Amy Madigan on horror, 'Sinners' and DEI after Oscar win

Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress at the 2026 Academy Awards for her performance as Aunt Gladys in Weapons. She spoke with Maggie Lovitt and did not shy away from what the moment means for the horror genre. Madigan pointed to horror’s sidelined reputation and its deep roots in film history.

"You know, horror, as we all know, it was kind of looked at like you’re at the little kids table at Thanksgiving. You’re just kind of over there, which, as we know, is not true. You just look at the great silent horror films that started our business. I mean, you still need a great writer, you need a great director, you need wonderful actors and crew." She framed her win as part of a broader shift this awards season, with titles like Sinners and Frankenstein drawing unusual attention.

"So, I mean, this year is pretty amazing. Look at 'Sinners,' deals with such racial inequities, but yet they do it in this vampire way with the Irish mind you, where my people are from.

amy madigan, 2026 oscars, weapons film, aunt gladys, horror genre, sinners film, frankenstein, maggie lovitt, vampire, racial inequity