Gary Oldman’s mother was his "first champion" and encouraged his acting ambitions.
The 59-year-old actor won the Best Actor Academy Award on Sunday night (04.03.18) for his portrayal of World War II British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in ‘The Darkest Hour’ and made sure he name-checked his mum Kathleen in his acceptance speech.
Oldman was raised, along with his two sisters, by mum Kathleen after her husband walked out when Gary was just seven years old and she will always be his hero.
Speaking to the Daily Mail newspaper, he said: "I can remember holding her hand as she walked me to school. You have to imagine the postwar years of the early 1960s when there were still bomb sites in parts of South London. She was my first champion and always encouraged me back in those early days of trying to work out if I could make a go of this acting thing. I would see Albert Finney and the others on the cinema screen and they were the ones I looked up to, and she encouraged me to go for it. And I did."
Although Kathleen couldn’t be there in person to see her son accept his first Oscar, he revealed she was watching the ceremony at home.
He explained: "She can’t see very well, her hearing is not as good as it was and, all this would be madness. She uses a stick and wouldn’t be able to navigate the tables and chairs. She was watching on television and I know she was happy for me."
While accepting the award at the weekend, Gary gave a "salute" to Churchill, and spoke of the "power" of the big screen.
He said: "My deepest thanks to the academy for this glorious prize. I’d like to salute Winston Churchill who has been marvellous company on what has been an incredible journey.
"The movies, such is their power, captivated a young man from South London and gave him a dream."
And he ended by thanking his 98-year-old mother and telling her to get ready for a celebration.
He quipped: "Thank you for your love and your support. Put the kettle on, I’m bringing Oscar home."
Gary Oldman’s mother is his ‘champion’
