'Things can happen to our bodies that are not our choice': Michelle Williams champions women's right to choose in Golden Globes speech

Williams was accepting an award for her role in Fosse/Verdon

Michelle Williams urged all women to vote in an impassioned speech about a woman's right to choose at the Golden Globes on Sunday night.

Accepting an award for her role in Fosse/Verdon she spoke about how her career had been made possible by “employing a woman’s right to choose”.

The 39-year-old said that she is “grateful to have lived in a moment in our society where choice exists” because for women and girls sometimes things “can happen to our bodies that are not our choice”.

The actor, who is currently pregnant, continued: "To choose when to have my children and with whom, when I felt supported and able to balance our lives as all mothers know that the scales must and will tip towards our children.

"Now I know my choices might look different than yours, but thank God or whoever you pray to that we live in a country founded on the principles that I am free to live by my faith and you are free to live by yours."

Williams said that she wished that all women from the the age of “18 to 118” will go out to vote in their “own self-interest”.

“It’s what men have been doing for years, which is why the world looks so much like them,” she continued.

“Don’t forget we are the largest voting body in this country. Let’s make it look more like us.”

In an interview given after her speech, Williams continued: "By nature I'm a shy person but I'm about to turn 40 and I've realised over a great span of time, I've changed, I've become stronger and I've become more able, and I've found my voice.

"I want to be able to use it because when other people have used their voice I know what a difference it has made in my life.

"Where I am in my life I have so much to give, and it would be negligent of me to not try, from this position, to hand back everything that was handed over to me," she added.

Time's Up, the organisation set up to give voice to women in the industry following the #MeToo movement, tweeted a clip from the speech, saying: "Thank you, Michelle Williams."

Viewers were supportive of William's powerful speech.

One said: "Michelle Williams beautifully articulated abortion rights without shame or apology."

Another said it was the "speech of the night".

At the 2019 Golden Globes Glenn Close was praised for her feminist speech where she thanked her "category sisters" in the best actress in a drama motion picture shortlist.

She said: “I’m so – everything that you did this year, or what you are here for – we all should be up here together, that’s all I can say. Oh my God, I just don’t believe it.”