Gary Oldman is one of Hollywood’s most well-respected and talented actors. Having starred in some of the most diverse and versatile roles, from playing Sirius Black in the Harry Potter franchise to playing James Gorden in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, and even starring as Mason Verger in Hannibal, the actor proves his skill and dedication to his craft time and time again with every role that he takes up. Along with this, the actor has also been nominated for an Acadamy Award twice in his career, and won the same once in the category of Best Actor, for his work in the 2017 film, Darkest Hour.
This award did not come easy as during interviews, Oldman revealed that after he started working on the project, he started to realize the responsibility that he held, playing such an important historical figure. This affected him so much that the star even started to regret signing onto the film.
Gary Oldman Started To Regret Working On Darkest Hour
Gary Oldman played one of the most important political figures of Britain in the Darkest Hour, Winston Churchill. During an interview, he revealed that throughout the entire process of filming, he went through a number of different moods. This included fear, something the actor felt after he started to realize the weight of the responsibility of the person he was playing. He even added that because of this, this was the most difficult job he had ever done in his career.
“This was the hardest job I’ve ever done as an actor,” Oldman admitted to Vanity Fair. “It was scary. There were days when I thought, ‘What have I let myself in for?’ Not only the physical nature of the role, but he is such an iconic figure. There was fear. Once I started to find out who the man was, I never enjoyed anything so much in my life.”
This fear very quickly turned into regret as Oldman started to question what exactly he had gotten himself into by talking up a role such as this. This, however, changed when the actor started to do more research into Churchill and began to find out what type of a person he was. After learning this, through biographies, studying film footage, visiting Churchill’s home, and speaking to the figure’s family members, Oldman revealed that he had never enjoyed something more in his life.
Gary Oldman Talks About The Process Of Looking Like Winston Churchill
Gary Oldman also talked about the process of physically looking like Winston Churchill, which included a fat suit and a whole lot of prosthetics. The actor revealed that when he would pass in front of a mirror, he would be shocked at the reflection that started back, looking completely unrecognizable. The actor also added that throughout shooting, he had worn this makeup 61 times and spent over 200 hours in the makeup chair.
“Sometimes I would walk to the set and pass a mirror. I’d catch myself in the mirror and go, ‘Ahh!’ It was stunning,” Oldman went on to tell Vanity Fair. “We had a number of makeup tests, and I think I wore the makeup in total 61 times—over 200 hours in the makeup chair. There’s something very special when you’re in the makeup chair, and about two hours and 45 minutes in, you start to look in the mirror and you see the spirit of the man. It’s remarkable.”
Despite this, however, Oldman has no complaints, stating that he loved the entire process of spending two hours and 45 minutes in the makeup room and seeing the essence of Churchill in his face when he was done. He even added that he found everything about it stunning and remarkable.
Source: Vanity Fair
