And the 2011 Oscars Go To...

The King's Speech ruled over the 2011 Academy Awards on Sunday, taking home four honors including Best Picture and Best Actor for the movie's star, Colin Firth.

The royal drama, about stuttering British monarch George VI, led the competition with 12 nominations going into this year's Oscars, and edged out the likes of Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception and The Social Network to claim the most coveted title of the night.

Firth was crowned Best Actor in a Leading Role, emerging triumphant over Javier Bardem (Biutiful), Jeff Bridges (True Grit), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) and James Franco (127 Hours).

Filmmaker Tom Hooper also basked in Oscar glory as he was hailed Best Director, beating Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), David O. Russell (The Fighter), David Fincher (The Social Network) and Joel and Ethan Coen (True Grit).

Pregnant Natalie Portman fought back tears as she walked away with Best Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal of a tormented ballet dancer in Black Swan, ahead of Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right), Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole), Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone) and Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine).

She gave special thanks to her Black Swan choreographer and fiance Benjamin Millepied, telling the audience, "So many people helped me prepare for this role... my beautiful love, Benjamin Millepied who choreographed the film and has now given me the most important role of my life."

It was also a golden night for The Fighter, about tough Boston, Massachusetts boxing legends Mickey Ward and Dickie Eklund, as Christian Bale and Melissa Leo dominated the Best Supporting categories.

Meanwhile, moviemaker Francis Ford Coppola, actor Eli Wallach and historian Kevin Brownlow were given a standing ovation in recognition of the lifetime achievement honors they received at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Governors Awards in November. Fellow honoree Jean-Luc Godard did not attend the ceremony.

Oscars co-hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco opened the 2011 Academy Awards with a hilarious spoof poking fun at the Best Picture nominees, while 2010 presenter Alec Baldwin and Morgan Freeman also made surprise appearances in the skit.

Gwyneth Paltrow, Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, Randy Newman, and Florence Welch and A.R. Rahman provided the music for the night as they performed the tracks nominated for Best Original Song.

And Celine Dion took to the Kodak Theatre stage in Los Angeles to sing Smile during the ceremony's annual In Memorium segment, remembering the stars lost in the past 12 months, including Tony Curtis, Leslie Nielsen, Dennis Hopper, Pete Postlethwaite and Gloria Stuart.

The complete list of winners at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards is as follows:

Best Picture: The King's Speech
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Colin Firth, The King's Speech
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Best Director: Tom Hooper, The King's Speech
Best Screenplay - Adapted: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Best Screenplay - Original: David Seidler, The King's Speech
Best Foreign Language Film: In a Better World (Denmark)
Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3
Best Documentary (Feature): Inside Job
Best Art Direction: Robert Stromberg and Karen O'Hara, Alice In Wonderland
Best Cinematography: Wally Pfister, Inception
Best Sound Mixing: Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick, Inception
Best Sound Editing: Richard King, Inception
Best Original Score: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Social Network
Best Original Song: We Belong Together from Toy Story 3, Randy Newman
Best Costume: Colleen Atwood, Alice in Wonderland
Best Documentary (Short Subject): Strangers No More
Best Film Editing: The Social Network
Best Make-up: The Wolfman
Best Animated Short Film: The Lost Thing
Best Live Action Short Film: God of Love
Best Visual Effects: Inception

Colin Firth, Natalie Portman & The King's Speech Triumph at 2011 SAG Awards

Natalie Portman, Colin Firth and the cast of The King's Speech took the top prizes at the 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday.

Firth won Best Actor for his role in the British monarchy drama, which also took the prize for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

Meanwhile, Portman claimed the Best Actress award for her performance in Darren Aronofsky's ballet drama Black Swan.

The Fighter was also a big winner, with castmates Christian Bale and Melissa Leo earning honors for Best Supporting Actor and Actress respectively.

Elsewhere, Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife), Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Betty White (Hot In Cleveland) and the casts of Boardwalk Empire and Modern Family were the big winners in the TV categories.

A lifetime achievement award was also handed to beloved American actor Ernest Borgnine, who turned 94 on Monday.

The full list of winners at the 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards is as follows:

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: The King's Speech
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role: Colin Firth - The King's Speech
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role: Natalie Portman - Black Swan
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Christian Bale - The Fighter
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Melissa Leo - The Fighter
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries: Al Pacino - You Don't Know Jack
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries: Claire Danes - Temple Grandin
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series: Steve Buscemi - Boardwalk Empire
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series: Julianna Margulies - The Good Wife
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series: Betty White - Hot In Cleveland
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series: Boardwalk Empire
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series: Modern Family

The Social Network is Golden at the Globes

The Social Network has virtually locked in its Best Film Oscar after landing four big awards at the Golden Globes on Sunday night.

Just two days after picking up the main prize at the Critics Choice Awards, the film won top honors at the Globes, while there were also accolades for David Fincher (Best Director), Aaron Sorkin (Best Screenplay) and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (Best Score).

The night's big loser was The King's Speech, which led all nominations with seven, but went home with only one - a Best Actor gong for Oscars favourite Colin Firth.

The ceremony's highlight came when Michael Douglas took the stage at the Beverly Hilton Hotel to hand out the Best Motion Picture (Drama) award a week after announcing he was winning his cancer battle.

The healthy looking movie veteran received a standing ovation and then joked, "There's gotta be an easier way of getting a standing ovation... I'm very very happy to be here tonight."

Alongside Firth, Paul Giamatti (Barney's Version), Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right) and Natalie Portman (Black Swan) won the night's top acting awards for comedy and dramatic movies, while Christian Bale and Melissa Leo claimed the Best Supporting Actor and Actress drama prizes for their roles in boxing drama The Fighter.

In the TV categories, Glee and Boardwalk Empire were the only multiple winners - Glee claimed Best Comedy or Musical Series, while stars Jane Lynch and Chris Colfer won acting honors. Boardwalk Empire was named Best Drama Series and its star Steve Buscemi landed a Best Actor prize.

Other TV acting honors went to Claire Danes, Al Pacino, Jim Parsons, Katey Sagal and Laura Linney.

The full list of winners is:

MOVIES
Best Motion Picture (Drama) - The Social Network
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama) - Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama) - Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
Best Motion Picture (Comedy Or Musical) - The Kids Are All Right
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Comedy Or Musical) - Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Comedy Or Musical) - Paul Giamatti (Barney's Version)
Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Christian Bale
Best Animated Feature Film - Toy Story 3
Best Foreign Language Film - In a Better World (Denmark)
Best Director - David Fincher (The Social Network)
Best Screenplay - Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network)
Best Original Score - The Social Network by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Best Original Song - You Haven't Seen The Last of Me by Diane Warren/Cher (Burlesque)

TELEVISION
Best Television Series (Drama) - Boardwalk Empire
Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series (Drama) - Katey Sagal (Sons of Anarchy)
Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series (Drama) - Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire)
Best Television Series (Comedy Or Musical) - Glee
Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series (Comedy Or Musical) - Laura Linney (The Big C)
Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series (Comedy Or Musical) - Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television - Carlos
Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television - Claire Danes (Temple Grandin)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television - Al Pacino (You Don't Know Jack)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television - Jane Lynch (Glee)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television - Chris Colfer (Glee)

Cecil B. DeMille Award - Robert De Niro

Natalie Portman: People Are Shocked by My Lesbian Sex Scene

At the very least, Natalie Portman should receive her second Oscar nomination for her portrayal of tormented ballerina Nina Sayers in 'Black Swan' -- but it's not just her stellar performance that have caused people to take notice of the film.

Unless you live underground, you've heard about the sex scene she shares with co-star Mila Kunis in 'Swan.'

"Lesbian scenes, sex scenes, they're all over the place!" she tells Vogue in the latest issue. "But because it's me, people are shocked. I see the value of a good girl persona-it's so easy to subvert it!"

Portman also dishes about her intense training schedule for the movie, being a woman in Hollywood and her diet.

"I like pleasure, I like joy. I'd never get to the point where I would starve or injure myself like Nina does. I'm the opposite-when I'm hungry, I eat, and I always make sure I'm eating something delicious. I'm tough on myself in terms of the standards I want to live up to, but that's also part of my pleasure: knowing you are being your fullest self. Being your fullest self is a lot of work."

She did ballet until she was 13, but needed intense training for 'Black Swan': "Two hours a day after school, five hours on Saturdays. When I started acting, I knew I'd have to downgrade to twice a week and would no longer be in the best class, so I stopped. The dance training for 'Black Swan' started a year before the film, with two hours a day. Six months later we ramped it up to five hours a day, and the last two months it was eight hours a day, because we added choreography and cross training, so I was also swimming a mile a day. The discipline was good for the part-it hurt a lot; your body is in constant pain."

Her diet: "I swear, I eat. I ate a bagel an hour ago. I consume my own weight in hummus every day. I cook a lot, and I even do vegan baking."

Women as objects: "There's a difference between being in a bra and underpants as an object on a men's magazine cover and playing yourself-a woman with desires and needs who loves and laughs with her friends-in a bra and underpants. You become an object if you simply put it out there. Most movies are made by men, it's totally natural that they're going to present their worldview, so we're trying to find more women who are writers and directors who are expressing their worldview."

Reading reviews of her work: "I try not to read reviews or anything about me. It's totally natural to be interested, but it's completely damaging. Over the almost 20 years I've been working, I've been up, I've been down, I've been in, I've been out. Just getting to do the work is the privilege. I always feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. The one thing you have control over is having a great experience by doing your work fully."

Movie Trailer: "Brothers" with Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman & Tobey Maguire

Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman and Tobey Maguire star in this movie about a young man who comforts his older brother's wife and children after the older brother goes missing in Afghanistan. The movie is based on Susanne Bier's book, "Brothers".

It will be released nationwide on December 4th.

Star-Studded New York, I Love You Poster

Stars are flocking to the Big Apple this fall – at least on the big screen – for the upcoming film New York, I Love You and here is a sneak peak of the star-studded poster.

The film features an all-star cast, including Orlando Bloom, Bradley Cooper, Rachel Bilson (and fiancé Hayden Christensen), Christina Ricci, Ethan Hawke, Shia LaBeouf, Blake Lively and James Caan.

The studio behind the project, Vivendi Entertainment, describes the movie as "a collaboration of storytelling from some of today's most imaginative filmmakers" who "create a kaleidoscope of the spontaneous, surprising, electrifying human connections that pump the city's heartbeat."

Natalie Portman, who stars in the film, also spent some time working behind the camera. She's credited as a screenwriter and one of 11 directors, along with Brett Ratner (whose credits include Rush Hour and X-Men: The Last Stand).

Sean Penn Files for Legal Separation from Robin Wright Penn

After 13 years of marriage and two children together, Sean Penn has filed for legal separation from his wife, actress Robin Wright Penn.

This is the third time the couple has moved to legally end their marriage. In December 2007, Penn filed for divorce, his petition to be dismissed shortly thereafter. Three days later, his wife filed separately. By April of last year, however, the couple seemed to want to work things out, and asked that the petition be dismissed.

Sean Penn did not thank his wife during his acceptance speech at this year's Academy Awards, which caused many to speculate that all was not well in the marriage. Penn told Oprah Winfrey on her show that he "wanted to keep things focused on the professional team around [Milk, the film for which he won the Best Actor award]."

Penn, 48, has been linked in the tabloids to Natalie Portman, 27, although the reports remain unconfirmed.