Will Smith said he is 'overwhelmed by what God is calling on him to do and be' following his Oscar win.
Smith picked up the award for Best Actor, delivering an emotional speech that saw his struggling to speak through the tears.
He received the award for his performance in King Richard, a film that tells the story of Richard Williams, the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena.
Choking up, Smith said: "Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family. In this time in my life, in this moment, I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do and be in this world."
Earlier in the ceremony, the actor mounted the stage to slap host Chris Rock.
Rock made a joke about Will Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, looking like G.I Jane.
The Red Table podcaster lives with alopecia, resulting in the loss of her hair.
Later in his speech, the actor reflected on advice given to him by Denzel Washington, regarding the Devil.
He continued: "I'm being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people.
"I know, to do what we do, you've got to be able to take abuse. You got to be able to have people talk crazy about you.
"In this business, you've got to be able to have people disrespecting you, and you've got to smile, you've got to pretend like that's OK.
"What I loved was, Denzel [Washington] said to me a few moments ago, he said, 'At your highest moment, be careful, that's when the devil comes for you.'
"I want to be a vessel for love."