Anthony Hopkins beat Chadwick Boseman to win best actor in one of the Oscars night's biggest shocks
- Chadwick Boseman was expected to win the best actor Oscar for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."
- However, Anthony Hopkins won the award for "The Father."
- Hopkins had previously beaten Boseman at the BAFTAs.
Sir Anthony Hopkins pulled off the biggest upset of the 2021 Oscars by winning best actor over the presumed frontrunner Chadwick Boseman.
Hopkins won the award for "The Father," which also won best adapted screenplay. The Welsh actor had previously beaten Boseman at the BAFTA awards.
That was the only major precursor prize Hopkins won, however, as Boseman won the Critics' Choice award, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild award for his role in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."
That made Boseman the firm favorite to win the Oscar for best actor and become just the third person to win a posthumous acting Oscar. Instead, Hopkins won his second Academy Award for best actor. He won his first way back in 1991 for "The Silence of the Lambs."
This marks the second win for Hopkins, who has been nominated a total of six times.
This win also makes Hopkins the oldest ever winner of an acting Oscar at age 83. The record was previously held by Christopher Plummer, who won aged 82 in 2011 for "Beginners."
"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" was also nominated for best actress for Viola Davis, although that category has been up in the air the entire awards season. That award eventually went to best picture "Nomadland," with Frances McDormand winning.
"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" took home best makeup and hairstyling as well as best costume design.