Darkest Hour’ actor Gary Oldman has picked up the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. Gary Oldman has been named Best Actor at this year’s Academy Awards. The 59-year-old actor’s powerful turn as Winston Churchill in ‘Darkest Hour’ earned him the Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role statuette and he appeared emotional as he took to the stage at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre to accept the accolade on Sunday (04.03.18).

He said: “My deepest thanks to the academy for this glorious prize. I’d like to salute Winston Churchill who has been marvellous company on what has been an incredible journey.”

“The movies, such is their power, captivated a young man from South London and gave him a dream.” And he ended by thanking his 99-year-old mother and telling her to get ready for a celebration.

He quipped: “Thank you for your love and your support. Put the kettle on, I’m bringing Oscar home.” Gary – who was previously nominated for the award for ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ in 2012 – beat out Timothée Chalamet for ‘Call Me By Your Name’, Daniel Day-Lewis for ‘Phantom Thread’, Denzel Washington for ‘Roman J. Israel, Esq.’, and Daniel Kaluuya for ‘Get Out’ to take the accolade. Earlier in the evening, the British actor – who was accompanied to the event by his wife Gisele Schmidt – admitted he was carrying some special “good luck charms” at the ceremony. He admitted: “I’ve taken Churchill’s ‘We shall fight on the beaches’ speech – all of it – and had it turned into a miniature book so that it fits into my pocket.

“And as added insurance, I’ve got a Sir Winston Churchill commemorative coin that was issued after his death in 1965.”