At the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, Michelle Williams took to the stage to accept her trophy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her role as Gwen Verdon in the FX limited series “Fosse/Verdon”.
Her acceptance speech was memorable and impactful, as she addressed issues of pay equity and the importance of giving women a voice in the industry.
Michelle Williams highlighted not only her own experiences but also emphasized the need for continued progress towards equality for all women in Hollywood.
Here’s Michelle Williams’ full acceptance speech from the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards:
“Thank you so much to the television academy for this. And to the incredible cast and crew who worked so hard to make this show,” she began.
“Especially you, Sam Rockwell, I know how hard you worked. I see this as an acknowledgement of what is possible when a woman is trusted to discern her own needs and feels safe enough to voice her needs and respected enough to be heard.
When I ask for more dance classes, I heard yes. More voice lessons, yes.
A different wig, a pair of fake teeth not made out of rubber, yes. All these things require effort and cost more money.
But my bosses never presumed to know better than I did about what I needed in order to do my job and honor Gwen Verdon.”
“Thank you so much to FX and Fox 21 Studios for supporting me completely and paying me equally, because they understood,” she continued.
“Because they understood that when you put value into a person, it empowers that person to get in touch with their own inherent value. And where do they put that value? They put it into their work.
The next time a woman, especially a woman of color, because she stands to make 52 cents on the dollar compared to her white male counterparts, tells you what she needs in order to do her job, listen to her. Believe her. Because one day, she might stand in front of you and say thank you for allowing her to succeed because of her workplace environment and not in spite of it. Thank you.”
In the end, Michelle Williams turned personal and mentioned her daughter with the late Heath Ledger, as her best friend Busy Phillips beamed with adoration in the audience. “Matilda,” she concluded, “this is for you like everything else.”
While speaking with reporters backstage, Michelle Williams further addressed her history with pay disparity.
It was famously revealed that when “All the Money in the World” underwent reshoots in 2017 to remove Kevin Spacey from the film, she was paid a mere $1,000 while her co-star Mark Wahlberg received $1.5 million.
Reflecting on her Emmy win, she stated simply,
“Tonight is a fairy tale ending of me and my personal story.”
Williams beat out Amy Adams (“Sharp Objects”), Patricia Arquette (“Escape at Dannemora”), Aunjanue Ellis (“When They See Us”), Joey King (“The Act”), and Niecy Nash (“When They See Us”) to take home the trophy.
And while we’re not playing favorites here, we’re so glad she did, if only to get a speech like that.