‘Imitation Game’ Writer Discusses Motivation For Moving Oscars Speech

Oscar-winning screenwriter Graham Moore’s amazingly inspirational speech Sunday night left the media assuming he’s gay. Here’s what he has to say.

Graham Moore delivered an Oscar-worthy acceptance speech, which left the media making a false assumption about the thirty-something screenwriter.

“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,” Moore told the audience at Sunday’s Academy Awards. “And now, I’m standing here and I would like for this moment to be for that 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. 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.”

That inspiring speech, along with his strong identification with Alan Turing, led some media outlets to describe Moore as “openly-gay.”

WATCH: ‘Stay Weird, Stay Different’: Imitation Game’s Graham Moore Delivers Oscar’s Most Inspiring Speech

But in a post-Oscars interview with Buzzfeed, Moore shared the real motivation for his beautiful speech.

“This was my 45 seconds in my life to get on TV and I might as well use it to say something meaningful,” Moore said.

“I’m not gay, but I’ve never talked publicly about depression before or any of that and that was so much of what the movie was about and it was one of the things that drew me to Alan Turing so much,” Moore added. “I think we all feel like weirdos for different reasons. Alan had his share of them and I had my own and that’s what always moved me so much about his story.”

Even though he’s a talented writer, Moore said he didn’t actually sit down and write out an acceptance speech, but he had a bit of practice.

“It’s the kind of thing that I’ve imagined since I was a teenager. It was weird to get on the stage and say the things that I’ve been imagining in the shower and in front of mirrors. I think everyone practices their Oscars acceptance speech with a shampoo bottle and I’ve done my fair share of them. It’s really surreal to be able to do it in real life.”

His speech has already spawned a #StayWeird hashtag:

 

Image: Screenshot via The Hollywood Reporter