Director Cord Jefferson called for Hollywood to 'recognize' new creatives who could be 'the next Martin Scorsese.'
Cord Jefferson is officially an Oscar winner! The writer and filmmaker's feature film debut, American Fiction, nabbed the Academy Award for Adapted Screenplay, beating out predicted front runners such as Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach's Barbie and Tony McNamara's adaptation of Poor Things.
Based on Percival Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure, the film stars Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious "Monk" Ellison, an author who grows frustrated that his books don't sell while other Black writers who indulge in stereotypes perform better. He writes a novel titled My Pafology that parodies these books under the pen name Stagg R. Leigh and gets into a web of lies, and consequences follow when the book grows into a hit.
While accepting his award, Jefferson explained why he continuously points out how many people "passed on this movie."
"This means the world to me. Thank you so much to the Academy and to everybody who worked on the film. I've been talking a lot about how many people passed on this movie in discussing it, and I worry sometimes that sounds vindictive. I don't want to be vindictive. I'm not a vindictive person anymore, I've worked very hard not to be vindictive anymore. It's more a plea," he told the Oscars audience.
"It's a plea to acknowledge and recognize that there are so many people out there who want the opportunity that I was given. I understand that this is a risk-averse industry, I get it, but $200 million movies are also a risk. And it doesn't always work out but you take the risk anyway," he added. "Instead of making one $200 million movie, try making 20 $10 million movies or 50 $4 million movies. I just feel so much joy being here and I felt so much joy making this movie and I want other people to feel that joy. And they're out there, I promise you. The next Martin Scorsese is out there, the next Greta is out there -- both Gretas. They just want a shot and we can give them one. This has changed my life."
Jefferson concluded his speech with one last message of gratitude, saying, "Thank you all who worked on this movie for trusting a 40-year-old Black guy who's never directed before, I love you all."
Jefferson is also nominated for Best Picture at Sunday's ceremony as a producer for American Fiction. The film itself has four nominations, including Sterling K. Brown for Best Supporting Actor and Jeffrey Wright for Best Lead Actor.
The 2024 Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, is airing live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 10, at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET on ABC. Follow along at ETonline.com for full Oscars coverage, including red carpet arrivals, the complete winners list and more.
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