Chapter 16 – The Weight of Expectation
The 2025 Oscars were reaching their climax.
At the Dolby Theatre, the ceremony was underway, and each award that passed made the tension more palpable.
Gustavo could still feel his heart racing from the defeat of I'm Still Here in Best Picture. He knew the main award would be hard to win, but still…
They were so close.
And now, attention turned to Fernanda Torres.
The Best Actress category was about to be announced.
On stage, Emma Stone appeared with a warm smile, holding a golden envelope.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this category celebrates some of the most powerful performances of the year. The nominees for Best Actress are…"
The giant screen in the theater lit up with scenes of the five nominees.
Fernanda's clip appeared.
In the scene, she cried silently, her gaze lost, the pain etched on her face. It was a moment of pure vulnerability, and Gustavo felt a chill as he watched it. He knew how real it had been for her. This wasn't just a performance. It was Fernanda's soul exposed on the screen. He felt his chest tighten.
Beside him, Selton held his breath. Walter remained impassive, but Gustavo knew his brother well enough to see the tension in his eyes. Fernanda, despite the serene smile on her lips, kept her hands closed in her lap. Everyone there wanted her to win.
Then, Emma Stone opened the envelope. A second of silence.
And then… — And the Oscar goes to…
Gustavo held his breath.
— Mikey Madison, for "Anora."
The theater exploded in applause. Fernanda clapped immediately, a calm smile on her face. But Gustavo saw the truth in her eyes. She was disappointed.
Not because Mikey Madison didn't deserve it she did. Everyone there deserved it.
But because Fernanda also knew the weight of her performance.
Gustavo felt a lump in his throat.
Selton clapped his hands, but then held Fernanda's shoulder.
Walter just let out a small sigh and applauded.
But Gustavo...
Gustavo turned to Fernanda and kissed the top of her head.
"You'll always be the best, Nanda," he whispered.
Fernanda closed her eyes for a moment.
She didn't cry.
She didn't show weakness.
But Gustavo knew that that moment meant a lot to her.
The gesture didn't go unnoticed.
The Oscar cameras captured the moment when Gustavo kissed Fernanda's head with affection.
And minutes later, the internet exploded.
"Gustavo Salles showing that Brazil is family at the Oscars!"
"Gustavo's affection for Fernanda Torres... WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SCENE!"
"He hasn't even won yet, but he's already won our hearts."
But Gustavo wasn't thinking about the internet at that moment.
Because there was still one last category left.
The last chance.
Best Supporting Actor.
And he was one of the nominees.
He would be next.
Chapter 17 – Gustavo Salles, Oscar Winner
The moment had arrived.
The last category of the night.
The one that could completely change Gustavo's life.
The Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
The Dolby Theatre was completely silent.
Gustavo felt his heart beating so hard it seemed to echo in his chest.
Everything around him seemed to be in slow motion.
He looked at Walter, Selton and Fernanda. They were smiling, but Gustavo could see the tension in their eyes. They wanted this as much as he did.
In front of him, the stage was lit up, and Robert Downey Jr. was holding the envelope with the winner's name.
"And now, the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor..."
Gustavo swallowed hard.
The screen showed the nominees:
— Kieran Culkin – "A Real Pain"
— Edward Norton – "A Complete Unknown"
— Jeremy Strong – "The Apprentice"
— Guy Pearce – "The Brutalist"
— Yura Borisov – "Anora"
— Gustavo Salles – "I'm Still Here"
The camera focused on Gustavo's face. He smiled nervously, running his hand over his jacket.
Robert opened the envelope.
A second of silence.
And then…
— And the Oscar goes to…
The world stopped.
GUSTAVO SALLES – "I'M STILL HERE"
The theater exploded in applause.
Gustavo stood still for a second, without reacting.
Selton screamed and shook him by the shoulders.
Fernanda jumped and hugged him tightly.
Walter, normally so serene, smiled with pure pride.
Gustavo Salles had made history.
The youngest Oscar winner in the category of Best Supporting Actor.
He stood up and took a deep breath. It was real.
He walked down the aisle, feeling the applause of some of the biggest stars in cinema.
Leonardo DiCaprio gave him a light punch on the shoulder.
Robert De Niro smiled.
Margot Robbie applauded, impressed.
When Gustavo reached the stage, he took the golden statuette from RDJ's hands.
He held it for a moment, feeling the weight of the most coveted award in world cinema.
He looked at the audience.
He took a deep breath.
And then he smiled.
Gustavo Salles's speech at the Oscars.
"Okay... first of all..." he shook his head, still in shock. "WHAT IS GOING ON?!"
The audience laughed and applauded.
Gustavo looked at the statuette again.
— This is surreal. I grew up watching the Oscars without ever imagining that one day I would be here. Much less holding this.
He looked at Walter.
— Walter, thank you for not giving up on me when I messed up my lines on the first day of filming.
The camera focused on Walter, who laughed and nodded.
Gustavo looked at Fernanda.
— Nanda, I wish you had won before me, because you deserved it.
Fernanda was visibly moved.
— Selton, thank you for being the funniest guy in the world and for teaching me that if you mess up a scene, at least do it with confidence.
Selton blew a kiss in the air.
— To Brazil, this Oscar is ours!
The theater exploded in applause.
But Gustavo wasn't finished.
He took a deep breath, smiled mischievously and said:
— Now, guys, I need to apologize to the Academy for what I'm going to do.
The audience was confused.
Gustavo reached into his pocket… and pulled out his cell phone.
The theater erupted in laughter.
— Please, Academy, don't cut my microphone.
The audience laughed even harder.
And then, he opened the camera on his cell phone and started recording a video.
— This is for you, Jimmy Kimmel! I DID IT!
The audience screamed with laughter.
The camera focused on Jimmy Kimmel in the audience, who was crying with laughter.
Gustavo continued, holding the cell phone at the height of his face, with the Oscar in the other hand.
— Guys, this is going to be my new profile picture on Instagram… and on Tinder.
The audience went wild.
Margot Robbie, Ariana Grande, Timothée Chalamet, Zoe Saldana, everyone was laughing.
Gustavo took a selfie on stage, smiling with the Oscar.
— There you go. Now I'm leaving before they kick me out.
He left the stage recording the audience.
— Say goodbye, everyone!
And to his surprise…
The ENTIRE Dolby Theatre waved and blew kisses to the camera.
The internet went crazy.
On Twitter:
"Gustavo Salles WON the Oscar and STILL made fun of Jimmy Kimmel! He's LEGENDARY!"
"This guy literally turned the Oscars into a vlog. I LOVE THIS KID!"
"If I saw Gustavo Salles on Tinder, I would match right away. He's a winner at life!"
On Instagram, Gustavo's selfie with the Oscar broke records for likes in minutes.
And all over the world, people fell even more in love with the Brazilian who made history.
That night, Gustavo Salles didn't just win an Oscar.
He became unforgettable.
New stories in my Patreon
News stories there: "SUITS: The Lawyer " and " The Lawyer and Policeman "
This story is already complete there
[email protected]/SHADOWGHOST07
Just replace the @ with an a