Chicago Native Wins Oscar for Distinctively Terrifying Performance

It's been 40 years since Amy Madigan was nominated for an Oscar, marking the longest gap between nominations for a female performer in history.

That personal drought was broken by the Chicago native last night, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Zach Cregger's Weapons, a critically acclaimed thriller, which I also named my favorite film of 2025. Madigan was a big reason for the movie's success.

How Amy Madigan was the Secret Sauce for Weapons:

Amy Madigan's Aunt Gladys in Weapons is so integral to the film's twist that she wasn't allowed to do press for the film ahead of its release. She wasn't even one of the top-billed performers on neither the film's posters nor trailers. However, as soon as Weapons hit theaters back in August, the cat was out of the bag, and in practically no time, Madigan solidified herself as a new horror icon.

In Weapons, Madigan plays Gladys, the great-aunt of a young boy whose classmates go missing overnight, leaving a ton rocked with fear and anger. Prior to winning the Oscar, Madigan won the Critics' Choice Award and Actor Award in the same category.

Madigan's Inspiring and Relatable Acceptance Speech:

The 75-year-old actress laughed loudly as she went on stage to accept her Oscar, and then delivered a speech that felt informal, off-the-cuff, and so perfectly humble:

We’re kind of advised, ’Don’t say all these names, as nobody knows who the hell these people are. But you’re not rattling them off. They mean something to you; that you couldn’t be here without them - Amy Madigan, per AP News

Madigan appeared to be a dark horse contender in a crowded category, where Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners) and Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another) also garnered awards for their respective performances at other events. I went ahead and predicted her to win, not only because Madigan's performance was so transcendent, but largely because she is more than a generation older than the other nominees, and the Academy loves honoring legacy.

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The last time Madigan was nominated for an Oscar was for her role in the 1985 film Twice in a Lifetime. She also starred in beloved films like Field of Dreams and Uncle Buck. With her encouraging and supportive husband, Ed Harris, by her side, Amy Madigan was clearly overjoyed by the win, and brought some pride not only to Chicagoans, but horror fans alike.

Read more about Amy Madigan's Best Supporting Actress Oscar win on AP News' website. You can also stream Weapons on HBO Max.