93rd Oscars Backstage Interview Transcript: ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

SPEECH BY: Daniel Kaluuya

FILM: "JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH"

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Q. Hello? 
A. Hello. 

Q. What up, brother? 
A. How are you doing, bro? 

Q. I'm doing well, man.  I'm doing well.  Congratulations on this. 
A. Thank you.

Q. First, I just want to say, you walking up there on that stage accepting this award ‑‑ you've continued ‑‑ this whole award season you've continued to be kind of the gift that keeps on giving; right?  Anyone who watched you in this role, I believe, was changed; but then you stand up on that stage, and you thank your mother the way that you did.  I think you said ‑‑ what did you say?  That she gave you the factory settings? 
A. Yeah.  The factory settings, yeah. 

Q. The factory settings. 
A. She gave me my factory settings.

Q. I love the fact that you casually dropped the fact that ‑‑ the situation of your parents' sex life on the Oscars stage making sure that your Oscars speech lives on in infamy. 
A. Is that going to live on?  I think that's pretty obvious that my parents had sex.  I know my mom's probably going to text me some sex, but here we are.

Q. Congratulations, man.  And have you had a chance to ‑‑ Daniel, have you had a chance to talk to your mom yet?  Has she texted you yet? 
A. No, bro.  I'm going to wait on my phone for a bit, man.  Trust me.  I'm going to wait on my phone for a little bit.  I think my mom is going to be very happy.  But she's going to be cool.  She's going to be cool, man.  She's going to be cool.  She knows ‑‑ she's got a sense of humor.  So she's glad ‑‑ we give it to each other.  So it's cool. 

Q. (Muted.)
A. I can't hear you, bro.  What's happening?  Can you unmute?  He's muted.  Can you unmute?  I tried, bro.  It's the enemy of progress, bro.  I'm trying, bro.  It's technical.  But if you mouth it, I can probably -- will figure it out.  Trust me. 

Q. I appreciate it.  There it is.  They unmuted me.  They unmuted me.  What does this mean for the Hampton family and also the movement and what people may not know about Fred Hampton, bringing the story to the big screen and now you winning an Oscar for telling this man's story? 
A. I think it's just more ‑‑ just people are going to watch (inaudible) ‑‑ more story, man.  It's getting it out there and making sure people see who this man was and what this man did and what this man ‑‑ he continues to get better.  The fact that I continue to stand on this stage is because of what he did.  I think it's just that, that the legacy will continue.  It will continue, and people will want to engage with the story and the film and the man.

Q. I appreciate you.  Thank you. 
A. I appreciate you, man.

A. I can go on ‑‑ I can put on some black pants.  Okay.  I was asking a reaction to the ‑‑ because the ‑‑ yeah.  Okay.  Okay.  Don't worry.  We have nothing but time before anyone that comes in that we want to talk to. 

Q. Hi, Daniel.  How are you?  This is Carla from Complex.  How are you?
A. How are you, Carla? 

Q. Congratulations.  I'm so happy for you in this win. 
A. Thank you.

Q. I wanted to ask you how important was it for you to share this award with the cast, but especially with Lakeith because you were nominated in the same category. 
A. I mean, it's a team effort, you know?  We did this together.  So it's ‑‑ again, I share this honor with every single member of the cast and crew.

Q. Hi.  I want to congratulate you on this.  I've been following you since the beginning of your career, and I was wondering what it meant for you to be directed by Gina, what this means for you at this time with the world, in the state that it's in.
A. Say that question again, please.

Q. I was wondering what it meant for you to win for the world in the state that it's in at the moment. 
A. What it meant to win in the state that the world is in at the moment?  It's amazing to have this honor and to be appreciated in this way.

Q. Does it mean more to the community, though?
A. Does it mean more for the community?  What it means inside of the community is people are pouring into each other and protecting each other and defending each other and guiding each other.  That's why it means everything to community.

Q. Thank you. 

Q. Hey, man.  Congratulations.  Congratulations.  Hey, quick ‑‑ you mentioned there that you're back to work on Tuesday, but tonight's the party night, maybe some into tomorrow.  What's that going to look like for you?
A. Just enjoying myself, man.  Just enjoying myself with a couple friends, a couple babes.

Q. Thanks, man.  Congratulations. 
A. Thank you.  Thank you so much.

 


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