15 February 2016•Update: 15 February 2016
LONDON
Leonardo DiCaprio was named best actor as the epic western adventure film “The Revenant” swept Sunday’s BAFTA awards in central London.
The film won five awards, including best film and best director for Alejandro G. Inarritu at the British Academy’s annual ceremony.
DiCaprio, 41, overcame competition from Michael Fassbender for the movie “Steve Jobs” and Eddie Redmayne for the film “The Danish Girl” to win his first best actor award on his fourth nomination.
He used his win to praise British actors for their influence upon him, and to wish his mother a happy birthday.
Brie Larson was named best actress for her role in "Room", in which she played a kidnapped mother.
It was a disappointing night for "Star Wars", which last December returned in a big-budget seventh installment. Actor John Boyega won the British Academy’s “Rising Star” award for special talent, but his was one of only two wins for the space opera franchise out of four nominations.
The ceremony was controversial for British actor Stephen Fry, host of the awards ceremony, who closed down his Twitter account Monday morning in response to criticism of his joke describing one winner as “a bag lady”.
When Jenny Beavan, who won the costume design award for “Mad Max: Fury Road”, collected her award wearing trousers, a leather jacket and a scarf, Fry said: “Only one of the great cinematic costume designers would come to an awards dressed as a bag lady”.
But his remark was booed in the hall and widely criticized on the social media site. Fry initially defended his words but subsequently closed down his account, which has millions of followers.
The BAFTA awards are closely watched by sections of the film industry for hints ahead of the Academy Awards in Hollywood.
“The Revenant” is hotly tipped for Oscars at this year’s ceremony at the end of February, with DiCaprio himself nominated for what could be his first best actor award.
Asked whether he would win the much-coveted Oscar, DiCaprio told a press conference after the ceremony: “This is one thing that is absolutely beyond my control ... it's up to the world now, and voters to decide”.
