Scott Thomas ‘grinning from ear to ear’ at Bafta gong nod
KRISTIN Scott Thomas has said she is “grinning from ear to ear” after picking up a Bafta nomination for her portrayal of Clementine Churchill.
The actress bagged a nod for her turn in Darkest Hour, in which she stars opposite Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill.
She said: “I got a text and you see it in writing and from then on the phone hasn’t stopped ringing. It’s just thrilling, it’s so lovely to get a nomination for something that is really a small part of the film.
“It is lovely to bring Clementine into the spotlight. It couldn’t be a better year to do that. She was the most extraordinary woman.”
Ms Scott Thomas is nominated in the best supporting actress category alongside Phantom Thread’s Lesley Manville, Allison Janney for I, Tonya, Laurie Metcalfe for Lady Bird and Octavia Spencer for The Shape Of Water.
Of her fellow nominees, she said: “It’s amazing to be part of the list, it’s an incredible group of women and I can’t believe my name is on it.”
Oldman has scored a best actor nomination for his performance as the wartime prime minister, which has already won him a Golden Globe.
Ms Scott Thomas said: “We work very well in tandem and it was great to see Gary getting the deserved plaudits. He was really quite extraordinary in this film, he’s physically unrecognisable but never drowned out by it, he’s not a man hiding behind make-up.”
Ms Scott Thomas added that she had been touched by the unity on display at the Golden Globes on Sunday, where attendees wore black in solidarity with victims of sexual harassment and abuse.
She said: “We have been very concentrated on the political aspect of the Golden Globes and the fact it’s a platform for voicing a very important issue, and it’s fantastic that movies are able to create that platform. That is what art is for, to make people think.”
Oldman is nominated in the best actor category alongside fellow Brits Daniel Day-Lewis (Phantom Thread), Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out) and Jamie Bell (Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool), as well as US actor Timothee Chalamet for Call Me By Your Name.
The ceremony will also have a new host this year, when Joanna Lumley takes over from Stephen Fry, who announced he was stepping down last week.
After his nod, Oldman said: “This is my second Bafta nomination as an actor, the recognition means so much, and especially more so not merely for the distinguished company I now find myself in with my fellow nominees, but most especially for the privilege of playing Winston Churchill, which it truly was.”
Hugh Grant was among other British talent nominated as he picked up a supporting actor nod for his villainous turn in Paddington 2.