LOS ANGELES (AP) – Patricia Arquette advocated for wage equality after accepting the Oscar for best supporting actress in “Boyhood” during an emotional outburst at the end of her carefully scripted speech Sunday.
The 46-year-old actress played the mother of Ellar Coltrane’s Mason in Richard Linklater’s sweeping look at a boy’s life, filmed over 12 years.
Presenter Jared Leto wiped red lipstick, bestowed in a kiss from fellow nominee Emma Stone, from Arquette’s face before she unfolded a piece of paper.
Despite donning glasses, she held the paper at arm’s length and thanked a litany of family, co-stars and nominees, and plugged an online organization she supports.
Arquette wrapped up by saying, “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 for all. And equal rights for women in the United States of America.”
Fellow nominee Meryl Streep rose to her feet and pointed at Arquette, shouting, “Yes! Yes!” from the audience.
Arquette became the first member of her acting family to win an Academy Award. She had already claimed trophies from the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, Independent Spirit Awards and BAFTA for her role. Her father Lewis Arquette was an actor, her grandfather Cliff Arquette was a comedian, and her siblings, including sister Rosanna, have worked in show business.
Arquette’s next project is a return to the small screen. She stars in the new series “CSI: Cyber,” debuting in March on CBS.
Also nominated were Laura Dern in “Wild”; Keira Knightley in “The Imitation Game”; Stone in “Birdman”; and Streep for “Into the Woods.”
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AP National Writer Jocelyn Noveck contributed to this report.