Gary Oldman
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Gary Oldman is a talented English movie star and character actor, renowned for his expressive acting style. One of the most celebrated thespians of his generation, with a diverse career encompassing theatre, film and television, he is known for his roles asSid ViciousinSid and Nancy (1986),Drexl inTrue Romance (1993),George Smiley inTinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011),andWinston ChurchillinDarkest Hour (2017),among many others. For much of his career, he was best-known for playing over-the-top antagonists, such as terrorist Egor Korshunov in the 1997 blockbusterAir Force One (1997),though he has reached a new audience with heroic roles in the Harry Potter and Dark Knight franchises. He is also a filmmaker, musician, and author.
Gary Leonard Oldman was born on March 21, 1958 in New Cross, London, England, to Kathleen (Cheriton), a homemaker, and Leonard Bertram Oldman, a welder. He won a scholarship to Britain's Rose Bruford Drama College, in Sidcup, Kent, where he received a B.A. in theatre arts in 1979. He subsequently studied with the Greenwich Young People's Theatre and went on to appear in a number of plays throughout the early '80s, including "The Pope's Wedding," for which he received Time Out's Fringe Award for Best Newcomer of 1985-1986 and the British Theatre Association's Drama Magazine Award as Best Actor for 1985. Before fame, he was employed as a worker in assembly lines and as a porter in an operating theater. He also had jobs selling shoes and beheading pigs while supporting his early acting career.
His film debut wasRemembrance (1982),though his most-memorable early role came when he played Sex PistolSid Viciousin the biopicSid and Nancy (1986)picking up the Evening Standard Film Award as Best Newcomer. He then received a Best Actor nomination from BAFTA for his portrayal of '60s playwrightJoe OrtoninPrick Up Your Ears (1987).
In the 1990s, Oldman brought to life a series of iconic real-world and fictional villains includingLee Harvey OswaldinJFK (1991),the title character inDracula (1992),Drexl Spivey inTrue Romance (1993),Stansfield inLéon (1994),Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg inThe Fifth Element (1997)and Ivan Korshunov inAir Force One (1997).That decade also saw Oldman portrayingLudwig van Beethovenin biopicImmortal Beloved (1994).
Oldman played the coveted role of Sirius Black inHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004),giving him a key part in one of the highest-grossing franchises ever. He reprised that role inHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)andHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007).Oldman also took on the iconic role of Detective James Gordon in writer-directorChristopher Nolan'sBatman Begins (2005),a role he played again inThe Dark Knight (2008)andThe Dark Knight Rises (2012).Prominent film critic Mark Kermode, in reviewing The Dark Knight, wrote, "the best performance in the film, by a mile, is Gary Oldman's... it would be lovely to see him get a[n Academy Award] nomination because actually, he's the guy who gets kind of overlooked in all of this."
Oldman co-starred with Jim Carrey in the 2009 version of A Christmas Carol in which Oldman played three roles. He had a starring role in David Goyer's supernatural thriller The Unborn, released in 2009. In 2010, Oldman co-starred with Denzel Washington in The Book of Eli. He also played a lead role in Catherine Hardwicke's Red Riding Hood. Oldman voiced the role of villain Lord Shen and was nominated for an Annie Award for his performance in Kung Fu Panda 2.
In 2011, Oldman portrayed master spy George Smiley in the adaptation ofJohn le Carré'sTinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011),and the role scored Oldman his first Academy Award nomination. In 2014, he played one of the lead humans in the science fiction action filmDawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)alongside Jason Clarke and Keri Russell. Also in 2014, Oldman starred alongside Joel Kinnaman, Abbie Cornish, Michael Keaton, and Samuel L. Jackson in the remake ofRoboCop (2014),as Norton, the scientist who creates RoboCop.
Aside from acting, Oldman tried his hand at writing and directing forNil by Mouth (1997).The movie opened the Cannes Film Festival in 1997, and wonKathy Burkea Best Actress prize at the festival.
Oldman has three children, Alfie, with first wife, actressLesley Manville,and Gulliver and Charlie with his third wife,Donya Fiorentino.In 2017, he married writer and art curator Gisele Schmidt.
In 2018 he won an Oscar for best actor for his work onDarkest Hour (2017).
Gary Leonard Oldman was born on March 21, 1958 in New Cross, London, England, to Kathleen (Cheriton), a homemaker, and Leonard Bertram Oldman, a welder. He won a scholarship to Britain's Rose Bruford Drama College, in Sidcup, Kent, where he received a B.A. in theatre arts in 1979. He subsequently studied with the Greenwich Young People's Theatre and went on to appear in a number of plays throughout the early '80s, including "The Pope's Wedding," for which he received Time Out's Fringe Award for Best Newcomer of 1985-1986 and the British Theatre Association's Drama Magazine Award as Best Actor for 1985. Before fame, he was employed as a worker in assembly lines and as a porter in an operating theater. He also had jobs selling shoes and beheading pigs while supporting his early acting career.
His film debut wasRemembrance (1982),though his most-memorable early role came when he played Sex PistolSid Viciousin the biopicSid and Nancy (1986)picking up the Evening Standard Film Award as Best Newcomer. He then received a Best Actor nomination from BAFTA for his portrayal of '60s playwrightJoe OrtoninPrick Up Your Ears (1987).
In the 1990s, Oldman brought to life a series of iconic real-world and fictional villains includingLee Harvey OswaldinJFK (1991),the title character inDracula (1992),Drexl Spivey inTrue Romance (1993),Stansfield inLéon (1994),Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg inThe Fifth Element (1997)and Ivan Korshunov inAir Force One (1997).That decade also saw Oldman portrayingLudwig van Beethovenin biopicImmortal Beloved (1994).
Oldman played the coveted role of Sirius Black inHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004),giving him a key part in one of the highest-grossing franchises ever. He reprised that role inHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)andHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007).Oldman also took on the iconic role of Detective James Gordon in writer-directorChristopher Nolan'sBatman Begins (2005),a role he played again inThe Dark Knight (2008)andThe Dark Knight Rises (2012).Prominent film critic Mark Kermode, in reviewing The Dark Knight, wrote, "the best performance in the film, by a mile, is Gary Oldman's... it would be lovely to see him get a[n Academy Award] nomination because actually, he's the guy who gets kind of overlooked in all of this."
Oldman co-starred with Jim Carrey in the 2009 version of A Christmas Carol in which Oldman played three roles. He had a starring role in David Goyer's supernatural thriller The Unborn, released in 2009. In 2010, Oldman co-starred with Denzel Washington in The Book of Eli. He also played a lead role in Catherine Hardwicke's Red Riding Hood. Oldman voiced the role of villain Lord Shen and was nominated for an Annie Award for his performance in Kung Fu Panda 2.
In 2011, Oldman portrayed master spy George Smiley in the adaptation ofJohn le Carré'sTinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011),and the role scored Oldman his first Academy Award nomination. In 2014, he played one of the lead humans in the science fiction action filmDawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)alongside Jason Clarke and Keri Russell. Also in 2014, Oldman starred alongside Joel Kinnaman, Abbie Cornish, Michael Keaton, and Samuel L. Jackson in the remake ofRoboCop (2014),as Norton, the scientist who creates RoboCop.
Aside from acting, Oldman tried his hand at writing and directing forNil by Mouth (1997).The movie opened the Cannes Film Festival in 1997, and wonKathy Burkea Best Actress prize at the festival.
Oldman has three children, Alfie, with first wife, actressLesley Manville,and Gulliver and Charlie with his third wife,Donya Fiorentino.In 2017, he married writer and art curator Gisele Schmidt.
In 2018 he won an Oscar for best actor for his work onDarkest Hour (2017).