Graham Moore is about to become a household name. The writer, who is in his early 30s, gained attention at the 2015 Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 22.
Honored for his work on The Imitation Game, Moore took the stage at the 87th Annual Academy Awards to accept the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. The precocious scribe, who beat out Jason Hall for American Sniper, Paul Thomas Anderson for Inherent Vice, Anthony McCarten for The Theory of Everything, and Damien Chazelle for Whiplash, captivated viewers with his touching acceptance speech.
“In this brief time here, what I want to use it to do is to say this: 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,” an emotional Moore spilled as he spoke about his film. “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.”
Immediately after his moving words, Moore was celebrated on social media by viewers and celebs alike. Below, find out five things you need to know about the Oscar-winning writer.
1. He isn’t gay.
Following his speech, there was speculation on Twitter that the writer, who chronicled the story of closeted, persecuted scientist Alan Turing, was gay himself. He cleared the rumors up in a post-show interview with BuzzFeed News, telling the publication, “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. 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.”
2. He started his movie career off with a bang.
The Oscars newcomer earned his first feature film credit for The Imitation Game. Moore previously wrote two short films and worked on the television adaptation of 10 Things I Hate About You, but his Oscar-winning success was his first full-length film.
3. He’s a mama’s boy.
Moore brought his mother Susan Sher as his date to the 87th Annual Academy Awards. The politico, who previously served as First Lady Michelle Obama‘s Chief of Staff, proudly walked on her son’s arm, holding him close as they posed for photos outside of Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre.
Before the show, he also tweeted about his mother, “Have received 3 texts from my mom so far today. All of them have been about food. #JewishMothers.”
4. He was up against his ex-girlfriend during awards season.
For years, Moore was in a relationship with producer Helen Estabrook, sources tell Us Weekly. Estabrook served as a producer for the Oscar-nominated Whiplash, which was up against The Imitation Game for Best Picture. Moore also beat out Whiplash writer Chazelle to win his category of Best Adapted Screenplay. Whiplash, however, came out on top of The Imitation Game in the Best Film Editing category, winning the Oscar.
5. He is one of the youngest Oscar winners in his category.
Born in 1981, Moore is one of the youngest writers to win the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. At age 33, the celebrated star finds himself in the company of other greats who found success early in life. In 1955, Paddy Chayefsky nabbed the award at the age of 32 for the movie Marty. A decade earlier, in 1943, twins Philip and Julius Epstein took home the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar at the age of 34 for Casablanca.
