Gary Oldman holds the keys to powerful performances

BlogProFilm has touched upon different cinematic ‘behind-the-screen’ professions and their approaches to their job. However, the most-seen are still the actors, and their preparations may be not the less diverse and captivating. Having BAFTA and Oscars ahead we are going to place our traditional bets, and now it`s time to remind you some successful stories of the last year winners. Gary Oldman tells about his role in Darkest Hour.

While getting ready to portray Winston Churchill, the acclaimed actor was not quite sure it would be such a success:

Initially I was reluctant because he was such an iconic figure, the physical resemblance and such. And it wasn`t just stepping into the shoes of Winston Churchill, but over the shoes that I used to play before.

The responsibility of the actor for the major part was multiplied by the fact that there were numerous portrayals of Winston Churchill before Darkest Hour was made, and some of those almost substituted the legendary, iconic original image in the British people`s perception:

Thinking about Winston I was like do I see Winston, what`s in my eyes? Do I see Winston Churchill, or do I see Albert Finney as Winston Churchill, or Robert Hardy as Winston Churchill?

Oldman needed to find a means of seasoning his Churchill with some individuality. The wartime newsreel and archives gave a clue to the necessary details:

Churchill was quite robust, had quite small hands, and he was holding the cigar on the left side of his mouth. But there was a sparkle in his eyes. I saw this incredible dynamic character and I thought that this was the key for me to open the door. It was my interpretation of Winston.

Focused study of the character and archive analysis helped him to gain the well-deserved award as the Best Actor. Professional and responsible approach, and top attention to the details – that’s what makes Gary Oldman so multi-faced and flexible, able to create powerful characters no matter of genre. Gary Oldman`s collaboration with Joe Wright, the director of Darkest Hour, is going on: now they are about to finish post-production of thriller drama The Woman In The Window that is set to be released in autumn 2020, while the 2019 season will contibute to his filmography with action movie Killers Anonymous, survival horror Mary and Netflix top-expected true-story based corruption jam The Laundromat co-starring Meryl Streep and Antonio Banderas. Besides this Gary keeps working on his own project Flying Horse – the story of the ‘moving photography’ invention that became the transition bridge to the cinematic art.

Photos and quotes: taken by kot_pofigist at SFFilm Special Screening & press-conference, Nov 6, 2017.

kot_pofigist

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