Venerable character actor J.K. Simmons has won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a sadistic music instructor in Whiplash. Simmons has swept the awards season, winning practically every award he was nominated for.Whiplash was the scariest non-horror movie I’ve ever seen. That was all due to Simmons’ performance, which kept the audience on edge. Simmons’ so aptly played an emotionally abusive a*hole that it’s hard for me to even be happy for him, his character elicited a kind of fight or flight response in me. That’s a testament to how incredible an actor he is. Also a testament to Simmons were all his fellow actors standing up in the audience.

Here’s some of Simmons’ speech. He really gushed about his wife and family and then he ended on a very nice note, reminding us all to thank our parents and talk to them.

Thank you to the Academy, thank you to everyone involved in the making of Whiplash. I am grateful every day for the most remarkable person I know, my wife the wonderful Michelle Schumacher. I am grateful for your love, your kindness, your wisdom, your sacrifice and your patience, which brings me to the above average children… Joe and Olivia you are extraordinary human beings smart, funny, kind loving people and that’s because you are a reflection of your mother. And if I may, call your mom everybody. Call your mom, call your dad if you’re lucky to have a parent alive on this planet. Don’t text, don’t email, call ’em, tell them you love them and thank them and listen to them for as long as they want to talk to you.

Congratulations to Simmons! I’m going to call my mom tomorrow, I promise! I’ll ask her for a favor probably, but I’ll call her.

photo credit: WENN.com