Anthony Hopkins has beaten fellow nominees Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal), Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), Gary Oldman (Mank) and Steven Yeun (Minari) to win the honour of  Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in The Father.

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He had earlier won the award for essaying the role of Hannibal Lecter 30 years earlier for The Silence of the Lambs. Hopkins, however, wasn’t present at the ceremony though and it was last year’s Best Actor Winner, Joaquin Phoenix, who gave out the award and the ceremony closed with this announcement.

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The late Chadwick Boseman was the favourite in the race, hence the 80-year-old’s win came as a slight surprise to some!