December 09, 2021
Kevin Hart's portrayal of a father learning how to take care of his only child after the sudden death of his wife has earned the North Philly native a People's Choice Award.
Hart was named the drama movie star of the year for his role in "Fatherhood" at the 2021 People's Choice Awards on Tuesday, beating out fellow actors like Timothée Chalamet, Jennifer Hudson, Jason Momoa and Emma Stone.
"It’s all about the fans," Hart wrote in an Instagram post. "Your votes and your love made this happen….I love and appreciate you guys more than you will ever know….Thank you!!!!!"
"Fatherhood" debuted this past June on Netflix in celebration of Father's Day. The film saw Hart flex some serious acting chops and take on a role that was quite different from what fans have typically seen from him over the years.
The movie featured Hart playing the role of Matthew Logelin, a widower who struggles to raise his only daughter after his wife, Liz, passes away.
The film is an adaptation of the 2011 book "Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love" written by Logelin about his experience of losing his wife after she gave birth to the couple's child.
The 42-year-old Hart said during an appearance on "The Tonight Show" in May that he took on the role in order to change how Black fathers are typically portrayed in movies and television shows.
"For me, to take on the role, it gave me the opportunity to show a Black father in a positive light," Hart told Jimmy Fallon. "For some time, on the screen, on TV, if [Black fathers are] not getting out of jail or on drugs or off drugs, there's a significant struggle behind the image of a Black father. This is an opportunity to just put it in a space of positivity, and that was my reason for taking on the role. And also challenging myself to go a little deeper in acting. It's a serious story. It's emotional and has its waves."
"Fatherhood" was also nominated for best drama movie of 2021, but fell short against Disney's "Cruella."
Hart's "Olympic Highlights" special with Snoop Dogg was nominated for pop special of the year, but it lost out to HBO's "Friends" reunion. Pink's "All I Know So Far'' documentary on Amazon Prime Video was also nominated for the award.
HBO's "Mare of Easttown" lost to Netflix's "Squid Game" for most bingeworthy show of 2021.
The biggest victors at the 47th annual People's Choice Awards were pop group BTS and actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who each took home three honors. The winners were decided through an online fan vote.
The awards show seeks to honor the best in film, television, music and pop culture from the year. It was hosted by Kenan Thompson at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.
A full list of this year's winners can be found on the event's website.
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