I awoke this morning to learn that Gary Oldman has been awarded the Oscar for the best performance by an actor in a leading role. He won it for his portrayal of Winston Churchill. I struck me that the most recent British Oscar winners have each received their award for playing a historical, real, person than for a fictional character:
2009 Colin Firth George Vi
2012 Daniel Day-Lewis Abraham Lincoln
2014 Eddie Redmayne Stephen Hawking
2017 Gary Oldman Winston Churchill
Is this some aspect of cinematic drama which British actors have claimed for themselves?
