Melissa Leo won her first Academy Award on Sunday for her supporting role in "The Fighter," a movie that propelled the 50-year-old actress into the mainstream for the first time in her career.
Leo was considered a favorite for the prize, but faced strong competition from both co-star Amy Adams and Helena Bonham-Carter for "The King's Speech." All played real-life characters.
But Leo was overwhelmed when she stepped up to receive her Oscar. "Will you pinch me?", she asked presenter Kirk Douglas.
"Oh my god! Oh wow!. Really, really, really truly wow. I know there have been a lot of people saying some real, real nice things to me for several months now. But I am just shaking in my boots here," she said.
Leo starred in "The Fighter" as Alice Ward, the feisty mother of two New England boxing heroes played by Mark Wahlberg and Oscar nominee Christian Bale. While her characterization of the brassy matriarch was not exactly sympathetic, Leo has gone out of her way during awards season to paint Ward as an unsung heroine with a good heart.
Leo also got the first language "bleep" of the awards show telecast, while thanking the members of the Ward family on whose story "The Fighter" was based.
Leo was nominated for an Oscar two years ago for her lead role in "Frozen River," an arthouse drama that grossed just $2.5 million at the North American box office. "The Fighter," by contrast, has earned about $88 million to date.
Leo thanked the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences who had voted for her, adding that the Oscars are about "selling motion pictures and respecting the work."
The other supporting actress nominees were Hailee Steinfeld for "True Grit" and Jacki Weaver for "Animal Kingdom."
(Reporting by Dean Goodman and Jill Serjeant; Editing by Mary Milliken)
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
Company%20profile
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The biog
Favourite book: Men are from Mars Women are from Venus
Favourite travel destination: Ooty, a hill station in South India
Hobbies: Cooking. Biryani, pepper crab are her signature dishes
Favourite place in UAE: Marjan Island
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
