Actors have won Oscars for horror movies in the past, however it is not precisely an everyday incidence. The style has lengthy been ignored on the ceremony, so Amy Madigan being among the many 2026 Oscar winners for her efficiency because the evil Aunt Gladys in “Weapons” is notable. What’s extra, it marks the primary time since 1992 {that a} performer has gained an Academy Award for taking part in a villain in a horror film.
The final time this occurred was for Anthony Hopkins’ outing as Hannibal Lecter in “The Silence of the Lambs” — one of many best horror films of the 1990s. On this one, Hopkins performs a cannibal who enjoys consuming individuals’s livers with fava beans and a pleasant Chianti, and his efficiency is completely chilling. Coincidentally, Robert De Niro was additionally nominated for his demented efficiency in Martin Scorsese’s “Cape Worry,” after which horror villain performances had been ignored by the awards physique within the years that adopted.
Now is a superb time to carry the pattern again. Madigan’s efficiency as a child-stealing witch in “Weapons” is an all-timer, made all of the extra spectacular by the truth that she is barely within the movie. Hopkins’ performance in “The Silence of the Lambs” also showed that less is more when it comes to horror. So, in a means, Madigan is a becoming option to observe in Hopkins’ footsteps on the Oscars’ stage. With that in thoughts, let’s discover out what Madigan needed to say about her win.
Amy Madigan feedback on 2026 Oscar win
This 12 months’s Greatest Actress in a Supporting Position class was stacked. Amy Madigan was up in opposition to Elle Fanning (“Sentimental Worth”), Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (“Sentimental Worth”), Wumni Mosaku (“Sinners”), and Teyana Taylor (“One Battle After One other”), all of whom are deserving in their very own proper. Nonetheless, it is nice to see a horror villain stroll away with the accolade, and Madigan’s speech was as entertaining as her efficiency in “Weapons.” In her personal phrases:
“That is nice. I used to be within the bathe final night time making an attempt to think about one thing to say as I used to be shaving my legs — I’ve acquired pants on, I need not fear about that.”
Madigan additionally gave a shout-out to her household and canines, which is extra healthful than something her character does in “Weapons.” After terrifying us as Aunt Gladys — who is not what you’d name a loving household individual — it is good to see Madigan showcase her common human aspect once more. Let’s hope the Academy does not make us wait one other 34 years to see them have fun such a implausible efficiency by a horror villain.
