Kiwi actor Cliff Curtis stars in The Dark Horse, a true story about the life of little-known chess champion - Genesis Potini, who goes onto influence a bunch of down and out east coast street kids.

Cliff Curtis can add another award to his collection in October, when he will receive an American Cinematheque Award at the Aero Theatre in California.

The legendary New Zealand actor has been praised at the Toronto Film Festival for his performance in The Dark Horse.

Curtis says it is a "wonderful privilege" to be recognised by such an eminent body.

Cliff Curtis and James Rolleston in the moving, sometimes bleakly comic, true life story The Dark Horse.

In the film, Curtis plays Genesis Potini, a New Zealander who was considerered a speed chess genius. Potini suffered from bipolar disorder, and had also made a name for himself working with underprivileged children across the country.

In an interview with Variety Magazine, Curtis said it was a bizarre experience.

"It was a new thing for me and trying to negotiate what that means, to inhabit a character, to live in his clothes and take on that physicality to transform myself - I lived like that for a number of months. My whole family had to live with me in this role. It was a bizarre exercise."

"My body chemistry, my physicality changed, my emotional range shifted, my vulnerability, all types of things started to change that weren't me [when I made the film]. It was very effective."

READ MORE:

* Variety puts Cliff Curtis in Oscars frame for The Dark Horse

* Cliff Curtis' Fear the Walking Dead sets record

* Dark Horse, Cliff Curtis win awards in Seattle

"When I start thinking about Gen and talking about him, I start taking on mannerisms. It's very strange," Curtis said.

Variety went on to say Curtis "is one of the most prolific and accomplished character actors of his generation, having racked up a list of filmmaker collaborators that would make any colleague jealous."

The acclaim that the Kiwi actor is receiving overseas could be an indication of a potential Oscar nomination.

Head to our Facebook page for more from Stuff Entertainment