Oscar 2022: Will Smith wins his first Academy Award

Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers. Proceed with caution if you have not watched the show/movie.

Will Smith won his first Academy Award in the category of Best Actor for his role as Venus and Serena Williams' father Richard in King Richard. In the Best Actor category, Smith beat out fellow nominees Washington, Andrew Garfield for Tick, Tick… Boom!, Benedict Cumberbatch for The Power of the Dog, and Javier Bardem for Being the Ricardos.

Oscar 2022, best actor winner Will Smith smacked presenter Chris Rock in the face with an open hand and shouted a vulgarity at the comedian for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's hairstyle in an epic moment overshadowing the Oscars ceremony on Sunday.

While accepting the Oscar 2022 for Best Actor, Smith mentioned to the confrontation and drew parallels between himself and Richard Williams, adding, "Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family."

"I'm being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people," Smith told the audience. "I know to do what we do, you've got to be able to take abuse, you've got to be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business, you've got to be able to have people disrespecting you. You've got to smile, and you've got to pretend like that's okay."

Also Read: Oscar 2022: Troy Kotsur, the first deaf man wins supporting actor award for ‘CODA’

Will Smith also thanks his fellow nominee Denzel Washington. Denzel was also nominated for Best Actor for his role in The Tragedy of Macbeth.

With a tear-filled acceptance speech he said, "What Denzel said to me a few moments ago, he said, 'At your highest moment, that's when the devil comes for you,'”  Smith explained. "I want to be a vessel for love."

Will Smith went on to thank Venus and Serena Williams and their family for entrusting him to help tell their father's story. He also apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees — but not Rock — for the outburst.

"Art imitates life," Smith added. "I look like the crazy father, just like they said. I'm the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things."

Also Read: Oscar 2022: Walt Disney Encanto wins the best-animated feature film award!