person image

Gary Oldman

Born: 1958

Biography

Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Regarded as one of the best actors of his generation, he is known for his versatility and intense acting style. He received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and three British Academy Film Awards. His films have grossed over $11 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing actors to date. Oldman began acting in theatre in 1979 and made his film debut in Remembrance (1982). He continued to follow a stage career in London's Royal Court and was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, with credits including Cabaret, Romeo and Juliet, Entertaining Mr Sloane, Saved, The Country Wife and Hamlet. He rose to prominence in British film with his portrayals of Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy (1986), Joe Orton in Prick Up Your Ears (1987) and Rosencrantz in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990), while also attracting attention as the leader of a gang of football hooligans in the television film The Firm (1989). Regarded as a member of the "Brit Pack", he achieved greater recognition as a New York gangster in State of Grace (1990), Lee Harvey Oswald in JFK (1991) and Count Dracula in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). Oldman portrayed the villains in films such as True Romance (1993), The Fifth Element (1997), Air Force One (1997) and The Contender (2000); corrupt DEA agent Norman Stansfield, whom he played in Léon: The Professional (1994), was called one of cinema's best villains. He also played Ludwig van Beethoven in Immortal Beloved (1994) and later appeared in franchise roles such as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter series, James Gordon in The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012) and a human leader, Dreyfus in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014). He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour (2017), and was nominated for his portrayals of George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) and Herman J. Mankiewicz in Mank (2020). Oldman was executive producer of films like The Contender, Plunkett & Macleane (1999) and Nil by Mouth (1997), the latter of which he also wrote and directed. He featured in television shows such as Fallen Angels, Tracey Takes On... and Friends, voiced Ignitius and Viktor Reznov respectively in The Legend of Spyro and Call of Duty video games and appeared in music videos for David Bowie, Guns N' Roses and Annie Lennox.
Known For Acting
Gender Male
Place of Birth New Cross, London, England, UK

Resources

Movies

The Fifth Element

Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg in The Fifth Element

Léon: The Professional

Norman Stansfield in Léon: The Professional

The Dark Knight

James Gordon in The Dark Knight

Batman Begins

James Gordon in Batman Begins

True Romance

Drexl Spivey in True Romance

Basquiat

Albert Milo in Basquiat

Romeo Is Bleeding

Jack Grimaldi in Romeo Is Bleeding

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Lost in Space

Dr. Zachary Smith in Lost in Space

State of Grace

Jackie in State of Grace

JFK

Lee Harvey Oswald in JFK

The Scarlet Letter

Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter

Jesus

Pontius Pilate in Jesus

Interstate 60

O.W. Grant in Interstate 60

The Book of Eli

Carnegie in The Book of Eli

The Contender

Shelly Runyon in The Contender

Murder in the First

Glenn in Murder in the First

Tiptoes

Rolfe in Tiptoes

Hannibal

Mason Verger in Hannibal

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Air Force One

Ivan Korshunov in Air Force One

The Backwoods

Paul in The Backwoods

Prick Up Your Ears

Joe Orton in Prick Up Your Ears

Rain Fall

Holtzer in Rain Fall

Immortal Beloved

Ludwig van Beethoven in Immortal Beloved

Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts

Self in Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts

The Unborn

Rabbi Joseph Sendak in The Unborn

Criminal Law

Ben Chase in Criminal Law

Track 29

Martin in Track 29

Sid and Nancy

Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy

Sin

Charlie Storm in Sin

One Night in Turin

Narrator in One Night in Turin

Nosferatu: A Film Like a Vampire

Self (archive footage) in Nosferatu: A Film Like a Vampire

Planet 51

General Grawl (voice) in Planet 51

A Christmas Carol

Bob Cratchit / Marley / Tiny Tim (voice) in A Christmas Carol

The Dark Knight Rises

James Gordon in The Dark Knight Rises

The Firm

Bex Bissell in The Firm

Heath Ledger: A Tribute

Self in Heath Ledger: A Tribute

Nobody's Baby

Buford Dill in Nobody's Baby

Kung Fu Panda 2

Lord Shen (voice) in Kung Fu Panda 2

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Red Riding Hood

Father Soloman in Red Riding Hood

Quest for Camelot

Ruber (voice) in Quest for Camelot

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead

Rosencrantz in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead

Dead Fish

Lynch in Dead Fish

Beat the Devil

Devil in Beat the Devil

Lawless

Floyd Banner in Lawless

Meantime

Coxy in Meantime

Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen

(archive footage) in Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen

Chattahoochee

Emmett Foley in Chattahoochee

Lost In Space Forever

Self (also archive footage) in Lost In Space Forever

RoboCop

Dr. Dennett Norton in RoboCop

We Think the World of You

Johnny in We Think the World of You

Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait

Self (archive footage) in Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait

Paranoia

Nicholas Wyatt in Paranoia

Guns, Girls and Gambling

Elvis in Guns, Girls and Gambling

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Dreyfus in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Child 44

General Mikhail Nesterov in Child 44

Daniel Radcliffe: Being Harry Potter

Self in Daniel Radcliffe: Being Harry Potter

The Magic Touch of Harry Potter

Self in The Magic Touch of Harry Potter

Parthenope

John Cheever in Parthenope

Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony

Self (archive footage) in Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony

Winona Ryder: The Ghosts She Called

Self (archive footage) in Winona Ryder: The Ghosts She Called

Dracula Unearthed

Count Dracula (archive footage) in Dracula Unearthed

Henry & June

Pop in Henry & June

Flying Horse

Eadweard Muybridge in Flying Horse

In Search of Dracula

Self in In Search of Dracula

Criminal

Quaker Wells in Criminal

Oppenheimer

Harry Truman in Oppenheimer

Morgan's Boy

Colin in Morgan's Boy

Honest Decent & True

Derek Bates in Honest Decent & True

Man Down

Captain Peyton in Man Down

The Magic of the Movies: Behind the Scenes of David Fincher's Mank

Self in The Magic of the Movies: Behind the Scenes of David Fincher's Mank

The Space Between Us

Nathaniel Shepherd in The Space Between Us

Touch of Evil

The Menacing Dummy in Touch of Evil

Remembrance

Daniel in Remembrance

Heading Home

Ian Tyson in Heading Home

Blood Lines: Dracula - The Man. The Myth. The Movies.

Self in Blood Lines: Dracula - The Man. The Myth. The Movies.

The Hitman's Bodyguard

Vladislav Dukhovich in The Hitman's Bodyguard

Hunter Killer

CJCS Charles Donnegan in Hunter Killer

Darkest Hour

Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour

Jack White: Unstaged

Self in Jack White: Unstaged

Countdown to Zero

Narrator (voice) in Countdown to Zero

Rat in the Skull

Police Constable Eric Naylor in Rat in the Skull

Alan Clarke: His Own Man

Self in Alan Clarke: His Own Man

England's Glory

Interviewee in England's Glory

Mary

David in Mary

Chutzpah, This Is?

in Chutzpah, This Is?

Director: Alan Clarke

in Director: Alan Clarke

The Human Face

Self in The Human Face

The Laundromat

Jürgen Mossack in The Laundromat

La Petite Mort

Narrator (voice) in La Petite Mort

Tau

Tau (voice) in Tau

Killers Anonymous

The Man in Killers Anonymous

The Woman in the Window

Alistair Russell in The Woman in the Window

Obscura

Self in Obscura

Crisis

Dr. Tyrone Brower in Crisis

Mank

Herman Mankiewicz in Mank

The Courier

Ezekiel Mannings in The Courier

The Driver

Cy (voice) in The Driver

Beyond Boundaries: The Harvey Weinstein Scandal

Self (archive footage) in Beyond Boundaries: The Harvey Weinstein Scandal

Criss Angel Trick'd Up

Self in Criss Angel Trick'd Up

I Am Steve McQueen

Self in I Am Steve McQueen

Bram Stoker's Dracula

Dracula in Bram Stoker's Dracula

Ending the Knight

Self in Ending the Knight

Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald?

Lee Harvey Oswald (voice) in Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald?

The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of The Dark Knight Trilogy

Self (archive footage) in The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of The Dark Knight Trilogy

The Costumes Are the Sets: The Design of Eiko Ishioka

Self (archive footage) in The Costumes Are the Sets: The Design of Eiko Ishioka

The Blood Is the Life: The Making of 'Bram Stoker's Dracula'

Self (archive footage) in The Blood Is the Life: The Making of 'Bram Stoker's Dracula'

In Camera: The Naïve Visual Effects of 'Bram Stoker's Dracula'

Self (archive footage) in In Camera: The Naïve Visual Effects of 'Bram Stoker's Dracula'

Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy

Self in Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy

Breaking the Silence: The Making of Hannibal

Self in Breaking the Silence: The Making of Hannibal

Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard

Vladislav Dukhovich (archive footage) in Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard

Exposing Muybridge

Self in Exposing Muybridge

A Place Among the Dead

GO in A Place Among the Dead

TV Shows