Brie Larson wins Best Actress for 'Room'

 By 
Hillary Busis
 on 
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Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

26-year-old first-time nominee Brie Larson has just snagged the year's highest acting honor.

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Larson had already collected a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for her role in Room, where she plays a young woman who's been held in captivity for seven years by a man she knows only as Old Nick. Now she's adding another statuette to her collection: a Best Actress Oscar.

She's certainly come a long way from the early 2000s, when Larson was best known as a squeaky-clean teen singer and Disney Channel mainstay.

"Oh wow. Thank you," Larson said as she took the stage, delivering a brief, polished acceptance speech that shouted out everyone and everything from the Telluride Film Festival to "the fans."

Larson was the favorite for this prize for weeks leading up to the Awards, thanks to the momentum she'd gathered by accumulating a series of smaller prizes. Still, she managed to beat out a slate of heavy hitters for the award, including Cate Blanchett (Carol), Jennifer Lawrence (Joy), Charlotte Rampling (45 Years), and Saoirse Ronan Brooklyn.

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