Brad Pitt Was Moved To Tears As He Accepted His First-Ever Acting Oscar

It's official: Brad Pitt has one more Oscar to add to his mantle. Pitt won the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role statue during the 2020 Oscars for his work as Cliff Booth in Quentin Tarantino’s period piece, Once Upon A Time In... Hollywood. Although Pitt has spent awards season making audiences laugh with some A+ acceptance speeches, he took his time on stage at the 92nd Academy Awards to get emotional. 

Before Pitt — who won a producer Oscar in 2014 for Best Picture winner 12 Years a Slave — even got to the stage, he hugged co-star Leonardo DiCaprio. Then, once Pitt had his award in-hand, things became seriously deep. 

“Thank you to the Academy for this honour of honours,” Pitt began, noting he had 45 seconds to give his acceptance speech. “Which is 45 seconds more than the senate gave John Bolton this week,” he continued getting unexpectedly political. Pitt then quipped that his Once Upon A Time director, Tarantino, should make a movie about the 2020 impeachment fiasco. 

“In the end, the adults do the right thing,” he continued, possibly referencing the still-unknown outcome of the 2020 election. 

With Pitt’s political statement finished, he got a little more personal. “Leo, I’ll ride on your coattails any day, man. The view is fantastic,” he said to his on-screen best friend before thanking the cast and crew of Once. “I also want to say while we’re doing all this, I think it’s time we give a little love to our stunt coordinators and our stunt crews.”

Pitt’s Once character, Cliff, is the stunt double for DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton in the Oscar-nominated movie. 

Although Pitt admitted he rarely looks back on his career, he got a little nostalgic. “I think of my folks talking me to the drive-in to see Butch and Sundance. And loading up my car and moving out here. Gina [Davis] and Ridley [Scott] giving me my first shot,” Pitt said, tearing up while referencing one of his first major roles, J.D. in Thelma and Louise. “And all the wonderful people I met along the way to stand here now. Once upon a time in Hollywood — ain’t that the truth. This is for my kids, who colour everything I do.”

Although Pitt's speech wasn't as humorous as his foot fetish-referencing SAG Awards moment, it's still possible he got a little help crafting such a memorable one for the Oscars. Hollywood Reporter staff writer Mia Galuppo asked Pitt during the pre-Oscars red carpet who has been behind his string of comedy gems during awards season. He responded, “I’ve got a lot of funny friends, if that’s what you’re asking,” according to a tweet by Galuppo.

Maybe one of those pals will be up on stage for a writing Oscar come next year.