Colin Firth Gets Best Actor At The Oscars

The King's Speech has scooped four Oscars, including Best Actor for Colin Firth.

The story of King George VI's battle with his stutter also won Best Picture, Best Director for Tom Hooper and Best Original Screenplay for David Seidler.

Firth told the audience at the 83rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles he wanted to leave the stage before he embarrassed himself by dancing with joy.

The 50-year-old actor said:

"I am experiencing stirrings somewhere in the upper abdominals which are threatening to form themselves into dance moves, which joyous as they may be for me, would be extremely problematic if they make it to my legs before I get off stage."

After a year of glittering success where he picked up a Golden Globe, BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild trophy the actor added:

"I have a feeling my career has just peaked."

Clearly breathless after a triumphant night the British actor paid tribute to his wife Livia for suffering his "fleeting delusions of royalty" and supporting him through an amazing year.

Director Tom Hooper said he had his mother to thank for first telling him about the play that formed the basis of the film.

"The moral of this story is listen to your mother."

He also said the "triangle of man love" contributed to the film's success and afterwards told Sky News that he, Firth and Geoffrey Rush would be "friends for life".

The film's writer, David Seidler, dedicated his win to "all the stutterers throughout the world".

Speaking to Heart about Colin’s success is the Principal of Barton Peveril College in Eastleigh, where he studied in the 1970’s.  Jonathon Prest say’s they’re all very proud of him:

“It’s great to think that one of our students has made his way to the top of his profession and we feel like we've contributed in a little way to his success. Everyone's walking a little taller today after Colin's win - it's brilliant."

He added: "Colin we're incredibly proud of you here -you're our most famous son - many congratulations, it's a wonderful achievement."

Last year a student at the College was elected as a Colin Firth ‘mini-me’ and went to the Houses of Parliament in London to meet the star. Mr. Prest went too and said the actor paid tribute to the College:

“He pointed out that the college was a place which believed in him. He hadn’t had a very successful school education up until then - indeed many of his teachers in his earlier school wondered if he should even go to college - but Barton Peveril took him on and invested a lot of effort and belief in him.

“We’re delighted with his success and he’s definitely an inspiration to the students here, especially those studying drama.”

Find out more about Barton Peveril College here.