And his mom’s reaction deserves its own award.
When Daniel Kaluuya gave his speech after winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah, he hit all the right beats. He gave a loving tribute to Hampton. Showed love to his co-star (and competition in the category), LaKeith Stanfield. And—as all good boys should do—Kaluuya thanked his mom.
“You’ve gotta celebrate life, man,” Kaluuya said. “We’re breathing, we’re walking. It’s incredible. It’s incredible! My mom… my dad… they had sex! It’s amazing! I’m here!”
The camera immediately cut to Kaluuya’s mom and sister for the best reactions of the ceremony so far. Sister? Head in her hands. Mom? Somewhere between shocked and the tiniest bit disapproving, before descending into full-on laughter. It’s rare, in a ceremony full of pomp and circumstance, that you see a genuine family moment. Let’s salute the Kaluuya family for giving us heartwarmingly awkward moment—and hell, while we’re at it, a reminder to thank our parents for bringing us into this Earth.
We’d be remiss not to take a moment to appreciate the rest of Kaluuya’s speech. He spoke about Hampton, a legendary social activist who was Chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party. Hampton was murdered by the FBI at only 21 years old. Kaluuya reminded us of Hampton’s legacy—and how the man taught him to love himself.
“[Fred Hampton] was on this earth for 21 years, and he found a way to feed kids breakfast, educate kids, give free medical care, against all the odds,” Kaluuya said. “He showed me how to love myself… thank you so much for showing me myself.”
