Sunday night's Oscars brought a lot to the table, but one winner's speech was so captivating it inspired a viral hashtag — #stayweird — that went wild on social media during the award show.
Graham Moore, who was crowned the winner for best adapted screenplay for the movie "The Imitation Game," shared a story of personal struggle during his moment in the limelight.
"The Imitation Game," based on the life of computer scientist Alan Turing, focuses on Turing's dedication to innovation but how he was ultimately prosecuted for being gay.
Moore accepted the award (and thanked Oprah, who presented him the award), with an incredible message:
"Here's the thing. Alan Turing never got to stand on a stage like this and look out at all of these disconcertingly attractive faces. I do. And that's the most unfair thing I've ever heard," Moore began. "So in this brief time here, what I wanted to do was say this: When I was 16 years old, I tried to kill myself because I felt weird and I felt different, and I felt like I did not belong. And now I'm standing here, and so I would like this moment to be for this kid out there who feels like she's weird or she's different or she doesn't fit in anywhere: Yes, you do. I promise you do. Stay weird, stay different, and then, when it's your turn, and you are standing on this stage, please pass the same message to the next person who comes along. Thank you so much!"
Incredible.
You can watch Moore's entire speech here:
The tweets came rolling in:
@MrGrahamMoore Thank you for using your moment to make a difference. Stay inspired. #StayWeird
— Kelsey Kincaid (@KelC_K) February 23, 2015#stayweird@MrGrahamMoore thank you for saving thousands which needed to hear the words you spoke.
— Cathy Mason (@cathymasonhomes) February 23, 2015Everyone should embrace their weirdness. If you took away my weirdness I'd be left with nothing. #stayweird#beyourself
— Danielle Morgan (@D_Morg97) February 23, 2015Awesome to see that Graham Moore is trending again this morning. Winning an Oscar and saving lives, quite the night for him. #StayWeird
— Diana Hunt (@dkathunt) February 23, 2015
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