At 83-years-old, Anthony Hopkins has become the oldest actor to ever win a Best Actor Oscar. Hopkins won the award for his performance in Florian Zeller‘s drama, The Father, but was a no-show at the in-person/virtual Academy Awards ceremony. So, after his big win at the ceremony, the legendary actor took to Instagram to post his reaction.
“Here I am in my homeland in Wales. At 83 years of age, I did not expect to get this award, I really didn’t,” said Hopkins in the video. “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. Again, thank you all very much. I really did not expect this, I feel very privileged and honored, thank you.”
Hopkins took the record from the late Christopher Plummer, who won an Oscar for his performance in the 2010 romantic comedy Beginners at the age of 82. In the Instagram video, Hopkins also thanked his wife and family, Sony Pictures Classics, Zeller, UTA, Jeremy Barber, Christine Crais, Mitch Smelkinson, Juan Miguel Arias and Tara Arroyave.
The actor shows no signs of slowing down his work, either. He’s currently slated to star in the upcoming action crime-thriller, The Virtuoso, which is set to release later this week on April 30. He’ll also star in the thriller XCII from first-time director Rick Dugdale, and in the mystery drama Where Are You from the directors of the 2019 film Now is Everything, which Hopkins also starred in.