The man most likely
Michael Stuhlbarg is in three best film nominees, while Gary Oldman is tipped to take best actor
IT IS being billed as the most open Oscars race in years, with the competition for the coveted best picture trophy hanging in the balance and few willing to place their bets.
Yet while the competition is wide open, the pool of talent is unusually narrow. A remarkably high number of nominees – six – appear in two films which are nominated this year.
Even more unusual is Michael Stuhlbarg’s appearance in three films nominated for best picture in the same year – only the sixth person in Oscar history to achieve such a feat.
He plays a Russian spy and scientist in The Shape of Water; executive editor of the New York Times in The Post; and Timothée Chalamet’s father in Call Me
By Your Name.
New York-born Chalamet, 22, has been nominated for best actor for the role, and also stars in Lady Bird, a best picture nominee. If he wins, he’ll become the youngest best actor in his- tory, knocking Adrien Brody from the spot, who was 29 when he won for The Pianist.
Most of the smart money, however, is expected to rest on Gary Oldman, the British actor, with his turn as Winston Churchill in The Darkest Hour.
Oldman, 59, told The Sunday
Telegraph that playing Churchill had been “a wonderful ride”
– but remained philosophical about his chances.
“Sunday will be, what Sunday will be,” he said, speaking at an event to honour British film on Friday night.
The bookmakers think his win is all but guaranteed. Ladbrokes make Oldman the favourite at 1/25, with Daniel Kaluuya, a fellow Brit, nominated for Get Out, at 16 to one – equal with Chalamet.
“Churchill has been such fabulous company,” Oldman continued, sipping his coffee. The actor has been teetotal since a well-publicised battle with alcohol in the Nineties. “I’m so glad there has been such support for it, and interest in it. And that the Churchill family has embraced it.”
Tonight, Oldman will be attending the awards with Gisele Schmidt, his fifth wife. Lesley Manville, his first wife, nominated as best supporting actress, will be attending with her date Alfie, her 29-year-old son with Oldman.
In a further twist, Manville, 61, is nominated for her role in Phantom
Thread – for which Daniel Day-Lewis is up for best actor against Oldman.
“I doubt there will be fisticuffs on the red carpet,” Manville joked, when asked about the rival films. “They’re both pretty marvellous films, in very different ways.”
She said that when the nominations were revealed Alfie, a cameraman who lives with his girlfriend and twomonth-old son Ozzy in Sussex, rang his father. “The announcement came out at 5.30am in LA – lunchtime here. My son woke up Gary and said, ‘Hey, Dad, you’ve got a nomination and – guess what? – so has Mum’. Alfie thought it was hilarious. It’s a win-win for the family really. It’s pretty big for him.”
Oldman left Manville shortly after Alfie was born, and moved to the US where he was married to Uma Thurman for two years. He then embarked on a four-year marriage to Donya Fiorentino – a relationship she described as a “nightmare car crash”, while admitting that they were both heavily under the influence of alcohol. He then wed Alexandra Edenborough, a jazz singer, before last summer asking Ms Schmidt, an art curator, to marry him – while dressed as Churchill. Jimmy Kimmel, tonight’s presenter, has spent the past week joking about avoiding a repeat of last year’s fiasco, when La La Land was incorrectly named best picture following a mix-up with the envelopes. Moonlight was ultimately declared the winner, by a flustered Faye Dunaway and Warren Beaty. Both are expected to return to the stage to present the award tonight. Another twist comes with the presenting of the best actress award. By tradition it should be last year’s best actor – Casey Affleck. But, following accusations of sexual harassment, he announced he is staying away. The award will be presented by Jennifer Lawrence and Jodie Foster – both known for their campaigning for women’s rights and equality.
‘Sunday will be, what Sunday will be. Churchill has been fabulous company’