Moonlight’s Barry Jenkins reveals the Oscar speech he would have given

Moonlight helmer Barry Jenkins has revealed the speech he planned to give at the Oscars on Sunday. The talented director was unable to give his intended speech, following the confusion that saw La La Land originally and mistakingly named Best Picture.

Jenkins told The Hollywood Reporter that because of the shock of “what happened in those last 10 minutes of the ceremony, I don’t know how I managed any words at all” onstage. Well Jenkins has now shared the emotional speech he would have given, had it not been for the envelope fiasco:

“Tarell [Alvin McCraney, co-writer] and I are Chiron. We are that boy. And when you watch Moonlight, you don’t assume a boy who grew up how and where we did would grow up and make a piece of art that wins an Academy Award. I’ve said that a lot, and what I’ve had to admit is that I placed those limitations on myself, I denied myself that dream. Not you, not anyone else—me.

“And so, to anyone watching this who sees themselves in us, let this be a symbol, a reflection that leads you to love yourself. Because doing so may be the difference between dreaming at all and, somehow through the Academy’s grace, realizing dreams you never allowed yourself to have. Much love.”

The envelope blunder has resulted in the president of the academy declaring that the two PricewaterhouseCoopers accountants responsible for the mistake, would be banned from future Oscar ceremonies. Check out the awkward, historic mix-up below: