Timothy Spall named Best Actor at Cannes Film Festival for portrayal of sex-mad painter in Mike Leigh's Mr Turner

Timothy Spall was hurled into the front ranks of movie stardom when he was named best actor at the Cannes Film Festival for his formidable portrait of sex mad British landscape painter JMW Turner.

Spall and his wife Shane hurried back to Cannes from a boating trip in Holland.

They were soon mingling with the likes of special Cannes Film Festival guests Sophia Loren, Uma Thurman and Quentin Tarantino.

Success: British actor Timothy Spall (R) receives the Best Performance by an Actor award for his role in the movie Mr Turner from Italian actress Monica Bellucci (R) during the Closing Award Ceremony of the 67th Cannes Film Festival

Shocked: The actor explained he was 'always the bridesmaid, but now he's the bride' after taking home the coveted prize

Notes: The actor read from his iPhone a few words to those gathered at the closing ceremony on Saturday night

Mike Leigh's film, Mr Turner, not only showed what a great painter Turner was, but also explored his legendary sexual escapades and how his passion for women helped fuel his brilliance with a paint brush.

Spall is one of Britain's best known and beloved actors thanks to parts in the Harry Potter films and his frequent collaborations with director Leigh in films such as Oscar-winning The King's Speech and Secrets and Lies, which took the coveted Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1996.

It's a long and winding road from playing an electrician on Auf Wiedersehen Pet on TV thirty years ago to golden laurel recipient at the Cannes Film Festival for portraying one of Britain's most lauded painters.

New challenge: Mr Turner not only showed what a great painter Turner was, but also explored his legendary sexual escapades and how his passion for women helped fuel his brilliance with a paint brush

Rocking the red carpet: Director Mike Leigh, actress Marion Bailey, actor Timothy Spall, actress Dorothy Atkinson and director of photography Dick Pope at the Mr Turner Cannes Film Festival screening on May 15

Or as Spall put it Saturday night: 'From spark to sparkling artist.'

The best actor win puts him on the fast track for an Oscar nomination at the next Academy Awards in February 2015.

Spall told the Daily Mail: 'Four hours ago I had my fingers, and I'd better say this carefully, up a pipe full of oil on my boat. I was so distressed about the pipe that I almost didn't pick up the phone.'

Celebration: Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan received the Palme D'or from Uma Thurman and Quentin Tarantino and joined them with Timothy for a photo

Barefoot: Uma's feet must have been killing from her heels as she took to the stage with Quentin on Saturday night