Feeling a bit tipsy, Colin? Worse for wear Firth struggles to get into his car as he clutches a bottle of Moët after night out

By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated: 19:18 EDT, 6 December 2010

He's most famous for playing the strait-laced, aloof Mr Darcy in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

But last night Colin Firth couldn't have acted less alike his arrogant alter-ego as he left an awards ceremony seemingly worse for wear, clutching a bottle of Moët champagne.

The 50-year-old actor appeared to be struggling to remain upright as he attempted to keep a tight grip of his champagne, and get safely into his car.

Feeling a bit tipsy? Colin Firth appeared slightly worse for wear as he left the British Independent Film Awards last night

Struggling: Firth appeared to be finding it difficult to stay upright as he left the ceremony clutching a bottle of champagne

But it's no wonder the actor was celebrating, as he scooped the Best Actor prize at the British Independent Film Awards for his role in The King's Speech.

So that would perhaps explain why the bottle of Moët he was holding so tightly was emblazoned with his name in diamantes.

The King's Speech also took home a further four awards - Best Supporting Actress for Helena Bonham Carter, Best Supporting Actor for Geoffrey Rush as well as Best Film and Best Screenplay.

Man of the hour: Firth poses on the red carpet with his Italian wife Livia Giuggioli

And Firth's win only adds to speculation that he will be nominated for an Oscar for his role in the Tom Hooper film.

Firth plays King George VI in the film which tells the story of the stammering monarch and his relationship with his Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue.

And Firth admitted recently he was able to empathise with the king because he too suffered from speech problems in the past.

Leading man: Mulligan cosies up to Firth, the night's Best Actor

Feeling festive: Underneath the Christmas lights, actress Carey Mulligan got into the seasonal spirit in a bold red dress

He said: 'I had vocal problems in my 20s. I had an injury on my vocal chord which had to be dealt with surgically. It wasn't a stammer but it meant I couldn't be heard properly.

'And I remember a voice therapist I was talking to said "don't underestimate how debilitating it is". People appreciate the problem of blindness and deafness and so on. Not being able to speak properly to people - I think it's underestimated the psychological damage it does.'

Firth attended the awards at the Old Billingsgate Market last night with wife Livia, who looked festive in a bright red dress.

Quirky style: Helena Bonham Carter was her usual eccentric self on the red carpet

Keep it in the family: Helena, who wore an unusual emerald green and black puffball dress, posed for the cameras with her mother Elena

Also channelling Christmas in red was Carey Mulligen, who dazzled on the red carpet in a scarlet number by Singapore-born designer Prabal Gurun.

And the 25-year-old actress wasn't left disappointed as she took the Best Actress award for her portrayal of Kathy in the big-screen adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's best-seller, Never Let Me Go.

And Carey admitted that she was 'shocked' with the win and would be giving the award to her parents.

She said: 'It feels good! But I'm a bit shocked. It will go up in my parents' house actually, they've got stuff, it's kind of strange to have it in your own house. "Come in, have a cup of tea, look at my award!" '

Young stars: Rosamund Pike kept it simple and chic in a blue and black above-the-knee dress while Emma Roberts looked very pretty in a floor-length gown

Best of British: Producer Jane Goldman's black dress highlighted her bright pink hair while comedienne Tamsin Grieg got patriotic in Union Jack shoes

Other winners included directing newcomer Gareth Edwards who beat film legend Mike Leigh and the likes of Matthew Vaughn, Tom Hooper and Mark Romanek to be picked as best director for his directorial debut Monsters.

He also took home a gong for best achievement in production but missed out on the Douglas Hickox award for best debut director by Clio Barnard, who helmed The Arbor.

Joanne Froggatt, best known for her turn in ITV's period drama Downton Abbey, picked up most promising newcomer for her part in In Our Name.

Other winners include A Prophet for best foreign film, Enemies Of The People about the Killing Fields in Cambodia for best documentary, Iraqi drama Son Of Babylon which won the Raindance award, and Baby for best British short.