Then I saw the cameras pointed my way, and that reminded me I was live in front of a worldwide audience. I now understood why people would take this moment to push their personal agenda. When else would you get a chance to make a statement and reach so many people? If I hadn’t been utterly floored at actually winning, I might have talked about the plight of the homeless or pets needing to be rescued. But being selfish with a favorite cause wasn’t really me. I wanted to play this straight and thank the people who helped me get here.
“If you can’t tell, I’m in complete shock that I won. I want to thank the Academy. To my fellow nominees, you are all so extraordinary that I look up to you and admire you all more than I can put into words. Due to the years of quality work you’ve all put in, in my honest opinion, you were all worthy of winning this award. I wasn’t sure how I would stack up in this talent-laden field. My win is a testament to everyone who helped me get here …”
I ran through everyone associated with the picture except Laurent Vance. I simply couldn’t bring myself to include him because of what he’d forced Kimberly Fillmore to do. Laurent telling her she had to sleep with me … I simply couldn’t get past it. Everyone had advised me I should thank him since he’d lost his life on set, but at that moment, I couldn’t find it in me to forgive him.
It didn’t help that I couldn’t stand the man. He’d made my life miserable on set. I next thanked everyone else, including my agent, Saul Gessler; my publicist, Frank Ingram; and my then manager, Caryn Buckley. As I acknowledged my parents and family, the music started to tell me to wrap it up.
“Finally, thanks to everyone back home and to my classmates at Lincoln High … Go Bulldogs!”
They led me off stage, and one of the production people wanted the trophy. They smiled when I didn’t want to give it up.
“This is only a prop. Yours will be engraved and sent to your home later this week,” she assured me.
An usher led me to an area where they had set up to do interviews. Before I could talk to the lady, my parents, Halle, and Rita put me in a group hug.
“David! David! We’re live!” the interviewer said to get my attention when they finished their commercial break.
I untangled myself and stepped over to where she wanted me to stand to talk to her.
“Sorry. We’re a little excited I won.”
“How does it feel to be the youngest Best Supporting Actor winner ever and to have won your first of what I suspect will be many Oscars?”
“Youngest?” I asked.
“Yes, the youngest before you was Timothy Hutton, who won for his role in
“I don’t think age matters when you win one of these. It’s a great honor just to be nominated. For the top four awards, only 20 actors were selected. To win … words can’t describe it,” I said.
“I understand you have a Netflix series coming out called
“Yes,” I said and changed my focus to promoting that project. “Netflix picked it up. It’s a Japanese drama that’s currently airing there. Word is they’re enjoying it. I understand that it will begin showing on Netflix this coming Friday.
“The miniseries is centered on a girl who experiences a lot of firsts. Her first time away from home, her first time at college, her first kiss, her first boyfriend. I hear it’s getting good reviews.”
“What is your role in that one?”
“I play the romantic runner-up. I worry that I might get typecast as that.”
“The romantic runner-up?”
“Yeah, I’m the sexy arm candy, but I don’t get the girl,” I complained. “I realize that actors can make a career playing that kind of role. It’s like another film I’m in that’s wrapping up,
“That sounds awful. Why wouldn’t you get the girl?” she asked.
“Halle … Halle James, come over here,” I said, motioning for her to join us. “Explain to America why you don’t pick me as your guy in your latest movie.”
I made my best puppy-dog expression for both Halle and the camera.
She just started shaking her head.
“If we weren’t friends …” she started while scowling at me and then gave the reporter a winning smile. “As you can see, it’s obvious that he’s trouble. Girls need to be warned away from him. He pulls you in with his ‘aw shucks, I’m just a small-town good ol’ boy’ act. But then you find out he has both a brilliant mind and a wicked sense of humor. No girl should be subjected to that.”
“You know … Rita James, Halle’s mom, is involved in that movie as well. I think she might be responsible for my not winning Halle over,” I said, motioning Rita towards me.
“What role did you play in this new movie?” the reporter asked Rita when she joined us.
