Matthew A. Cherry always saw himself as an Oscar winner.
On Sunday night at the 2020 Oscars, the former NFL player-turned-director was honored with the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for his picture,Hair Love.
Back in 2012, the director wroteon Twitter,“I’m gonna be nominated for an Oscar one day. Already claiming it.”
Four years later, he tweeted an illustration reminiscent ofHair Lovewith a note that read: “Any 3D artists follow me? I got an Oscar worthy short film idea to go with this image. Get at me.”
After his win on Sunday night, Cherry reshared his 2016tweetwith a new caption, “Nailed it.”
Cherry and producer Karen Rupert Toliver took the stage at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards to accept their award for the short film, which tells the touching story of a black father who learns how to do his young daughter’s hair while his wife is in the hospital.
“Thank you so much to the Academy and everybody out there who supported this film — there were lots of you,” said Toliver. “We share this award with you.”
“There were so many filmmakers that worked so hard on this, and it was a labor of love,” she continued. “It was because we have a firm belief that representation matters deeply. Especially in cartoons, because in cartoons — that’s when we first see our movies and it’s how we shape our lives and think about how we see the world.”
Speaking toGood Morning Americaon Monday, Cherry said that even though he had predicted his win, it still “felt like a dream.”
“It still doesn’t even feel real sitting in my hand right now,” he said, looking down at his Oscar. “A lot of people out there literally have a clock that counts down to zero and you gotta get your thoughts out ASAP or they’re gonna play you off.”
Toliver added: “It was just such a surreal experience. I just knew that this was bigger than me and Matthew, that this was a moment about diversity and we really kinda wanted to represent for everyone and just open the doors for everyone to be as diverse as possible in this medium.”
“I just want to say thatHair Lovewas done because we wanted to see more representation in animation — we wanted to normalize black hair,” he said before referring toDeAndre Arnold,a high school student who made national news last month when he said his school had suspended him for wearing his hair in dreadlocks. “There’s a very important issue that’s out there, it’s the Crown Act, and if we can help to get this passed in all 50 states it will help stories likeDeAndre Arnold‘s, who is our special guest tonight, stop to happen.”
Karen Rupert Toliver (L) and Matthew A. Cherry accept the award for Best Animated Short Film forHair Loveat the 92nd Oscars on Feb. 9, 2020.MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty
Eric McCandless/Getty Images
Arnold also stated that his school would not allow him to walk in his high school graduation ceremony unless he cut his dreadlocks, and was banned from the school’s prom.
According toRefinery29, Arnold attended the show thanks toGabrielle Union,Dwyane Wadeand beauty brand Dove, who sponsored Arnold’s ticket and got him and his mom, Sandy Arnold, ready for the show.
“I’m so grateful. I never expected any of this,” Arnold told the outlet. “The message of that movie and my message go togethersowell. I think it’s really amazing how they reached out to me and we can fight this together.”
Cherry and Toliver walked the red carpet with Arnold and posed for photos with his mother during the ceremony.
source: people.com
