Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty
Will Smithhas taken the leading actor honor at the 2022BAFTA Awards.
Smith, 53, won the top male acting award for his role asSerenaandVenus Williams' father, Richard Williams Jr., inKing Richard.
The star beat out Adeel Akhtar (Ali & Ava),Mahershala Ali(Swan Song),Benedict Cumberbatch(The Power of the Dog),Leonardo DiCaprio(Don’t Look Up), and Stephen Graham (Boiling Point).
Smith was not in attendance at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Sunday to accept his award, soKing Richarddirector Reinaldo Marcus Green spoke on his behalf.
“Will is gutted he couldn’t be here this evening. This is a tremendous honor and I know he would be thanking you so much from the bottom of his heart. This is such a personal film for Will. From the moment he took this role he embodied Richard Williams. He would thank the Williams family. There is no film without them. It is a true honor to have shared their story,” he said.
“Will was a fearless leader on set, a tremendous actor. He would thank the fellow actors in his category. You guys are tremendous. Thank you so much for this honor, for this award. Will we’re bringing this home for you. When he put on those short shorts he was like Superman,” Green concluded.
BAFTA Awards.Chris Jackson/Getty
Smith’s win marks his first-ever BAFTA Award, after previously taking home theGolden Globe,Screen Actors Guild, andNAACP Imageawards for his role inKing Richard.
While Smith is nominated alongsideDenzel Washington(The Tragedy of Macbeth) at this year’s upcomingCritics Choice AwardsandAcademy Awards, Washington, 67, couldn’t be prouder of his longtime friend.
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“He just hugged me and he said, ‘I’m so happy for you. Just love who you’re becoming,'” Smith added.
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“I don’t wanna put any pressure on this — I know I’m not going to be funnybecause I am no longer fat,” she continued. “And besides, I’m not going to ‘sweat-it’ with nerves because I have a peculiar medical condition where I can’t sweat … or cause offense to people because of my adorable Australian accent.”
source: people.com
