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It is perhaps understandable that Gary Oldman refuses to be drawn on his Oscar chances.

"This hasn't happened for me a lot but I'm enjoying it," the actor admits.

He is arguably one of the greatest actors working in Hollywood today but - in terms of award nominations - he's also been one of the most overlooked.

Remarkably, 2012's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is the only time Oldman has ever been up for an Academy Award.

But 2018, critics say, could be the year the British acting icon finally gets his due.

A remarkable lead role as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour sees the actor give the performance of his career.

His transformation for the political thriller is incredible. Still, he doesn't want to count his chickens.

He told Sky News: "It's the last thing you're thinking of, honestly. You're so busy stressing and worrying about getting it right."

The film, directed by Joe Wright, follows Churchill's first few weeks as Prime Minister.

It details the pressure he faced from within his party to pursue peace with Hitler at any cost. Far from the popular figure we think of today, he is shown as a man with enemies.

Oldman said: "Certainly the character of Churchill and those that surround him, Chamberlain, Halifax, there's a war going on in that room, there are sparks flying."

It took Oldman more than four hours each day during the shoot to be fitted into a specially made silicone face mould and foam bodysuit that was crafted for him by Kazuhiro Tsuji, an award winning make-up artist who is one of the best in the world.

His previous work includes helping artificially age Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in 2008.

"I'm nearly 60 and I thought I'm not going to gain 70lbs," Oldman laughs. "I'd spend the rest of my life losing weight, so we always knew there would be some make-up involved.

"It's just one of those lucky things, I had known and worked with Kazuhiro 20 years ago. I said to Joe, 'I think there is only one man that can actually achieve this' and it just so happens he works out of a studio in Los Angeles which is a 15 minute drive from my house.

"Kazuhiro designed a sculpt, it was bit give and take, we took it a bit far, then we'd bring it back.

"Then Kazuhiro would go away and re-sculpt and we found a nice balance, I think, of me. You still get a sense of the actor but he's also captured the spirit of Churchill. The family are pleased with the representation...it's been given the thumbs up."

Oldman admits he is incredibly proud of how the film has been praised for bringing history to life.

"You do get a sense of the behaviour, the anxiety, the stress and strain Churchill was under," he said.

"Yes its piece of entertainment, but for those that aren't Churchill fanatics, scholars or historians, you get a real sense of just how close we came to surrender. Our whole lives could have looked completely different."

Darkest Hour opens in cinemas on 12 January.