Will Smith wins Oscar, slaps Rock onstage
Chastain wins best actress; “CODA” takes best picture
The Fresh Prince became a king and finally won his first Oscar.
Will Smith took home his first Academy Award on Sunday night for playing Richard Williams — father and tennis mentor to Venus and Serena Williams — in “King Richard.”
Smith spoke just minutes after he slapped presenter Chris Rock for making fun of wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia.
In tears, Smith noted that Richard Williams was also fiercely protective of his family. “I want to be a vessel for love,” he said.
He also apologized to the academy and his fellow nominees. “This is a beautiful moment,” he said. “Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father. But love will make you do crazy things.”
The win comes for his third nomination. He was previously nominated for “Ali” in 2002 and “The Pursuit of Happyness” in 2007.
Late in the show, Jessica Chastain won the best
actress Academy Award for her transformative performance in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” while “CODA,” a coming-of-age film about the hearing daughter of a deaf family, won the Best Picture Oscar.
Earlier in the evening, Troy Kotsur and Ariana Debose made history and Jane Campion became just the third woman director to win the best director trophy for “Power of the Dog” at Sunday’s 94th Academy Awards.
After record-low ratings and a pandemic-marred 2021 show, producers this year turned to one of the biggest stars around — Beyonce — to kick off an
Oscars intended to revive the awards’ place in pop culture. After an introduction from Venus and Serena Williams, Beyonce performed her “King Richard” nominated song, “Be Alive,” in an elaborately choreographed performance from a lime-colored, open-air stage in Compton, where the Williams sisters grew up.
Hosts Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer and Regina Hall then began the telecast from the Dolby Theatre.
“All right, we are here at the Oscars,” began Hall. Sykes finished: “Where movie lovers unite and watch TV.”
Sykes, Schumer and Hall breezily joked through prominent Hollywood issues like pay equity — they said three female hosts were “cheaper than one man” — the Lady Gaga drama that Sykes called “House of Random Accents,” the state of the Golden Globes (now relegated to the memoriam package, said Sykes) and Leonardo Dicaprio’s girlfriends.
The first broadcast award went to Ariana Debose, who became the first openly LGBTQ actor and first Latina to win best supporting actress. Her win came 60 years after Rita Moreno won for the same role in the 1961 original “West Side Story.” Debose thanked Moreno for leading the way for “tons of Anitas like me.”
Later, Kotsur became the first male deaf actor to ever win an acting Oscar, and joined his “CODA” co-star Marlee Matlin at the only deaf actors to win an Academy Award. He received a standing ovation while many in the Dolby gave the Deaf clap, waving both hands in the air.
“Encanto,” the Disney hit propelled by its charttopping soundtrack, won best animated film. Linmanuel Miranda, who penned the film’s hit songs, missed the ceremony after his wife tested positive for COVID -19. Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Japanese drama “Drive My Car” won for best international film.
To help regain the cultural spotlight, the Oscars leaned heavily on musical performances, film anniversaries (“The Godfather,“James Bond) and as many mentions of the “Encanto” breakout song, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” as possible.
The Ukrainian-born Mila Kunis led a 30-second moment of silence for Ukraine.
Sian Heder’s family drama “CODA” won for best adapted screenplay. Kenneth Branagh’s autobiographical “Belfast,” an affectionate family drama bathed in nostalgia and shot in black-and-white, took best original screenplay.
The biggest blockbusters of this year’s 10 bestpicture nominees, “Dune” won for production design, cinematography, editing, visual effects, sound and Hans Zimmer’s score.
Best makeup and hairstyling went to Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.”
“The Queen of Basketball” took best short documentary film. Best animated short went to “The Windshield Wiper,” while “The Long Goodbye” took best fiction short.