Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress at the 2026 Oscars for her performance in Weapons, in the first award of the night at the 98th Academy Awards.
The award was presented to Madigan by last year’s winner, Zoe Kravitz. Madigan ran to the stage with her arms back—just like the kids from Weapons—and accepted her statue with an iconic evil cackle.
“This is great! Everybody is asking me in the press, well, it’s been 40 years, and, you know, what’s different about this time? What’s different is I’ve got this little gold guy,” Madigan said as she accepted her award. “I mean, I was in the shower last night trying to think of something to say, as I was shaving my legs. Now, when I got pants on, I don’t have to worry about that. Sorry.”
Madigan went on to thank all of her collaborators, her colleagues, her family, and “of course, all the dogs. “
“But the most important is my beloved Ed,” Madigan said, looking out to her husband, actor Ed Harris in the audience, to whom she has been married since 1983.
Madigan, who plays an eccentric elderly relative/wicked witch, shows up late in the film in Weapons—with a total of just about 15 minutes of screen time. That’s an unusual role for a supporting actress win. But she undoubtedly stole every scene in the film she was in, and picked up steam this award season, especially after she took home the win for Best Supporting Actress at the Actor Awards earlier this month.
Weapons is director Zach Cregger’s follow-up to the 2022 word-of-mouth hit, Barbarian. Written and directed by Cregger, Weapons tells the story of a bizarre missing children case, in which 17 children left their homes in the middle of the night to gather in an unknown place. The parents start to blame the children’s teacher, Justine (played by Julia Garner).
Honestly, it’s heartening to see the Oscars award a true supporting role—rather than co-leading role—in this category, for once. Let’s go Gladys!
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