Every Best Actor Oscar Movie Winner Of The 21st Century Ranked
19. Gary Oldman - Darkest Hour (2017)
Who should have won: Daniel Day-Lewis - Phantom Thread.
Like fellow victors Leonardo DiCaprio, Al Pacino, and Kate Winslet before him, Gary Oldman's eventual Oscar win went to completely the wrong role, and in the process deprived Daniel Day-Lewis of one last well deserved trophy before retirement.
Honestly, though, it shouldn't be a surprise that Oldman won. Lathered in prosthetics, trapped in a movie that tackles its historical subject with little depth, Oldman portrayal of Winston Churchill is inspiring, roaringly scenery-chewing, but in full-on Obvious Oscar mode.
Winning on the basis of playing a beloved historical figure, Oldman's performance is far from bad - when he gets going, his speechifying is utterly engrossing - but it never becomes transcendent enough to feel like an all-time great Best Actor win.