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In our second & final part of the Darkest Hour DC Premiere INTERVUE, I talked to director Joe Wright. Would you believe that at the time of the interview, it was exactly FIVE YEARS to the day that I interviewed Joe for “Anna Karenina”

What was it like to work with Gary Oldman? I remember in an interview that you said you always considered him your hero after seeing him in “Sid and Nancy”. So, what was it like to work with him thirty plus years later?

Well, I guess at first, you’re a bit nervous. I was a bit nervous, but what I discovered was a consummate artist and someone who was interested in collaborating and working together to create this movie, so he became, probably, the closest creative collaborator in terms of an actor that I’ve ever worked with.

What lead you to direct this film?

Well, I was just really interested in this kind of pivotal moment of history where everything was at stake.  There is everything to play for, and there was a side to this story I had never seen portrayed before.

So why do you feel that Churchill’s story needed to be told now, especially with today’s events?

Well, we’re living in quite uncertain times, and I think it’s quite good to examine the past, not get nostalgic about it, but to examine the past and see what lessons we can learn.

Absolutely, one last question, what is one known fact that you get to learn about Winston that you didn’t know before going in?

Well, there’s a lot. The fact that he had a glass of white wine and a glass of whiskey for breakfast might shock some people.

DR: It doesn’t shock me at all.

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