Gary Oldman - Best actor Oscar for Darkest Hour

Gary Oldman has won the Oscar for best actor for his performance as Winston Churchill in the second world war drama Darkest Hour. The actor, who had been considered the strong favourite in the category, overcame competition from fellow British nominees Daniel Kaluuya and the soon-to-retire Daniel Day-Lewis to take home the prize. In his acceptance speech, Oldman appeared near to tears: he thanked America, saying he was “deeply grateful to her”, and recalled that “the movies, such is their power, captivated a young man from south London, and gave him a dream”. 

He finished up by thanking his mother, saying: “Put the kettle on, I’m bringing Oscar home.” The victory follows similar prizes for Oldman at this year’s Golden Globes and Baftas, and marks a first Academy award in a cinematic career that has spanned more than three decades. The actor had been nominated in the same category in 2012 for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy but lost to The Artist’s Jean Dujardin.