London: Jean Dujardin, who won the best actor award for ‘The Artist’ at the Oscars, has apologised for screaming the French equivalent of the F-word in excitement when he received the prize. Dujardin paid tribute to the first Oscars host, silent screen star Douglas Fairbanks, before breaking into his character as Valentin and screaming something in French.
According to a website, he translated the words to reporters backstage and admitted one of them was an expletive in French.
“I love your country! So many of you here tonight have inspired me,” a leading daily has quoted Dujardin as saying as he took the stage to collect the award from Natalie Portman.
He then said that if his ‘Artist’ character George Valentin was accepting the award, he would have said... before launching into a barrage of French. When the reporters backstage asked him if he had sworn during the speech, he misinterpreted what they were asking and began translating what he had said, saying: “It’s amazing, it’s incredible, it’s unbelievable. Thank you.”
Dujardin’s translator stepped in and clarified that he was being asked if one of the words he had said was the French equivalent of the F-bomb, to which the actor smiled and replied: “Yeah, I’m sorry!”
Dujardin beat out stars including George Clooney and Brad Pitt to take home the Best Actor prize, which was one of five awards collected by the critically acclaimed French movie. The other prizes taken home by the movie were Best Picture, Best Costume Design, Best Original Score and Best Director for Michel Hazavanicius.
IANS