Whiplash star J.K. Simmons has kicked off the celebrations at the 87th Oscars by walking away with the first prize of the night for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.
The 60-year-old first-time nominee was the favourite heading into Sunday’s (22Feb15) ceremony after adding an Independent Spirit Award to his Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and BAFTA accolades on Saturday (21Feb15), and he continued his awards season victory parade by beating fellow contenders Robert Duvall (The Judge), Ethan Hawke (Boyhood), Edward Norton (Birdman) and Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher) to claim the top Oscar.
Stepping up to the podium, Simmons gave thanks to his “wonderful” wife Michelle Schumacher, and then urged people everywhere to call their parents and tell them they loved them. He said, “Call your mum, call your dad. If you’re lucky enough to have a parent or two alive on this planet, call them. Don’t text, don’t email, call them on the phone, tell them you love them and thank them and listen to them as long as they want to talk to you. Thank you. Thank you mum and dad.”
Ceremony host Neil Patrick Harris opened the 2015 prizegiving at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre by poking fun at the lack of diversity among this year’s Oscars nominations, quipping, “Welcome to the 87th Oscars. Tonight we honor Hollywood’s best and whitest, sorry brightest…!” He then launched into a song and dance number with Anna Kendrick, dressed as Cinderella, and actor/rocker Jack Black as an outspoken, disgruntled audience member, who leaped up onstage and belted out his complaints in a little melody, before he was kicked off stage.
Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel lead the 2015 nominees with nine nods apiece, followed by The Imitation Game with eight.
