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The 26-year-old actor beat competition from Saoirse Ronan and Charlotte Rampling. It was her first nomination and followed Bafta and Golden Globe wins for her performance. In the film, which was nominated for three other Oscars, Larson stars as a woman kept in a shed with her young son.
“The thing that I love about movie-making is how many people it takes to make it, ” she said in her acceptance speech. “Thank you to the moviegoers.”
Before Room, Larson had previously broken out with a role in Short Term 12, which earned her an Independent Spirit award nomination. She had also starred in comedies 21 Jump Street, Don Jon and last year’s Trainwreck.
After her win for Room, Larson has a number of projects set for release. She’ll be seen alongside Cillian Murphy and Armie Hammer in Ben Wheatley’s action thriller Free Fire, as a scientist sent to India in musical Basmati Blues, and taking on her first major blockbuster role in Kong: Skull Island