In one of the most heated races of this Oscar ceremony, Casey Affleck took home the golden statue for Best Actor for his work in Manchester By The Sea. Affleck portrayed a man with a deeply tragic history who is called upon to take care of his nephew following the death of his more successful brother. This was Affleck’s second nomination and first Oscar win.
Affleck took to the stage and first paid tribute to his fellow Best Actor nominees, especially Denzel Washington (nominated for Fences).
“One of the first people who taught me how to act was Denzel Washington and I met him for the first time tonight. Thank you. And to all the other nominees tonight, you did great work and I am proud to be in your company. You are very brave and I admire what you do.”
Affleck went on to thank his director Kenneth Lonergan before ruefully thanking the community present at the ceremony and the support that they’ve given him, saying “I am just dumbfounded that I am included. That means a lot to me.” He also gave a shout out to his longtime friend Matt Damon, who was initially up for the role before turning it down and suggested Affleck as a replacement to Lonergan.
