Anthony Hopkins Pays Tribute to Chadwick Boseman in Belated Oscars Acceptance Speech (VIDEO)

anthony hopkins chadwick boseman
Rich Polk/Getty Images for Netflix; Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Disney

The 93rd Academy Awards were a fairly predictable affair when it came to winners, at least until the final award of the evening for Best Actor was announced.

After an awards season that consistently honored Chadwick Boseman for his performance in Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, a posthumous Oscar was expected. Presented by last year’s Best Actor winner, Joaquin Phoenix, the shock over Anthony Hopkins being crowned the winner for his role in The Father was evident.

While it was certainly stiff competition with Hopkins and Boseman being up against Sound of Metal‘s Riz Ahmed, Mank‘s Gary Oldman, and Minari‘s Steven Yeun, the Best Actor category was not one that viewers expected a twist like this to take place.

The morning following the reveal, Hopkins finally accepted the award (he was absent from the event), recognizing Boseman with his Instagram speech. “At 83 years of age, I did not expect to get this award. I really didn’t. I’m very grateful to the Academy and thank you.

 

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“I want to pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who was taken from us far too early. I really did not expect this. So I feel very privileged and honored. Thank you.”

Hopkins was nominated last year for his role in The Two Popes. He previously won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1992 for his role as Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs.

This awards season, Chadwick Boseman accrued top honors for his final performance at the Golden Globe Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards.