There's a Reason Why Frances McDormand Howled During Oscars 2021 Speech

One memorable moment that happened at the 2021 Oscars is when Best Actress winner Frances McDormand let out a big howl during the acceptance speech for the Nomadland‘s Best Picture win.

During her speech, Frances said, “Please watch our movie on the largest screen possible. And one day, very very soon, take everyone you know into a theater, shoulder to shoulder, in that dark space, and watch every film represented here tonight. We give this one to our wolf,” she said before unleashing a mighty howl to cheers.

Director Chloé Zhao, who also won the Best Director award for her work on the film, actually explained that the howl was done for a very specific reason.

Click inside to find out why Frances McDormand howled on stage at the 2021 Oscars…

“The howling is for our Production Sound Mixer, Wolf, who you saw in the memorial,” Chloé said in the Oscars press room about Michael Wolf Snyder. Michael passed away in March of 2021 and he appeared in the In Memoriam segment. “We unfortunately lost him recently. [He worked on] my previous film The Rider, and Nomadland. He’s part of the family. That howling to the moon is for Wolf.”

There are lots of unseen moments that you didn’t see on TV from the 2021 Oscars – check them all out here!