OSCAR Viewers Floored After Anthony Hopkins Takes Best Actor Over ‘Shoo-in’ Chadwick Boseman: ‘BOSEMAN WAS ROBBED!’

Joe DePaoloApr 25th, 2021, 11:51 pm
 

The stars appeared to be aligned.

For the first time in memory, the denouement of Sunday night’s Oscars ceremony featured not the award for Best Picture, but rather, the honor for Best Actor. That placement seemed to be a clear indication that the Oscar would go to the late Chadwick Boseman for his heralded performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom — in what would’ve undoubtedly been an emotional, touching end to the broadcast.

But alas, it was not to be.

In a stunning upset, presenter Joaquin Phoenix announced to the crowd that Anthony Hopkins was the winner for his performance in The Father. Hopkins made history with the victory — becoming the oldest Oscar winner ever at age 83. It is his second victory, after having previously won in 1992 for his iconic portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.

Despite Hopkins’s status as a Hollywood legend, few expected him to prevail on Sunday night over the beloved Boseman — who died of colon cancer in August at age 43. Compounding the awkwardness of the moment was the fact that Hopkins was not on hand to collect his statue — forcing Phoenix to bring the proceedings to a crashing halt after accepting the honor on Hopkins’s behalf.

To say Movie Twitter was floored is a massive understatement. Here’s a sampling of the reaction:

——

Watch above, via ABC.

Tags:
Joe DePaolo - Executive Editor

Joe DePaolo is the Executive Editor of Mediaite. Email him here: joed@mediaite.com Follow him on X: @joe_depaolo