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Mirren, Whitaker take Oscars glory
26/02/2007 07:05 - (SA)
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| British actress Helen Mirren has won the Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen. (AP) |
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Los Angeles - British actress Helen Mirren became a member of Oscars royalty on Sunday, winning the best actress statuette for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen.
In her first Academy Award-winning turn, Mirren, 61, depicts Queen Elizabeth II as a resolute sovereign, bound by tradition and protocol, who wrestles with public pressure to grieve alongside her nation after Princess Diana's death.
Long considered the favourite to take home the coveted Oscars statuette, Mirren fought off stiff competition from Penelope Cruz (Volver), Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada) and fellow Britons Judi Dench (Notes on a Scandal) and Kate Winslet (Little Children).
The win completed a clean sweep for Mirren this awards season, after the role garnered her a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Golden Globe and a Bafta.
Best actor award
Forest Whitaker won best actor laurels for his role as brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland.
The Oscar win - the first for 45-year-old Whitaker - marked the actor's triumphant return to the silver screen after an extended run of behind-the-camera work.
Whitaker beat out Leonardo DiCaprio (Blood Diamond), Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson), Peter O'Toole (Venus) and Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness) to take home the coveted statuette.
- SAPA
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