British actor Colin Firth won the Academy Award on Sunday for his lead role as stammering wartime monarch King George VI in "The King's Speech."

The best actor victory was expected for the 50-year-old veteran of the screen and stage. His acclaimed portrayal of the reluctant king swept various awards leading up to the Oscars.

Firth was Oscar-nominated last year in the same category, for his role as a closeted gay professor in the drama "A Single Man." He becomes the sixth best actor Oscar winner in 10 years to win for playing a real-life character.

Firth's rivals were previous Oscar winners Javier Bardem for "Biutiful" and Jeff Bridges for "True Grit"; Jesse Eisenberg for "The Social Network"; and Oscars host James Franco for "127 Hours."