Watch: Anthony Hopkins Delivers his Oscar Acceptance Speech

The 93rd Oscars ceremony certainly ended with a surprise last night. Not only did the show’s producers make the bold move to announce Best Picture ahead of the Best Actress and Best Actor categories, but the final category of the night went in a direction that many were not expecting. 

You’d have to imagine that the producers were thinking the win would go to the late Chadwick Boseman, closing the show with a speech from his widow Simone Ledward Boseman. Instead, the award for Best Actor went to Sir Anthony Hopkins, winning for his wrenching performance in the film The Father.

The kicker? The 83-year-old actor wasn’t even there. 

Now the oldest actor to ever win an Oscar, Hopkins wisely didn’t make the trek to attend the ceremony during a pandemic, yet his absence ended the ceremony on a bit of an anti-climactic note. Nobody expects the final award of the night to go to someone who isn’t even there to give a speech.

The day after the ceremony, Hopkins has delivered his acceptance speech via video from his homeland of Wales, where he expresses his own surprise at his win, and delivers a touching tribute to Boseman as well. 

It’s a touching speech from a consummate professional. You can watch Anthony Hopkins thank the Academy here.