Congratulations to Emma Watson for winning the best actor in a movie award for her role as Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and for taking home the famous MTV golden popcorn statue.
“Firstly, I feel like I have to say something about the award itself,” Emma said as she started her acceptance speech. She praised MTV Movie and TV Awards for their genderless acting categories.
“The first acting award in history that doesn’t separate nominees by their sex says something about the way we perceive the human experience. MTV’s move to create a genderless award for acting will mean something different to everyone, but for me, it indicates that acting is about the ability to put yourself into someone else’s shoes. And that doesn’t need to be separated into two categories. Empathy and the ability to use your imagination should have no limits.”
“I think I’m being given this award for a performance as an actor, but it doesn’t feel like that’s what it’s really for,” Emma said. “More seriously, I think I’m being given this award because of who Belle is and what she represented. The village in our fairytale wanted to make Belle believe that our world was smaller than the way she saw it—that her curiosity and her passion for knowledge were grounds for alienation. I loved playing someone who didn’t listen to any of that. I’m so proud to be a part of a film that celebrates diversity, literacy, inclusion, joy, and love the way that this one does.”
Emma beat Taraji P. Henson for Hidden Figures, Daniel Kaluuya for Get Out, James McAvoy for Split, Hugh Jackman for Logan, and Hailee Steinfeld for Edge of Seventeen.
Not only is she on her way to being the highest paid actress in the world, she’s raking up awards, and giving out the best acceptance speeches. Congratulations again, Emma! Keep breaking glass ceilings.
Photo courtesy of People
Follow Preen on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Viber