Jean Dujardin dropped the French version of the F-bomb during his acceptance speech after winning Best Actor for the film at the Oscars

Daily Mail

It's somewhat ironic that he is most famous for a film in which he remains virtually entirely silent.

Because as Jean Dujardin accepted his Best Actor Oscar last night for his role in The Artist, he accidentally dropped the French F-bomb in his excitement at wining.

The 39-year-old actor later apologised for the curse backstage as he spoke to reporters.

As he took to the stage to collect the award from Natalie Portman, Dujardin said: 'I love your country! So many of you here tonight have inspired me.'

He then said that if his Artist character George Valentin was accepting the award, he would have said... before launching into a barrage of French.

Later, when the reporters backstage asked him if he had sworn during the speech, he misinterpreted what they were asking and began translating what he had said, saying: 'It's amazing, it's incredible, it's unbelievable. Thank you.'

However, Dujardin's translator then stepped in and clarified that he was being asked if one of the words he had said was the French equivalent of the F-bomb, to which the actor smiled and replied: 'Yeah, I'm sorry!'

Dujardin beat out stars including George Clooney and Brad Pitt to take home the Best Actor prize, which was one of five awards collected by the critically-acclaimed French movie.

The other prizes taken home by the movie were Best Picture, Best Costume Design, Best Original Score and Best Director for Michel Hazavanicius.

The Artist tells the story of Valentin, a silent movie actor who falls out of the spotlight when he refuses to get on board with the dawn of the 'talkies'.

Instead, Valentin ploughs all his money into making his own silent movie when he is dropped by the film studio.

And while Dujardin has enjoyed huge success thanks to the film, he said last night that he probably won't make any more 'talkies' in America because he is a French actor.

He said: 'I'm not an American actor. I'm a French actor. I'll continue in France. If I could make another silent movie in America, I'd like to!'

Dujardin was the first French actor to be nominated for the Best Actor Oscar since Gerard Depardieu in 1990.

However, French actress Marion Cotillard did take home the Best Actress Academy Award in 2008 for La Vie en Rose.

Born and raised in the suburbs west of Paris, Dujardin won attention in his native country in 1996 after appearing on a talent show as part of comedy troupe called Nous C Nous.  

A role in the French comedy series Un gars, une fille led to film work, culminating in the popular 2006 spy spoof OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies, which earned Dujardin a French César Award nomination for best actor. Sequel OSS 117: Lost in Rio later followed.  

But it is The Artist which has seen Dujardin take home the most awards, including the Golden Globe for best actor in a musical or comedy, the BAFTA prize for best actor, and the Screen Actors Guild award.

Edited By GABRIELLA OSAMOR