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Gary Oldman has won the Best Actor Academy Award for his transformative work as Winston Churchill in The Darkest Hour. Oldman has swept this awards season, winning a BAFTA, Golden Globe, Critics Choice and SAG Award. The controversy over allegations that he abused his third wife, Donya Fiorentino (he’s on his fifth now), barely put a dent in his campaign and indeed many Oscar voters didn’t seem to care. Like Kaiser, I disliked this movie and found his performance to be cartoonish and over-the-top, but many people loved it and thought he nailed the role, so here we are.
During his ABC red carpet interview Gary said he proposed to his current wife, Gisele, while he was in character as Churchill, which seems fitting somehow. He remembered to thank her during his speech as well.
He opened his acceptance speech by thanking the Academy and seemed awestruck. Gary thanked America and “the many wonderful gifts it has given me, my home, my livelihood, my family and now my Oscar.” He then talked about how the movies captivated him as a child and gave him a dream. He named the many people who created and were involved in the film, and thanked his wife “for traveling with me and being by my side” and joked he wasn’t “going to win the ski.” He closed by thanking his mom, who is 98 and watching this at home and told her to “put the kettle on.”
Congratulations to Oldman!
Also, doesn’t he look so matchy with his wife?
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Ugh. Can’t believe that distracting rubber chin won best make-up, let alone best actor.
I’m going to be honest and admit I haven’t seen most of the best actor nominees’ movies this year. However, if this role was indeed in the vein of Meryl in Iron Lady then that’s a definite “no thanks” from me. I saw the previews for Darkest Hour and found his make up distracting and therefore had no interest. I thought John Lithgow did an amazing job – without prosthetics – in The Crown. Also, even though I think Oldman is an excellent actor and has had many excellent roles, I’m not here for wife beaters – no matter how “unlikeable” or “messed up” that wife may have been.
Meh. I always thought he should’ve won for Sid Vicious. I haven’t seen any of the other nominees so I can’t really disagree with his winning.
Chalamet should have won.
Agree. I’m so disappointed in Oscars this year.
I think it is a good that he didn’t win. He is my favorite of the year but having an Oscar that young is not a blessing for a young man. It would over price him from indies that he likes and studios would not know what to do with him. He is hopefully going to get an Oscar in future. He is amazingly talented.
I thought Timothee deserved it too, that was a fearless and heart-wrenching performance, he’s truly talented.
I thought Timothee deserved it too, that was a fearless and heart-wrenching performance, he’s truly talented. Gary Oldman is a fine and incredibly talented actor, but he should have won for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy or like a previous commentor said, for Sid and Nancy. Heck, even as Sirius Black he pulled it off and even as Churchill, he was astounding. But Timmy’s performance was top-notch and he deserved the Oscar.
i have not seen G. Oldman’s performance, but T. Chalamet was incredible. His crying face during minutes of credits alone was something special.
I hope he has a long career and can make the jump from young adult to grown up roles.
Awesome! He’s an amazing actor and he definitely deserves this award! 😊 I’m also so glad he was able to gain sole custody of his sons and turn his life around.
I was looking forward to Denzel’s bitch-face again but *sigh* t’was not to be
I liked his face nevertheless. It was a lovely, “Aw, bless his lil heart,” type of face which was nice. 😛
I read that Washington is friendly with Oldman and respects him as an actor. Besides this year he was not going to win anyway and wasn’t trying to win, unlike last year when he really wanted to win for his passionate project.
I always thought Oldman should have won for TinkerTailorSoldierSpy, which I think was his first nomination. I’ve always liked him as an actor; I know that’s an unpopular opinion around these parts but I’m glad he won.
Like many other Actors and Actresses he didn’t win when he should have so it’s obvious this is a career achievement recognition / make-up Oscar. And that’s been a thing for a while, so I’m cool with his win.
Yes, he should’ve won that Oscar 6 years ago. And who did win?
An obscure French actor……never heard of him before or since.
And who was behind that actor? Initials HW. Who, I believe, did something very, very dirty to insure that his actor got the Big O.
Maybe that story will come out someday.
I haven’t liked him since his weird rant against Nancy Pelosi. He’s allowed to his opinion of course but he used really sexist language too which…I don’t care how you feel about someone, you don’t have stoop to that level. “I really don’t like her” would suffice.
Proof that times up is not for everyone. Second year in a row they awarded an abuser.
Well, his situation is different from Affleck, the allegations were different, the way they were settled is different. Also I don’t think it’s fair to expect that Academy should have sided with the accusing party, when police, court and her own three kids from two different husbands didn’t side with her.
And Kobe the Rapist won one too. It’s weird how he got a pass.
Living in a small town with a single one screen theatre, I only had the chance to see a couple of the nominated films (post, darkest hour, Lady Bird)….so its really not valid of me to say who should win anything, I didn’t love the movie, but I truly thought he was fantastic in it. So I was pleased with his win, and thought his acceptance speech was lovely.
LOL, do we live in the same town?
I’ve only seen Shape of Water, so I am sooo glad that it won some major awards! I wish Michael Shannon had been nominated as well.
Great, so can we get a move on with the moratorium on Winston Churchill movies now? If I care to watch a portrayal of that genocidal imperialist, I’ll stick with The Crown for a much more palatable version, thanks.
The audience gave him a standing O when he won.
A well-deserved one, in my opinion. I think his performance was above and beyond the best one (and I say this as someone who had CMBYN as her favorite movie of last year.) Timothee will get his Oscar in time I’m sure!
Yes. His fellow actors seemed sincerely happy for him. One of my favorite moments of the night was the little video of Gary dancing to James Brown while in his Churchill character. IMO that was priceless.
That’s a long deserving award, the same thing that happened with DiCaprio. Timothee Chalamet should’ve won.
So glad Gary won! We went to the same primary school and he was a nice kid.
Violent old white dude plays a violent old white dude. Groundbreaking.
Also, absolutely hate this valorization of Churchill. He was not a good guy.
Thank you! Churchill was a genocidal asshole. Not interested.
At this point
Oscar in all categories act like lifetime award if multiple nominated actors are nominated late in theie career.
So, slap on a prosthetic and look ugly = OSCAR. His performance was good, but not Oscar great. Can we stop giving make up awards? I am thinking of taking a break from the Oscars for this reason alone.