I was told I was not naturally gifted, says Frances McDormand

Frances McDormand continued her award season triumph by bagging her first Bafta for her role of an angry mother in "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" and as she took to the stage to accept the trophy, she won over the audience with her sassy speech. McDormand, who bucked the trend of black gowns, which has become synonymous with protests against sexual harassment, pointed to her long-sleeved, print-heavy dress and said, "I have a little trouble with compliance. But I want you to know that I stand in full solidarity with my sisters tonight in black." "I appreciate a well-organised act of civil disobedience, and I am thrilled that activists all over the world have been inspired by the set decoration of the Three Billboards in Martins film. Let it be a part of positive discourse," she added referring to the protests after the deadly shooting at a high school in the US recently. The 60-year-old actor, who is a strong contender at the Oscars next month where she is vying for her second Best Actress trophy, has already won Golden Globe and SAG awards for her performance in the Martin McDonagh-directed movie about a disgruntled mother fighting for the justice for her raped and murdered teenage daughter. She is also one of the few actors to have the Triple Crown of Acting -- Oscar for "Fargo", a Tony Award for "Good People" and an Emmy Award for "Olive Kitteridge". Praising the studios for shepherding two women-led films -- "Three Billboards and Guillermo del Toro's "The Shape of Water", the actor said these films are not only entertaining but they also "encourage a longer and broader cultural conversation". McDormand had the audience in splits while talking about her beginning as an actor in the drama school. "When I was a young actor in drama school, I was told that I was not naturally gifted and I'll have to work at it. And so I did," she said as she thanked directors -- the Coen Brothers, Wes Anderson and McDonagh for helping her realise "my hidden potential".