Patricia Arquette Demands Wage Equality for Women in Oscar Speech: ‘This Is Our Time’
Invoking her single-mother character from “Boyhood,” the Best Supporting Actress winner calls for equal pay
Matt Donnelly | February 22, 2015 @ 7:28 PM
Last Updated: February 22, 2015 @ 9:46 PM
As Patricia Arquette completed a clean sweep of award season in the best supporting actress category with her Sunday Oscar win, she used the massive Academy Awards platform to appeal for wage equality.
Running down a list of thank-you’s heard often over the past few months — her famous siblings, director Richard Linklater and costar Ethan Hawke — she surprised at the end of her speech by invoking the journey of her single-mom character in “Boyhood.”
“To every woman who gave birth, to every citizen who has paid taxes … this is our time to have wage equality and equal rights for women,” Arquette said.
The line elicited strong reactions and applause from the crowd, with Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lopez rising from their chairs with applause. Arquette also name-checked her charitable foundation GiveLove.org, founded with Rosetta Getty, which helps displaced families.
Arquette claimed the trophy over Emma Stone of “Birdman,” Streep in “Into The Woods,” Keira Knightley in “The Imitation Game” and Laura Dern in “Wild.”
Okay, Jesus. Thank you to the Academy, to my beautiful, powerful nominees. To IFC, Jonathan Sehring, John Sloss, Cathleen Sutherland, Molly Madden, David DeCamillo, our whole cast and our crew. My “Boyhood” family, who I love and admire. Our brilliant director Richard Linklater. The impeccable Ethan Hawke. My lovelies, Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater. Thomas and Paul, thank you for giving me my beautiful children. Enzo and Harlow, you’re the deepest people that I know. My friends who all work so hard to make this world a better place. To my parents, Rosanna, Richmond, Alexis and David. To my favorite painter in the world, Eric White, for the inspiration of living with a genius. To my heroes, volunteers and experts who have helped me bring ecological sanitation to the developing world with GiveLove.org. To every woman who gave birth, to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights. It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America.
Oscars Red Carpet Arrivals (Photos)
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Jennifer Lopez ("Boy Next Door")
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Meryl Streep ("Into the Woods")
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Lady Gaga and Keira Knightley ("The Imitation Game")
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Jared Leto ("Dallas Buyers Club")
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Justin Theroux ("The Leftovers") and Jennifer Aniston ("Cake")
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Scarlett Johansson ("The Avengers")
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Nicole Kidman ("Paddington")
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Benedict Cumberbatch ("The Imitation Game") with wife Sophie Hunter
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Jennifer Hudson
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Kerry Washington ("Scandal")
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Jessica Chastain ("A Most Dangerous Year")
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Director Ava DuVernay ("Selma")
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Lupita Nyong'o ("12 Years a Slave")
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Reese Witherspoon ("Wild")
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Viola Davis ("How to Get Away with Murder")
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Supermodel Chrissy Teigen
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Jennifer Aniston ("Cake") and Emma Stone ("Birdman")
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Ellar Coltrane
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Rita Ora ("Fifty Shades of Grey")
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Chloe Grace Moretz ("Kick-Ass")
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Cate Blanchett ("The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies")
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Bradley Cooper ("American Sniper")
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Zoe Saldana ("Guardians of the Galaxy")
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Sienna Miller ("American Sniper")
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Naomi Watts ("Birdman")
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Rosamund Pike ("Gone Girl")
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Recording artist Adam Levine with model Behati Prinsloo
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Julianne Moore ("Still Alice")
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Marion Cotillard ("Two Days, One Night")
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David Oyelowo ("Selma") and Michael Keaton ("Birdman")
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Steve Carell ("Foxcatcher") with wife Nancy Carell
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Melanie Griffith with daughter Dakota Johnson ("Fifty Shades of Grey")
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Laura Dern ("Wild")
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Margot Robbie ("Focus")
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Joanna Newsom ("Inherent Vice") and Andy Samberg ("Brooklyn Nine-Nine")
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J.K. Simmons ("Whiplash")
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Carmen Ejogo ("Selma")
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Oscars host Neil Patrick Harris with husband David Burtka
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Recording artists Faith Hill, in J. Mendel, and Tim McGraw
Recording artists Tegan Quin and Sara Quin ("Everything Is Awesome" from "The Lego Movie")
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Model Karolina Kurkova rocks Marchesa
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Anna Kendrick ("The Last 5 Years") in Thakoon
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Josh Hutcherson ("The Hunger Games")
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Gina Rodriguez ("Jane the Virgin")
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Jamie Chung in Yanina Couture
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America Ferrera in Jenny Packham
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Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck
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Kelly Preston and John Travolta
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Ryan Seacrest
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TV personalities Charissa Thompson and Mario Lopez
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Michael Strahan
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Set decorator Tatiana MacDonald ("The Imitation Game") and production designer Maria Djurkovic ("The Imitation Game")
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Michael Keaton with "Birdman" director Alejandro González Iñárritu
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"Good Morning America" TV personality Robin Roberts
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Composer Hans Zimmer ("Interstellar")
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Disney Channel star Zendaya
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Kevin Hart ("Get Hard")
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John Stamos ("Full House")
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Oscar statues outside the entrance of the Dolby Theatre
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Gwyneth Paltrow
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See what all of the Oscar nominees, presenters and guests are wearing as they arrive at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood for the 87th annual Academy Awards