In 1987 she won the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress for her role in a film which starred Cher and Nicholas Cage. One year later her cousin ran for President of the United States. Who is she, and for what film did she win the Oscar?

The 1987 romantic comedy *Moonstruck* was a massive success, earning Academy Awards for its screenplay and its two leading female stars. While Cher won Best Actress for her role as Loretta Castorini, the award for Best Supporting Actress went to veteran stage and screen actress Olympia Dukakis. She portrayed Rose Castorini, Loretta's pragmatic and wise-cracking mother, delivering iconic lines about love, life, and infidelity that became central to the film's charm and enduring popularity.

The timing of her Oscar win in the spring of 1988 was particularly remarkable due to a major event in American politics. Her first cousin, Michael Dukakis, was the sitting governor of Massachusetts and was in the midst of a successful campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. During her memorable acceptance speech, Olympia Dukakis gave her cousin an enthusiastic public endorsement, holding her statue aloft and declaring, "OK, Michael, let's go!" While he ultimately lost the 1988 presidential election, the moment forever linked her cinematic triumph with his political journey.