Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas play Winston Churchill and his wife, Clementine Churchill, in “The Darkest Hour” — a “daunting” and scary task, according to both actors.
“Initially, I didn’t want to take it on because I was — apart from the physical hurdle that one had to get over — I think I was a little scared,” Oldman said in an interview with TheWrap at Toronto International Film Festival. “He’s such an iconic figure and had been played before by many a-good actor, so that was a little daunting. You’re always a bit in the shadow of those that came before.”
Thomas added, “I had a slight fear of taking on this role, because it has been done so many times before and when I’d read the screenplay, it was a brilliant story and revealed all sort of things that I didn’t know about … It was kind of daunting prospect to take on this character but I felt very strongly about showing a woman who also sacrificed a great deal, who was incredibly… to support this man who drove her mad at times and who had his doubts and who had his weaknesses but yet was utterly charming and brutish.”
In fact, Thomas says that Clementine Churchill was such a strong woman that she believes a film should be made solely about her.
“The Darkest Hour” focuses on Winston Churchill during the early days of World War II, when the newly-appointed British Prime Minister has to make life-changing decisions for his country. Lily James, Ben Mendelsohn, Stephen Dillane and Samuel West also star.
“The Darkest Hour” was directed by Joe Wright and written by Anthony McCarten.
Watch the video above.