Winston Churchill’s great grandson has heaped praise on Gary Oldman for his portrayal of the late U.K. Prime Minister, insisting he absolutely “nailed” his role in Darkest Hour.
Oldman is a favorite to pick up Best Actor honors at the Oscars next year, and Churchill’s family members believe the award will be well deserved.
The World War Two leader’s great grandson, Randolph Churchill, joined the actor to launch the Churchill exhibit on board the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California over the weekend (02Dec17), and now he’s cooing about the man who took on his great grandfather.
“Gary absolutely nailed it,” he tells WENN. “It was only a year ago that we went to visit the filming at the studios in Northwest London. We were lucky enough to watch and see some of the film. And then suddenly through the door, I didn’t recognize Gary at all. He was my great grandfather!
“I promise you our family was completely dumbstruck by his whole appearance, his mannerisms and how he captured my great grandfather. Our family is always a bit nervous about these ventures, but I can say wholeheartedly Gary, Kristin Scott Thomas… have absolutely done us so proud.
“We absolutely adore what’s been created because he’s created the magic of the man and that’s what the audience likes to come away with. My great grandfather… when he was a young man, he was a little bit presumptuous. He said, ‘We are all worms, but I truly believe I am the glow worm’. And in this production, Gary is absolutely that glow worm!”
And, by playing Churchill, Oldman has become a huge fan of the beloved politician: “(He’s) arguably the greatest Briton that ever lived,” Gary recently told The Hollywood Reporter.
