‘Trump shows unqualified orange people can win things’: Isla Fisher wins Trailblazer award at AACTAs
ISLA Fisher accepted her award at the AACTAs by pulling a Melania Trump and “stealing” Michelle Obama’s speech.
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ISLA Fisher accepted her Trailblazer Award at the AACTAs by pulling a Melania Trump and “stealing” Michelle Obama’s speech.
The 40-year-old was presented the award on Wednesday night in Sydney by Geoffrey Rush, who dubbed the actress a “firecracker” who “enjoys tapping into her inner idiot”.
“I really have to thank my fellow actors, Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts, Margot Robbie and Toni Collette - all of whom were no doubt offered this award first and they couldn’t make it here tonight so, yay!” Fisher joked during her acceptance speech.
Then she took a page out of Melania Trump’s book, who was famously accused of plagiarising a speech Michelle Obama delivered in 2008.
“From a young age my parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in this life, that your word is your bond, you say what you want to do and you keep your promises, that you treat people with respect,” Fisher said with conviction, before pointing out she’d also copied the words from the First Lady.
”I figured if Melania Trump can use them and have success, I should try,” she said.
After joking about the lack of roles for “gingers” - “because Amy Adams took them all” — Fisher then took one final dig at Donald Trump.
“I do need to thank Trump. I don’t think I’d be here if it weren’t for him showing the world that unqualified orange people can win things.”
Fisher said she had to stop herself from crying on stage, particularly when she looked down and noticed that her mother Elspeth was shedding a few tears in the audience.
Being handed her AACTA trophy by acclaimed Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush was a surreal experience, she said.
“There’s no question that this is the pinnacle of my career so far and a complete honour to come home and be supported. It feels incredible.”
Speaking about the role of women in film, in light of a colourful protest on the red carpet earlier where female filmmakers dressed as sausages disrupted the fashionable proceedings, Fisher said she’d experienced her own difficulties.
“I did not see the sausages,” Fisher laughed.
“When I first came to Hollywood, I really wanted to get into the world of comedy but all of the roles I read, the women (characters) would roll their eyes and the men would do funny, crazy stuff.
“I waited and waited and I was fortunate to be cast in Wedding Crashers - playing a bipolar nymphomaniac. But yes, women are funny. People want to go see women stories.”
Meanwhile, Hollywood pariah Mel Gibson rose from the ashes of his tattered career with the award for Best Direction for Hacksaw Ridge, his critically acclaimed war epic that marked his return to feature film directing after a decade’s absence.
The blockbuster, which tells the tale of an American decorated for bravery in World War II despite being a conscientious objector, also won Best Film.
Claiming his first ever AACTA award, Gibson thanked Australia.
“I saw faces here that I saw when I was a kid,” he said, choking back tears.
Backstage, Gibson said there were moments in the midst of production where he wondered if it would all come together in the end.
“You’re dropped in the ocean and you must just start swimming,” he said. “It’s an independent film after all is said and done, and we got a lot of bang for our buck.”
Sweeping the AACTA Awards was a “thrill” given the film was made here and “is 100 per cent Aussie”.
“I really believe in this film and I think everyone’s participation in it, they were all up for it.”
The film’s star, Andrew Garfield, won Best Lead Actor and Hugo Weaving won Best Supporting ACtor, while writers Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan scored the award for Best Original Screenplay.
The other film to win big last night was The Daughter, for which Odessa Young won Best Lead Actress and Miranda Otto scooped Best Supporting Actress.
In the TV categories, subscription giant Foxtel was the big winner, nabbing the Best Drama accolade for hit prison series Wentworth. Supernatural thriller The Kettering Incident took out Best Miniseries while Elizabeth Debicki won Best Lead Actress.
ABC’s Upper Middle Bogan won Best Comedy and the panel show Gruen took out Best Light Entertainment. Ten’s cooking reality series MasterChef Australia won Best Reality Show.
Samuel Johnson won Best Lead Actor for his portrayal of music journalist Molly Meldrum in the Channel Seven telemovie Molly.
Originally published as ‘Trump shows unqualified orange people can win things’: Isla Fisher wins Trailblazer award at AACTAs
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