose spoke to viewers directly: «So to anybody who has ever questioned their identity, ever, or if you find yourself living in the gray spaces, there is indeed a place for us.» (That line also referenced the «West Side Story» song «Somewhere,» whose lyrics were penned by In Memoriam honoree Stephen Sondheim.) She’s also one of few actors to have won an Oscar for playing the same role as a previous Oscar winner: Rita Moreno won the same award for playing Anita in 1961’s «West Side Story,» and DeBose called the actress her «divine inspiration.» Troy Kotsur wins Only the second deaf actor to ever win an Oscar, Kotsur’s victory for his moving performance in «CODA» was the culmination of an awards season’s worth of often hilarious and emotional acceptance speeches. The actor first joked that he’d planned on teaching President Joe Biden some «dirty sign language» until his co-star (and the first deaf actor to win an Oscar) Marlee Matlin intervened. He thanked director Siân Heder for «bringing the deaf world and the hearing world together» and tipped his hat to the fishermen of the Massachusetts town where «CODA» was filmed and reminded them to «eat [their] spinach» à la Popeye.
