Amy Madigan wins best supporting actress Oscar for Weapons | Oscars 2026
Amy Madigan won the Oscar for best supporting actress for the movie Weapons at the 98th Academy Awards.
Madigan defeated a strong field that included Elle Fanning for Emotional Value, Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners, and Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another to capture the award. In doing so, he set a new record for the longest gap between nominations before the win; was previously nominated in the same category 40 years ago, in 1986, for Twice in a Lifetime.
Making an emotional and well-intentioned speech, the actor stated that he was asked about the difference between the two nominations and said, “The difference is that I have this little golden man.”
In the supernatural horror film Weapons, written and directed by Zach Cregger, Madigan plays the villainous Aunt Gladys, whose heavy makeup and large glasses became a popular internet meme, referenced by Oscar host Conan O’Brien in his opening skit.
Madigan has had a strong awards season, earning best supporting actress nominations from the Golden Globes and Bafta awards and winning the actress award earlier this month; but his victory was far from certain, considering that Mosaku presented particularly strong competition.
“This is great,” he said. “I was in the shower last night and was trying to think of something to say while I was shaving my legs; I have pants on so I don’t need to worry about that.”
The actor thanked his fellow candidates for including him; Because, unlike them, he was the only person representing Weapons at the press conference.
“Most importantly, I want to thank my beautiful daughter, Lily,” he concluded, “and her husband, Sean. And of course, all the dogs. But most of all, my darling Ed. You’ve been with me forever. And that’s a very long time, and none of this would mean anything if I hadn’t had him by my side.”
Madigan and her husband, Ed Harris, made Academy Award history in 1999 when they conspicuously failed to applaud the honorary Oscar given to On the Waterfront’s Elia Kazan, who testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1952.
