‘DID NOT EXPECT THIS’

Anthony Hopkins Pays Tribute to Chadwick Boseman in Belated Oscars Acceptance Speech

In a video from the Welsh countryside, the 83-year-old seemed genuinely shocked to have won the award over Chadwick Boseman.

Sunday night’s already very weird Oscars ceremony ended in a deeply jarring fashion when Anthony Hopkins was announced as Best Actor—but he wasn’t there, hadn’t recorded a speech, and many were left bitterly disappointed that the late Chadwick Boseman was snubbed in the category. Well, early Monday morning, Hopkins tried to make amends. In a video from the Welsh countryside, the 83-year-old seemed genuinely shocked to have won the award, and paid tribute to Boseman. “At 83 years of age, I did not expect to get this award. I really didn’t,” he said. “I’m very grateful to the Academy. Thank you. I want to pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who was taken from us far too early. And again, thank you all very much. I really did not expect this, so I feel very privileged and honored, thank you.” Last year, Boseman died of colon cancer at the age of 43, but he was up for a posthumous award for his role in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.