Last night, Casey Affleck snagged his first Best Actor Oscar for his heartrending lead in Manchester By the Sea. Now, not everyone was psyched about the 41-year-old's win over Fences star Denzel Washington — for many, the award was tainted by the sexual harassment allegations in Affleck's past. But his reliable big brother, Ben, sure was pleased. Upon hearing Casey's name, Ben hopped up to hug him and kiss his cheek in a sweet sibling moment captured on camera. And that's before the tears started flowing.
"It was very moving," Casey told reports in the press room f0llowing his big moment, per Us Weekly. "Obviously, my brother, to have him there, it was a nice moment," he said of sharing the night with his older brother, 44, who has two Oscars of his own (Best Original Screenplay in 1998 for Good Will Hunting and Best Picture in 2013 for Argo). "He didn't actually say anything. He just hugged me."
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Casey continued, "A lot of people have been giving me some grief for not thanking him in the past, but in a friendly way," referencing how he unintentionally omitted his big brother in his acceptance speech at the Golden Globes in January, where he also won for Manchester by the Sea. ("I was a little taken aback," Ben joked to Jimmy Kimmel after the Globes. "I wouldn't do that. If it's me, I thank people.")
Once Casey got up on the stage, he saw the tears in Ben's eyes — but wasn't quite sure what to make of them. "I saw those tears and I thought maybe I'm just not making a good speech and he was really disappointed. But I think he was probably touched." That's likely, considering how much the brothers have supported each other throughout their careers.
"I've learned a lot from him because he's been through a lot in this business and ups and downs and been under-appreciated and then it's been proven how great he is," Casey explained of his relationship with Ben. "It's been an advantage to be able to watch someone you love and you know so well go try to navigate the very tricky, rocky, sometimes hateful waters of being famous."
The Oscar-winner also claimed, "Not to brag or anything, but I think we're the only two brothers to win Academy Awards, ever." Sorry, Casey: a quick Google search reveals that there have been at least 15 pairs of siblings to snag the statue, according to Time including multiple sets of brothers: Ethan and Joel Coen, James and William Goldman, and Herman and Joseph Mankiewicz among them. Either way, it's a big win for the Afflecks.
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