Anthony Hopkins paid tribute to Chadwick Boseman in his belated Oscar acceptance speech, which was posted on Instagram this morning.
The actor pulled off the upset of the night when he won Best Actor for his performance in The Father, even though he wasn’t on-hand (either virtually or in-person) to accept the trophy. Many had expected Boseman to win posthumously for his final performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and the Oscars had even shuffled the categories around to make Best Actor the last of the evening, ostensibly assuming the show would end with a touching tribute.
In a video message from his home in Wales, the 83-year-old Hopkins said, “I did not expect to get this award, I really didn’t. And I’m very grateful to the Academy and thank you. And I want to pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who was taken from us far too early. And again thank you all very much. I really did not expect this. So, I feel very privileged and honored. Thank you.”
Hopkins’ win for his performance in The Father marked his second time winning Best Actor, having previously won in 1992 for The Silence of the Lambs. The Father also won Best Adapted Screenplay, an award that was shared by Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller.