Mark Rylance beats Sylvester Stallone to win "Best Supporting Actor"

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February 29, 2016 5:08 AM

Mark Rylance has gone against predictions to win the "Best Supporting Actor" for his role as Rudolf Abel in War drama "Bridge of Spies."

Mark Rylance

The actor beat Christian Bale (The Big Short), Tom Hardy (The Revenant), Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight), and Sylvester Stallone (Creed) to win the award.

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This Oscars nomination and win marks Rylance's first. Thanking his director Steven Spielberg, he said, 'If you ever asked if acting with Tom Hanks helps your career, the answer is "yes it does!"'

Read his full speech;

“I’ve always just adored stories, hearing them, seeing them, being in them, so for me to have the chance to work with, I think, one of the greatest storytellers of our time, Steven Spielberg, it’s just been such an honor,” Rylance said when accepting his Oscar.

“And unlike some of the leaders we’re being presented with these days, he leads with such love that he’s surrounded by masters in every craft on his film, every craft, not the least, Mr. Tom Hanks. People, I’m so pleased that our film has been nominated so many times, and as a face of the film, I meet many people in the streets and it’s lovely to have them, they’re always saying to me, “would it help?” and all that stuff. And I think, if you ever wondered about acting with Tom Hanks, would it help. The answer’s clearly yes.”

“I want to just say thank you to my fellow nominees. I don’t know how they separate my acting from your glorious acting in these wonderful films that you’re in, which everyone must see. I don’t know how they separated the five of us from all the other supporting actors who are making films at the moment. It’s a wonderful time to be an actor and I’m proud to be part of it.”