Los Angeles, Feb 29 (IANS) Hollywoood actor Leonardo DiCaprio won the Oscar for the Best Actor for his film “The Revenant” at the 88th Academy Awards ceremony held here on Sunday.
This was the first Oscar win for Leonardo, after being previously nominated but missing it.
“The Revenant” is about a frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820s who fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.
Leonardo DiCaprio wins his first Oscar for ‘The Revenant’ (Lead)
Los Angeles, Feb 29 (IANS) Actor Leonardo DiCaprio finally broke the jinx and took home his first Academy Award in the Best Actor category for his power-packed performance in “The Revenant” at the Oscars ceremony here.
DiCaprio, who had been nominated for the golden statuette four times before too, took home the coveted trophy at the awards ceremony, which was held at at the Dolby Theatre here on Sunday night.
In his acceptance speech, DiCaprio said: “Thank you all so very much. Thank you to the Academy. Thank to all of you in this room. I have to congratulate the other nominees.”
DiCaprio was contending with Bryan Cranston (“Trumbo”), Matt Damon (“The Martian”), Michael Fassbender (“Steve Jobs”), and Eddie Redmayne (“The Danish Girl”).
For his win, DiCaprio thanked director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu — who also won an Oscar in the Best Director category — for helming the semi-biographical western drama, which was inspired by true events and narrates a story of man’s epic adventure of survival and revenge, including how he survives an attack by a bear.
Most of the Hollywood celebrities from his “Titanic” co-star Kate Winslet to fellow nominee Redmayne had placed their bet on DiCaprio to win the trophy and end his dry spell at the Oscars this year.
It was a moment of celebration when Julianne Moore announced his name as the winner, and Dicaprio went on to the stage amid loud cheer. He even received a standing ovation.
The actor went on to thank his co-star Tom Hardy and director. He then expressed gratitude for his team, all those who aided his career, and his parents.
DiCaprio also spoke about climate change.
“Climate change is real. It is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat affecting our entire species. We need to support leaders around the world who speak for all of humanity. I thank you all for this amazing award tonight. Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take this award for granted,” DiCaprio added.
“The Revenant” had previously swept the 73rd edition of the Golden Globe awards and also clinched top honours at Baftas 2016.
