In a brief acceptance speech on Instagram Monday following his Best Actor win for The Father at the 93rd Annual Academy Awards Sunday night, Anthony Hopkins thanked the Academy, and paid tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, whom most thought would win the award.
"Here I am in my homeland in Wales," a pleased but surprised Hopkins began. "At 83 years of age, I did not expect to get this award, I really didn't. I'm very grateful to the Academy."
"I want to pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who was taken from us far too early," Hopkins continued. "I really did not expect this, so I feel very privileged and honored."
His post was met with congratulations and well-wishes from many of Hopkins' 2.8 million Instagram followers, including Kate Beckinsale, his The Edge co-star Alec Baldwin, and Hugh Jackman.
The Oscars snub of Boseman was the talk of the Internet last night. The Ma Rainey's Black Bottom star, who lost a private battle with cancer last year, had been posthumously honored by the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild, and the Critics Choice Awards.
The Oscars ceremony shifted its Best Actor and Actress categories to the end of the night, instead of capping the festivities with Best Picture, per usual practice, so it seemed to be designed to close with what would have been a touching Boseman win.
Hopkins' Best Actor win Sunday was his second. His first came in 1992 at age 55, for The Silence of the Lambs.