British actors on starting blocks for Oscars glory
AS THE annual awards ceremonies draw ever closer, the British contenders have prizes on their minds.
For 2018 is gearing up to be one of the most open races in years, with a horde of superstars in with a decent chance of landing a gong.
British hopes lie with Sally Hawkins, who stars in Guillermo Del Toro’s dreamy sci-fi love story The Shape Of Water.
Gary Oldman stands a strong chance of landing Best Actor Oscar for playing Winston Churchill in Second World War film Darkest Hour – but he will face competition from countryman Daniel Day-Lewis, for his last acting performance in Phantom Thread and young breakout star Timothee Chalamet for Call Me By Your Name.
While Yorkshire’s Dame Judi Dench is not among the favourites for reprising her role of Queen Victoria in Victoria & Abdul, she is beloved by the Academy, the voting body that chooses the Oscar nominees and winners and has already landed Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations.
Meryl Streep could equal a record set by Katharine Hepburn if she wins her fourth Oscar, this time for playing Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham in Steven Spielberg’s The Post. However, she will face stiff competition from Margot Robbie, who plays disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding in I, Tonya, Irish actress Saoirse Ronan for Lady Bird, Jessica Chastain for Molly’s Game and current favourite Frances McDormand for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
The season kicks off with the Golden Globes on January 7, followed by the Bafta nominations on January 9.