Leonardo DiCaprio wins Best Actor for The Revenant

After being nominated five times, Leonardo DiCaprio finally takes home his first Oscar for the movie The Revenant.

The 41-year-old actor was the favourite to win after picking up both a Golden Globe and a Bafta for his performance. The film, which has won a number of awards at this year’s ceremony, tells the true story of Hugh Glass, who battled his way through the wilderness after being left for dead.

DiCaprio beat out competition from last year’s winner Eddie Redmayne and Michael Fassbender. He had previously been nominated for his work in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?, The Aviator, Blood Diamond and The Wolf of Wall Street.

He used his speech to warn about the effects of global warming. “Climate change is real and it’s happening right now,” he said. “It’s the most urgent threat affecting our species.” He added: “Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take this night for granted.”

DiCaprio received a standing ovation as he picked up his award, having had five acting nominations and one nomination as producer of best picture nominee Wolf of Wall Street.

He said making The Revenant was “about man’s relationship to the natural world”.

“Climate change is real – it is happening right now,” he said. “It is the most urgent threat right now to our entire species and we need to work now.

“Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take tonight for granted.”

Born in 1974 without a statuette, Leonardo Willhelm DiCaprio has starred in over two dozen films, including Gangs of New York and The Basketball Diaries. He once had an uncredited role as Darlene’s classmate in a 1991 episode of Roseanne. To date, DiCaprio has won over 40 awards and has been nominated six times for an Oscar. This is his first win. The curse is broken.

 Following an extended applause, DiCaprio thanked fellow nominees, the cast and crew ofThe Revenant (including Best Director winnerAlejandro Iñárritu), and even past collaborators like Martin Scorcese. DiCaprio ended his with a big note on the environment:

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About the Author: Akhtar Jamal

Tribune International