Gary Oldman has undergone some pretty extreme transformations for his past roles through the power of prosthetics and make-up – Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Hannibal (in which he plays the disfigured Mason Verger) come to mind immediately.
In Darkest Hour, directed by Atonement’s Joe Wright, Oldman plays the iconic Winston Churchill, and he couldn't look more the part.
The official synopsis reads: “Within days of becoming Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill must face one of his most turbulent and defining trials: Exploring a negotiated peace treaty with Nazi Germany, or standing firm to fight for the ideals, liberty and freedom of a nation.
“As the unstoppable Nazi forces roll across Western Europe and the threat of invasion is imminent, and with an unprepared public, a skeptical King, and his own party plotting against him, Churchill must withstand his darkest hour, rally a nation, and attempt to change the course of world history.”
It will be the second feature focussing on the historical figure out this year, after Churchill starring Brian Cox. In Darkest Hour, Ben Mendelsohn plays King George VI, John Hurt plays Churchill’s successor Neville Chamberlain, Lily James is Churchill’s personal secretary, and Kristin Scott Thomas is Churchill’s wife Clementine.
