Gary Oldman has done some of the most highly regarded roles having earned respect for his time in the Hollywood industry. His list of movies is one many are in awe of. Whether it is the Harry Potter franchise, The Dark Knight trilogy, or any other franchise, he has involved himself in these characters profusely so as to perfect them.
The way he immerses himself in these characters in such a way that many actors who work with him are inspired by his process and wish to understand it even more. However, this immersive process can be harmful as well. Such was the case for him while he was in the midst of filming Darkest Hour. The movie gave him damage that required massive medical attention.
Gary Oldman Got Nicotine Poisoning While Filming Darkest Hour
One of the most iconic characteristics of Winston Churchill happens to be the constant cigar in between his lips. Whether on official business or not, he would always carry a cigar with him. This was a trait Gary Oldman also had to copy. Hence, he was also constantly seen with a cigar while filming Darkest Hour. The actor revealed that the amount of cigars he went through easily totaled approximately $38,000.
Not only that, but he also suffered from nicotine poisoning which could very well have been fatal. During their Christmas break, the actor had to go through a colonoscopy to subdue the damage done. It was an average of twelve cigars a day, which undoubtedly led to some serious health issues he had to overcome whenever he found an opportunity to do so. All his hard work paid off as the movie got massive praise and even Winston Churchill’s family was at the premiere of the film. Not only that, but a majority of them had also made it to the set beforehand.
The Cast Was Kept Mostly British
Since Darkest Hour was a British movie based on their history, it became important for them to cast only British actors for the role. However, there had been contemplations here and there about casting other actors who were not from the United Kingdom because of the physical resemblance they had. Such was the case with Australian actor Ben Mendelsohn.
The actor was cast as King George IV because of how much he looked like him. Moreover, the actor could also replicate a perfect British accent without any effort and so it was decided that he would be their ideal choice for the movie.
Source: The Graham Norton Show
