Sam Rockwell Wins Indie Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor

Sam Rockwell won Best Supporting Male at the 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards for his performance in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.”

In accepting the award, Rockwell offered “big love and respect to my fellow nominees.” Rockwell then went on to say “Thank you to the entire independent film community, you’re my family — I’ve been in like 932 independent films.” The actor then gave a shout out to writer-director Martin McDonagh, who previously directed Rockwell to an Indie Spirt nod for Best Supporting Actor for “Seven Psychoapths.” “Getting a script from him,” Rockwell said, “is like getting the best Christmas present you could ever have. It literally and figuratively lit me on fire.”

Rockwell finished his speech by thanking co-star Frances McDormand, a handful of the filmmakers who gave him a shot early on in his career, and even his therapist.

The other nominees in this category were Nnamdi Asomugha for “Crown Heights,” Armie Hammer for “Call Me by Your Name,” Barry Keoghan for “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” and Bennie Safdie for “Good Time.” Of these performances, only Rockwell’s has also been nominated for an Academy Award — and he’s heavily favored to win the prize when the Oscars are handed out at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre tomorrow night.

The Indie Spirit Awards are different from the Oscars in that — as their name suggests — the show exclusively celebrates the best of independent cinema. While there’s no strict definition for what constitutes independent cinema, films must be made for less than $20 million in order to be eligible for the Indie Spirit Awards. The winners are voted on by Film Independent and IFP Members.

The 33rd Annual Spirit Awards were held in a beachfront tent next to the Santa Monica Pier on Saturday, March 3. Comedians Nick Kroll and John Mulaney hosted the show for the second consecutive year.

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