"Winston was a bit of a challenge, all right, from a lot of different perspectives. It wasn't just the culture or the class divide or the historical baggage - it was also the age difference. We had to see if I could be aged-up legitimately, without it becoming some sort of hokey acting challenge"

This quote by Brendan Gleeson is describing his role as Winston Churchill in the motion picture The Darkest Hour. He is speaking about the challenge of playing the function of a much older male. He acknowledges that there were numerous obstacles to conquer, such as the cultural and class divide between himself and Churchill, along with the historical luggage associated with the character. He also mentions the age distinction in between himself and Churchill, and how he had to discover a method to make his representation of the character credible without it becoming a "hokey acting challenge". This quote shows the devotion and effort that Gleeson took into his role, and the regard he had for the character of Winston Churchill. It is a testimony to his skill as an actor that he had the ability to bring the character to life in such a convincing method.