HAMPSHIRE-born film star Colin Firth was last night crowned King of Hollywood.

Firth, who was educated at Kings' School in Winchester and Barton Peveril College in Eastleigh, was named best actor for his role in smash hit royal drama The King's Speech.

The cast arrived knowing the film had received a total of 12 nominations. It also won best picture, best director and best original screen play.

Firth plays King George V1, who battled to overcome a severe stammer to make a crucial radio broadcast at the start of the Second World War.

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The film, which has already taken £142m at the global box office, had already scooped a fistful of awards, including several BAFTAs and Golden Globes.

It faced stiff competition from The Social Network, Black Swan and the western drama True Grit, starring Jeff Bridges, who beat Firth to an Oscar last year.

Firth, 50, who was born in Grayshott, began his acting career in 1983.

His parents taught at King Alfred's College Winchester, now the University of Winchester, where he received an honorary degree.

His other major film credits include The English Patient, Bridget Jones's Diary, Mamma Mia and Love Actually.

Oscar success this year made up for the disappointment after Firth was nominated in 2009 for his role as a suicidal gay English academic in 1960s Los Angeles in A Single Man.

Firth is the 18th British actor to have won a best actor Oscar. The last British man to win was Daniel Day-Lewis in 2007 for his performance in There Will Be Blood.

Firth told the audience at the 83rd Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles he wanted to leave the stage before he embarrassed himself by dancing with joy.

He said: ''I have a feeling my career has just peaked.''

Speaking afterwards, he said: ''What has struck me is that the emotional response to this has been quite personal and diverse.

''It's very powerful to be on the receiving end of that kind of feedback.

''The fact that (the award) has overlapped with something that has resonated with people is probably the most valuable thing of all.''

Firth, who said he looked forward to ''cooking a lot'' following the awards season, described the decision to axe the UK Film Council as ''short-sighted''.

The Best Actor Oscar made Colin Firth Hollywood royalty and finally laid to rest the Mr Darcy tag.

He achieved instant heart-throb status when he played Jane Austen's brooding hero in 1995, famously emerging from a lake in a dripping wet shirt and breeches in the BBC television adaptation of Pride And Prejudice.