Golden Globes: Michelle Williams gives powerful speech on motherhood

Actress Michelle Williams used her Golden Globes acceptance speech to share her own story of choosing when and how to have children, stressing on the importance of women's right to choose.

After showing off her baby bump on the red carpet, the actress delivered an empowering speech about motherhood, voting and women's rights when she got on stage to accept Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television award. She won for her role in "Fosse/Verdon".

"Thank you so much first of all, to my 'Fosse/Verdon' family and the Hollywood Press Association," she began, adding: "When you put this in someone's hands, you acknowledge the choices made by the actor but also the choices they made as a person, the training they sought, the hours they put in".

"I'm grateful for the acknowledgement of the choices I've made and I'm also grateful to have lived in a moment in our society where choice exists, because as women and as girls, things can happen to our bodies that are not our choice," she stressed.

"I've tried my very best to live a life of my own making and not just a series of events that happened to me, but one that I can stand back and look at and recognise my handwriting all over," she said.

"Sometimes, messy and scrawling, sometimes careful and precise. But one that I had carved with my own hand, and I wouldn't have been able to do this without employing a woman's right to choose," she added.

The actress continued: "To choose when to have my children and with whom, when I felt supported and able to balance our lives, knowing, as all mothers know, the scales must and will tip towards our children.

"Now, I know my choices might look different than yours, but thank God, or whomever you pray to, that we live in a country founded on the principle that I am free to live by my faith and you are free to live by yours."

She made a wider appeal for women to vote in the 2020 election. She said: "Women, 18 to 118, when it comes time to vote, vote in your own self-interest. It's what men have been doing for years, which is why the world looks so much like them. But don't forget, we are the largest voting body in this country. Let's make it look more like us."

Her passionate speech got loud applause, notably from Jennifer Aniston. Tiffany Haddish who was presenting the award with Salma Hayek, added after the speech: "Mmm hmm. I'm about that women's choice!".

In fact, her speech is trending online.

Her best friend and actress Busy Philipps, who had an abortion when she was 15, was also seen wiping away tears.

Williams has 14-year-old daughter Matilda with late actor Heath Ledger. She is expecting a baby with boyfriend Thomas Kail, 42.

Williams ended the speech by saying: "Tommy and Matilda, I can't wait to come home to you."

For the award, she beat out Kaitlyn Dever ("Unbelievable"), Joey King ("The Act"), Helen Mirren ("Catherine the Great") and Merritt Wever ("Unbelievable").

( With inputs from IANS )