It was a life that was shaped by a disturbing childhood and worldwide fame as a teen that culminated in becoming only the fifth Black man to win in the best actor category at the Academy Awards, according to Gold Derby.
In his acceptance speech, he even offered a humorous story about his mom and how she was spending the evening.
“To my mother, a lot of this moment is really complicated for me, but to my mother — she didn’t want to come out, she has her knitting friends, she has a knitting crew she’s watching with — being able to love and care for my mother and my family and my wife — i’m taking up too much time — thank you for this honor.” (via The Hollywood Reporter)
Smith was also humble about the incident earlier in the night, apologizing for his actions, while also likening himself to the man he won an Oscar for playing. “I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment and I’m not crying for winning an award,” Smith said. “It’s not about winning an award for me; it’s about being able to shine a light on all the people … Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams! But, love will make you do crazy things.”