Colin Firth takes the best actor crown at the Oscars

British actor Colin Firth has won the best actor Oscar for his role in The King's Speech. Firth was the clear bookies' favourite going into the ceremony, having previously picked up acting prizes at the Baftas and the Golden Globes. In The King's Speech Firth stars as stuttering George VI, who finds his voice in the run-up to the second world war. The 50-year-old actor was nominated last year for his turn in Tom Ford's A Single Man only to lose out to Jeff Bridges. Tonight, however, the tables were turned. Firth emerged victorious from a field that included Bridges (True Grit), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), James Franco (127 Hours) and Javier Bardem (Biutiful).