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Oscars 2023: Brendan Fraser wins Best Actor over Austin Butler

Brendan won for hs role in The Whale

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Rebecca Lewis
Rebecca Lewis - Los Angeles
ReporterLos Angeles
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Brendan Fraser has won the 2023 Oscar for Best Actor after a season of incredible wins. The actor broke down in tears as he accepted the award from Jessica Chastain and Halle Berry.

"My goodness, I thank the academy for this honor and our studio fir making such a bold film, and I am grateful to Darren for throwing me a creative lifeline," Brendan said through the tears. "I want to say thank you for this acknowledgment," he added. 

Brendan beat Austin Butler, Colin Farrell, Bill Nighy and Paul Mescal.  

The celebration came after an evening of joyful wins with Everything Everywhere All At Once winning Best Picture and picking up Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh, Best Supporting Actor for Ke Huy Quan, and Jamie Lee Curtis nabbing Best Supporting Actress.

Ke first shot to fame back in 1984, when he was only thirteen years old and starred as Short Round alongside Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, later starring as Data in 1985's The Goonies, both of which had Steven Spielberg behind them.

He did not work for almost 30 years before he was offered the role in The Daniels' Everything Everywhere All At Once.

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brendanfraser oscars© Photo: Getty Images

Jamie also won for her work in EEAAO, and the star delivered a moving speech as the auditorium erupted in applause, surrounded by A-listers in their best glitz and glam

Michelle, 60, was surrounded by her cast and crew after her name was read out and before she made her way to the stage. She was the first actress of Southeast Asian descent to be nominated - and to win - for Best Actress.

All Quiet on the Western Front swept the below the line categories, picking up five awards, while Sarah Polley won Adapted Screenplay for Women Talking.

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brendafraser 2© Photo: Getty Images

The evening, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, was a roaring success - with no incidents - although he referenced the infamous 2022 slap, quipping: "If anyone commits any act of violence, you will be awarded best actor and permitted to give a 19-minute long speech. But seriously, if anything unpredictable or violent happens do what you did last year; nothing. Maybe give the assailant a hug."

Jimmy 'parachuted' onto the Oscars stage in a homage to Top Gun: Maverick, before launching into his opening monologue where he teased Nicole Kidman's movie theatre advert, questioned Seth Rogan about his drug use and celebrated Stephen Spielberg's incredible achievement of being nominated at least once over six decades. 

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