Joaquin Phoenix thanks his mum in an emotional speech

The 'Joker' star made sure to thank a special person when accepting best actor at the Critics Choice Awards

Hollywood star Joaquin Phoenix shared an emotional tribute to his mother, as he took home the award for best actor at the prestigious Critics’ Choice Awards over the weekend.

Phoenix recently won the same title at last week’s Golden Globes and kept the good luck going at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. However, as he got up onto the stage, there was one person the star wanted to thank, reported Entertainment Tonight.

PHOTO: FILE

The 45-year-old won the Critics’ Choice Award for best actor on Sunday night for his performance as Arthur Fleck in Joker. "I need to thank my mum. Mum, you’ve always been my greatest inspiration, even when self-pity led me astray,’ he said on stage, clutching his award. "You’ve never given up on me and I deeply appreciate your support," he said during his emotional speech.

Phoenix was presented the award by One Day star Anne Hathaway, then turned his attention to screenwriter Scott Silver, saying, "You used a superhero character to talk about childhood trauma, gun violence and mental health."

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Speaking backstage, Phoenix shed light on the ‘long process’ of coming into character for tortured Arthur Fleck.  "I think the way I worked on this was quite erratic," he said according to People. "I didn’t attack it linearly. I was most curious about the medication that he was taking and the effects and side effects of the medication."

PHOTO: FILE

He continued, "I dug into understanding medication and the side effects of what he was taking so that was the beginning. I read several books about political assassins that share a similar personality type."

Earlier in the evening, Phoenix posed for pictures with his sister Rain. The star also donned the same suit he wore at last week’s Golden  Globes, after designer Stella McCartney revealed he was doing his bit for sustainability by wearing the same sleek tux for the entirety of awards season.

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