“The first time I saw Cynthia in a film was in Steve McQueen's Widows. And like millions of others, I thought, now there's a young American woman who's going places. And the first time I met her in person, I was thrilled. Does she do this amazing English accent for everyone or just for me? A part of me still likes to think she does it just for me. ... The dedication of her preparation, the intensity of her commitment, her attention to detail and accuracy in performance, her fearless charisma and above all the warm soul that underpins it all. The sheer variety of all that, the sheer scale of the ambition, makes every new revelation feel like it's for you specifically. Every line spoken, every note sung, every bright green PVC dress worn, every single leg Romanian deadlift deadlifted, every Elphaba, every Harriet Tubman, every Celie Harris, every Belle, every Jacqueline in 2023's beautiful Drift. A film she acted in and produced while also writing, producing, and performing the theme song. Every moment feels like a generous and personal gift. As it is with all great performers, everything Cynthia does is not just inimitably her, it is also intimately ours. So in a way, haven't all of us here been nominated for the EGOT? Cynthia goes there, so we don't have to.”