Aimee Lou Wood has moved fans to tears after delivering an emotional message addressed to mothers while accepting an award for Woman of the Year.
The White Lotus star was one of 12 honorees, including actor Reese Witherspoon, and pop-star Jade Thirlwall, at Harper’s Bazaar’s Women of the Year Awards last week. Wood was presented the award by her Sex Education co-star Ncuti Gatwa. After the magazine shared a clip of her speech on Instagram, the video quickly took off, earning almost 100,000 likes and more than 1.2 million views.
Wood opened her remarks by dedicating the speech to moms—especially her own. Out of “millions of stories,” she said, one memory immediately surfaced.
At 12 years old, she remembered being terrified ahead of parents’ evening—the U.K. equivalent of an American parent-teacher conference—because she knew her grades in math and science were “abysmal,” and that teachers often criticized her for being chatty, unfocused, and prone to daydreaming.
Then came the moment that shaped her, her feedback from her English teacher.
“He told her, ‘I can never give Amy’s work the top mark because she doesn’t follow the rules, but it’s always what I look most forward to reading.’ He spoke about originality and authenticity, and mum understood that this was what needed to be looked after, my imagination,” Wood said.
She added that acting and writing both rely on “unblocked imagination,” and her mother never restricted hers—she nurtured it.
“She didn’t want me to have the best voice. She wanted me to have my voice,” Wood added.
The actress delivered the speech wearing a chic, floor-length black gown with lace detailing. The camera briefly cut to her mom in the audience, who was visibly moved by the dedication.
Wood, 31, from Stockport, U.K., was most recently seen in Film Club—a romantic-comedy series following a young woman who runs a weekly movie-watching club with her long-standing best friend as she recovers from a mental breakdown.
Gatwa praised Wood as he presented the award, commending the light and humanity she brings to her roles. Newsweek reached out to Aimee Lou Wood’s publicist for comment via email.
Fans and Public Figures React
Instagram users were deeply moved by the speech, with many praising both Wood and her mother.
Her mom, Alison (@alidaly_), commented: “Love you so much my beautiful daughter and thank you for honoring me with your beautiful speech. I am forever blessed.”
“So beautiful, Aimee,” wrote Nobel Peace Prize winner and activist Malala Yousafzai.
“Always an English teacher. Thank god for English teachers,” another user said.
Teen psychologist Dr. Carolyne Keenan added: “The best gift—total acceptance and celebration. I hope this is what my son gets from us—what a gorgeous speech from a fabulous woman about a fabulous woman.”
Sports commentator Gabby Logan wrote: “So many lines to quote there, Aimee. Such a beautiful speech. Such a wonderful Mum.”
One mother summed it up: “If I’m lucky enough to have this much of an impact on my children I will die a happy woman.”