Halle Berry and Jessica Chastain present best actress after Will Smith ban

13 March 2023 , 03:27

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Halle Berry and Jessica Chastain present best actress after Will Smith ban

Will Smith was banned for 10 years from all Academy events, including the Oscars, after slapping host Chris Rock on stage and because of this, Halle Berry and Jessica Chastain presented the best actress award instead to Michelle Yeoh.

Each year, it's the tradition that the previous year's winner of best actor announces the winner of best actress and vice versa.

However, after Smith's actions, Berry and Chastain stepped into present the award for which Yeoh, Cate Blachett, Andrea Riseborough, Ana de Armas, and Michelle Williams were in contention.

Yeoh gave an inspirational and emotional speech after becoming the first Asian to win best actress at the 95th Academy Awards for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Halle Berry and Jessica Chastain presented the best actress award (Getty Images)

Accepting her prize, the 60-year-old said: “For all the little boys and girls who look like me, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities. Dream big, dreams do come true. Ladies, never let anyone tell you you are past your prime.

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“I have to dedicate this to my mum, all the mums in the world because they are really the superhero’s and without them none of us would be here tonight. She’s 84 and I’m taking this home to her.”

She added: “This is history in the making.”

Her Academy Award win makes her not only the second non-white person to win the Oscar for best actress, but also the first from an Asian background.

Will Smith would have traditionally presented the award (AFP via Getty Images)

Smith's replacement was not announced by the Academy prior to this year's award ceremony.

This is not the first time the Academy has stepped away from tradition.

In 2018, Casey Affleck, who won the best actor Oscar in 2017 for his role in Manchester By The Sea, was due to present the award for best actress.

However, in January that year, Affleck announced he would not be presenting the award after details of sexual harassment allegations against the actor came to light.

Michelle Yeoh is the first Asian to win best actress (Getty Images)

In 2010, he had settled two cases with the producer and cinematographer of his film I’m Still Here.

In Affleck’s place, previous best actress winners Jennifer Lawrence and Jodie Foster presented the award to Frances McDormand.

That same year, Jane Fonda and Helen Mirren presented the best actor Oscar, despite the fact that it would typically have been Emma Stone doing the honours as she had won best actress in 2017. Instead, Stone presented the award for best director.

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