West Philadelphia's Will Smith Wins Best Actor Oscar for 'King Richard' After Altercation With Chris Rock

Will Smith won the Oscar for best actor on Sunday night, taking home the award on his third nomination in the category. His victory came shortly after a bizarre on-stage confrontation in which he struck presenter Chris Rock.

Smith, a West Philadelphia native, was honored for his portrayal of Richard Williams, the father of tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams, in the biographical sports drama "King Richard," directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green. He also served as a producer on the film.

He began his acceptance speech with a line that pointed both to his role and to the incident with Rock. "Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family," Smith said.

Smith went on to speak about the pressures of his profession. He said that in order to do what he does, a person has to be able to take abuse and have people say crazy things about them. In the business, he said, people will disrespect you, and you have to smile and pretend that is acceptable.

He kept alluding to the moment as he continued, recalling words Denzel Washington had offered him shortly before the win: "At your highest moment, be careful that's when the devil comes for you." Smith later apologized to the Academy before thanking the Williams family. "Art imitates life, I look like the crazy father," he said. "Love will make you do crazy things."

Smith also thanked his mother, who chose not to attend the ceremony and stayed in Philadelphia with her knitting circle.

The win follows two earlier nominations for best actor: in 2002 for "Ali" and in 2007 for "The Pursuit of Happyness." Like "King Richard," both were biographical dramas.

"King Richard," which opened in theaters in November, follows Williams' relationship with his daughters and their rise to become tennis stars.

Smith has said his own relationship with his father shaped his performance. During an interview at The Met Philadelphia in November, he credited his father, whom he called Daddio, as the source of his work ethic and determination. He also said he feared him, describing him as an angry alcoholic who was abusive to Smith's mother.

"My father was my hero," Smith told the audience at that event. "Adversity and perseverance go together. My father was both things. He was a complicated person. He was the greatest hero, and one of the greatest aspects of my life. He was also one of my greatest sources of pain."