Brie Larson was named best actress at the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday night.
Larson won her first Oscar for her role in Room, beating out fellow nominees Cate Blanchett (Carol), Jennifer Lawrence (Joy), Charlotte Rampling (45 Years) and Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn).
In Room, Larson plays a mother who is held captive and forced to raise her young son (Jacob Tremblay) in a 10'-by-10' space. The actress also won a Golden Globe, a SAG Award and an Independent Spirit Award this year for her role in Lenny Abrahamson's adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s novel.
"The thing that I love about moviemaking is how many people it takes to make it, " Larson said onstage, thanking her co-star Tremblay, "my partner through this in every way possible, " as well as the Telluride and Toronto film festivals, director Abrahamson, screenwriter and author Donoghue, friends and family, and even moviegoers who went to see Room.
"Thank you to all of you who saw it, " she said. "Thank you to the fans. Thank you to the moviegoers. Thank you for going to the theater and seeing our films. I appreciate it."
Room was nominated for four Academy Awards, including one for best picture. This is Larson’s first Oscar.
"This time a year ago I was still trying to figure out who I was, " Larson added backstage. "The movie was done, but I was in deep searching. I was pulling apart the pieces between the things that I had learned while being Ma and then trying to remember who I was before this movie, because I had spent about a year prepping and then doing the film. And who I was by the time the movie was over was so far away from who I was when I started that it was a long process of many different things in trying to find myself. And the weird part is is I am standing here now completely myself. ”
"Everything about this experience down to the way that I have handled it, the way that I felt about it, the dress that I'm wearing, everything has been very pointedly about it being a representation of who I am, " Larson told reporters. "I feel really strong and excited to be holding this gold guy that I do feel like it is an incredible metaphor for how I feel inside."
When asked what advice she would give for people following their dream, Larson answered simply, "You just have to do it."
"I mean, I wish that there was any sort of rules or code, " the actress continued, "but in fact, I think the way you get there is by breaking it, by listening to what's happening inside of yourself. I personally had many moments of crossroads, probably hundreds of moments of crossroads where I could go the way that people were telling me to go, or I could go the way that felt right within me. And it took me 20 years to be standing here on this stage, but I wouldn't want it any other way."
Larson also added what she learned from her experience acting in Room with co-star Tremblay, saying "I learned more from him than he ever did from me. There's so much wisdom in a child, and there is so much ease to the way that he is that I'm really excited for whenever that journey comes. I'm not sure what it means fully to be a parent."
