Viola Davis didn’t just make history Sunday night with her first Oscar win for “Fences,” she also gave an emotional acceptance speech that brought the room to tears.
“There’s one place where all the people with the greatest potential are gathered, and that place is the graveyard,” she began her speech. “People ask me all the time, what kind of stories do you want to tell, Viola? And I say, exhume those bodies…exhume those stories.
“The stories of the people who dreamed big, and never saw those stories to fruition. People who fell in love, and lost. I became an artist and thank god I did, because we are the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life.”
Also Read: Viola Davis Becomes First African-American to Win Top 3 Acting Prizes
She also thanked playwright August Wilson and of course, co-star and director Denzel Washington.
“O Captain, my Captain, Denzel Washington,” she said, referencing the famous Walt Whitman poem. “Thank you for putting two entities in the driving seat, August and God. And they served you well.”
Also Read: Why Viola Davis' Oscar Win Is Another Sign of Hollywood's Gender Bias
Before she took to the stage, Davis stopped to embrace Meryl Streep, to whom she lost the Best Actress Oscar in 2012.
The speech was so good that it prompted host Jimmy Kimmel to joke, “Viola Davis was just nominated for an Emmy for that Oscar speech.”
Oscars 2017: Red Carpet Arrivals (Photos)
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Ruth Negga, Lucas Hedges and Auli'i Cravalho are just a few stars who have walked the red carpet at the 89th Academy Awards
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"Loving" actress Ruth Negga
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"Hacksaw Ridge" actor Luke Bracey
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"Manchester by the Sea" actor Lucas Hedges
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"Moana" actress Auli'i Cravalho
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"Hidden Figures" actor Glen Powell
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Olivia Culpo
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"Hidden Figures" star Aldis Hodge
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"Jackie" composer Mica Levi
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"Elle" actress Isabelle Huppert
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"A Monster Calls" actress Felicity Jones
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"Captain Fantastic" actor Viggo Mortensen
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Michael Strahan
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"Ghostbusters" director Paul Feig
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Robin Roberts
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"Railroad Tigers" star Jackie Chan
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"Edge of Seventeen" star Hailee Steinfeld
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"Scandal" star Darby Stanchfield
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"Hacksaw Ridge" star Teresa Palmer
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"The Promise" actress Shohreh Aghdashloo
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"Nerve" actress Emma Roberts
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"Lion" star Sunny Pawar
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Sting and Trudie Styler
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"Moonlight" director Barry Jenkins
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"Star Trek Beyond" actress Sofia Boutella
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Karlie Kloss
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"Rogue One" star Riz Ahmed
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"Moonlight" stars Alex R. Hibbert, Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders
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"Hacksaw Ridge" star Andrew Garfield
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Leslie Mann, Judd Apatow
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"Hidden Figures" star Taraji P. Henson
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Chrissy Teigen, John Legend
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"Once Upon a Time" star Ginnifer Goodwin
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"13th" director Ava DuVernay
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"Hidden Figures" star Kirsten Dunst
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Pharrell Williams, Mimi Valdes
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Terrence Howard, Mira Pak
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"Hacksaw Ridge" actor Vince Vaughn
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David Oyelowo
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"Hidden Figures" star Octavia Spencer
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"La La Land" composer Justin Hurwitz
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"The Sinner" actress Jessica Biel
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Gael Garcia Bernal
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Justin Timberlake
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Matt Damon, Luciana Barroso
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"Lion" actor and Best Supporting Actor nominee Dev Patel and mom Anita Patel
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"Moonlight" star and Best Supporting Actor nominee Mahershala Ali
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Casey Affleck, nominated for Best Actor for "Manchester by the Sea"
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"Hidden Figures" star Janelle Monae
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Javier Bardem
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Brie Larson
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"La La Land" star and Best Actor nominee Ryan Gosling
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Chris Evans
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Kate McKinnon
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"Moonlight" star and Best Supporting Actress Naomie Harris
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"Manchester By the Sea" star and Best Supporting Actress Michelle Williams
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Priyanka Chopra
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Alicia Vikander
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Dakota Johnson
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"La La Land" star and Best Actress nominee Emma Stone
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Halle Berry
Check out what Hollywood’s biggest stars are wearing as they head into Dolby Theatre for the 2017 Academy Awards
Ruth Negga, Lucas Hedges and Auli'i Cravalho are just a few stars who have walked the red carpet at the 89th Academy Awards
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