Oscars 2016: Mark Rylance Wins Best Supporting Actor; Praises Tom Hanks And Steven Spielberg

Mark Rylance won his first Oscar on Sunday night, for best supporting actor. The 56-year-old picked up the 2016 Academy Award for his role as Rudolf Abel in “Bridge of Spies.”

“For me to have a chance to work with, I think, one of the greatest storytellers of our time, Steven Spielberg, has just been such an honor,” he told the crowd at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. “And unlike some of the leaders we’re being presented with these days, he leads with such love that he is surrounded by masters of every craft on this film. Every craft. Not the least, Mr. Tom Hanks.”

Rylance went on to praise Hanks, with whom he starred in “Bridge of Spies.” Rylance even claimed that the “Forrest Gump” actor made his performance better. “If you’re ever wondering about Tom Hanks, would it help? The answer is clearly yes,” Rylance said.

The best supporting actor Oscar is not only the actor’s first win, but also his first nomination. Rylance was nominated against Tom Hardy from “The Revenant,” Mark Ruffalo from “Spotlight,” Sylvester Stallone from “Creed” and Christian Bale from “The Big Short.”

The 88th annual Academy Awards ceremony airs Sunday at 8:30 p.m. EST on ABC. Find out how to live-stream the ceremony HERE and check out the nominations refresher HERE.