Academy Awards 2012: Christopher Plummer, Octavia Spencer win supporting actor prizes Christopher Plummer accepts the supporting actor award for "Beginners" during the 84th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 26, 2012, in Hollywood, Calif. (CBS/AP) Updated 10:27 p.m. Christopher Plummer became the oldest Oscar winner in history on Sunday night, when he picked up the supporting actor prize for his role as an elderly widower who comes out as gay in "Beginners." "You're only two years older than me, darling," the 82-year-old actor he crooned to his statuette at the 84th Academy Awards ceremony. Where have you been all my life? I have a confession to make. When I first emerged from my mother's womb, I was already rehearsing my Oscar speech. Pictures: Oscars red carpet Pictures: Highlights from the ceremony Complete coverage: The 84th Academy Awards Plummer and Octavia Spencer, the supporting actress winner for her breakout role in "The Help," both dominated in their categories at previous award shows this season, and were considered virtual locks for their Oscars. Spencer wept throughout her breathless speech, in which she apologized, between laughing and crying, for running a bit long on her time limit. "Thank you, Academy, for putting me with the hottest guy in the room," Spencer said, referring to last year's supporting-actor winner Christian Bale, who presented her the Oscar. Martin Scorsese's Paris adventure "Hugo" won five Oscars, including the first two prizes of the night, for cinematography and art direction. It also won for visual effects, sound mixing and sound editing. It was a great start for Scorsese's film, which led contenders with 11 nominations. "The Artist," the night's other top contender with 10 nods, took the awards for costume design and original score. Other prizes went to "Rango" for animated feature film, Iran's "A Separation" for foreign language film and "The Iron Lady" for makeup. Billy Crystal got the ceremony off to a lively start with a star-laden montage in which he hung out with Justin Bieber and got a wet kiss from George Clooney. Back as Oscar host for the ninth time, Crystal also did his signature introduction of the best-picture nominees with a goofy song. Both "Hugo" and "The Artist" are nominated for the night's highest honor, best picture.