Gary Leonard Oldman[3] was born inNew Cross, London, on 21 March 1958,[4][5] the son of Leonard Bertram Oldman (1921–1985), a former sailor who also worked as a welder, and Kathleen (née Cheriton; 1919–2018).[6] He said his father was an alcoholic who left the family when Oldman was seven years old.[7] His older sister, Maureen, is an actress better known asLaila Morse; she performed in Oldman's directorial debutNil by Mouth (1997), before taking on her most famous role ofMo Harris in theBBC soap operaEastEnders.[8]
Oldman attended West Greenwich School inDeptford, leaving at the age of 16 to work in a sports shop.[9] He played piano as a child, but he gave up his musical aspirations to pursue an acting career after seeingMalcolm McDowell's performance in the filmThe Raging Moon (1971).[10][11][12] In a 1995 interview withCharlie Rose he said, "Something about Malcolm just arrested me, and I connected, and I said, 'I wanna do that.'"[10]
Growing up in south London, Oldman supported his local football club,Millwall, but also followedManchester United because he idolisedGeorge Best.[8] In 2011 he learned from his mother that his father had played for Millwall just after theSecond World War: "Just after the war, [my mother] ran aboarding house for football players—Millwall players. And I knew that my dad was involved somehow with the reserve team. But two weeks ago my mum said, 'Oh yeah, your dad played for Millwall. When he was young he had a couple of first team games.'"[8]
Oldman studied with the Young People's Theatre inGreenwich during the mid-1970s,[6][13] while working jobs on assembly lines, as a porter in anoperating theatre, selling shoes and beheading pigs in anabattoir.[6] He applied unsuccessfully to theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), which welcomed him to try again the following year, but advised him to find something else to do for a living.[6][10] When asked by Rose whether he had reminded the RADA of this, Oldman joked that "the work speaks for itself".[10]
After leaving drama school, Oldman was the first in his year to receive professional work;[14] he stated that this was not a result of being the most talented actor, but rather diligence and application.[14][15] In 1979 he starred inThark, oppositeAnnette Kerr, atYork Theatre Royal.[16] Subsequent plays includedCabaret,Privates on Parade andRomeo and Juliet.[17] In December 1979 Oldman appeared as Puss inDick Whittington and His Cat, staged at York.[18] He also acted inColchester, then with theCitizens Theatre inGlasgow;[6] Oldman's work ethic and trademark intensity would make him a favourite with audiences in Glasgow during the 1980s. He also toured Europe and South America with the Citizens Theatre company.[13]
Saved proved to be a major breakthrough for Oldman.Max Stafford-Clark, artistic director of theRoyal Court Theatre, had seen Oldman's performance and cast him as Scopey, the lead role of Bond'sThe Pope's Wedding, in 1984.[6] For his acclaimed performance, he won two of British theatre's top honours: theTime OutFringe Award for Best Newcomer, and theDrama Theatre Award for Best Actor—the latter of which was shared with his future film co-starAnthony Hopkins for his performance inPravda.[6][13][19] Oldman's turn inThe Pope's Wedding led to a run of work with the Royal Court, and from 1984 to 1986 he appeared inRat in the Skull (Ron Hutchinson),The Desert Air (Nicholas Wright),Cain and Abel,The Danton Affair (Pam Gems),Women Beware Women (Thomas Middleton),Real Dreams (Trevor Griffiths) and all three of Bond'sThe War Plays:Red Black and Ignorant,The Tin Can People andGreat Peace.[6] Oldman was a member of theRoyal Shakespeare Company from 1985 to 1986.[20]
1986–1993: Rise to prominence and breakthrough
The 1984 production ofThe Pope's Wedding had been seen by the directorAlex Cox, who offered Oldman the part of the musicianSid Vicious in the 1986 filmSid and Nancy. He twice turned down the role before accepting it, because, in his own words: "I wasn't really that interested in Sid Vicious and the punk movement. I'd never followed it. It wasn't something that interested me. The script I felt was banal and 'who cares' and 'why bother' and all of that. And I was a little bit sort-of with my nose in the air and sort-of thinking 'well the theatre—so much more superior' and all of that." He reconsidered based on the salary and the urging of his agent.[21]
Oldman's performances inSid and Nancy andPrick Up Your Ears paved the way for work in Hollywood, garnering acclaim from the American film criticRoger Ebert. Ebert wrote, "There is no point of similarity between the two performances; like a few gifted actors, [Oldman] is able to re-invent himself for every role. On the basis of these two movies, he is the best young British actor around."[23] Vicious's formerSex Pistols bandmateJohn Lydon, despite criticisingSid and Nancy, described Oldman as a "bloody good actor".[24] The performance would go on to be ranked No. 62 inPremiere magazine's "100 Greatest Performances of All Time"[25] and No. 8 inUncut magazine's "10 Best actors in rockin' roles", the latter describing Oldman's portrayal as a "hugely sympathetic reading of the punk figurehead as a lost and bewildered manchild."[26]
In 1991 he began filmingDylan Thomas, a biopic on the Welsh poetDylan Thomas, with his then-wifeUma Thurman asCaitlin Thomas; production shut down shortly after filming began.[36] Later in 1991, Oldman starred in his first US blockbuster, playingLee Harvey Oswald inOliver Stone'sJFK. According to Oldman, very little was written about Oswald in the script. Stone gave him several plane tickets, a list of contacts and told him to do his own research.[37] Oldman met Oswald's wife,Marina, and her two daughters to prepare for the role.[38] He filmed scenes for the 1992neo-noir thrillerFinal Analysis, which were cut.[39]
Oldman appeared oppositeJeff Bridges as the zealous AmericanRepublican Party congressman Sheldon Runyon inThe Contender (2000), of which he was also executive producer.[61] Oldman received aScreen Actors Guild Award nomination for his performance, although some claimed he was dissatisfied withDreamWorks' supposed editing of the film to reflect pro-Democratic Party leanings. These reports were declared "sloppysensationalism" by his manager,Douglas Urbanski, who said that Oldman was "the least political person I know". He stressed that neither he nor Oldman had made the statements attributed to them, that they had "produced this film, every last cut and frame", and that DreamWorks "did not influence the final cut or have anything to do with it." Urbanski asserted that Oldman received "creepy phone calls advising him that he was ruining his chances of an Oscar nomination". The notion of Oldman criticising DreamWorks was dispelled as a "myth" by the film criticRoger Ebert.[62]
In 2001 he appeared oppositeAnthony Hopkins inHannibal asMason Verger, the only surviving victim ofHannibal Lecter. He spent six hours per day in the make-up room to achieve the character's disfigured appearance, and went uncredited in the film.[63] It marked the second time that Oldman had appeared opposite Hopkins, who was part of the supporting cast ofBram Stoker's Dracula. Oldman then returned to television making two guest appearances in the popularNBC sitcomFriends in May 2001, appearing in the two-part episode "The One With Chandler and Monica's Wedding" as Richard Crosby, a pedantic actor who insists that "real" actors spit on one another when they enunciate, leading to tension, then friendship, withJoey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc). Oldman had previously worked with LeBlanc onLost in Space.[64] For his performance he earned a nomination for aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, losing toDerek Jacobi for his role onFrasier (2001).[65]
Following hisFriends appearance, Oldman did not appear in any major roles until 2004; it was suggested that he wasblacklisted in Hollywood during this time,[66] following the controversy that had surrounded the release ofThe Contender. In 2002 he starred in the generally well-receivedInterstate 60, and played theDevil in the BMW short filmThe Hire: Beat the Devil.The Guardian writer Xan Brooks described the early 2000s as Oldman's "low point", recalling "barrel-scraping roles" in the 2003 filmsTiptoes andSin.[67] Although the film failed to impress reviewers, Oldman did garner some praise for his portrayal of a man withdwarfism inTiptoes: Lisa Nesselson inVariety described his work as "astonishingly fine",[68] and the performance was later mentioned inMark Kermode's "Great Acting in Bad Films".[69]
In 2014 Oldman starred alongsideJoel Kinnaman,Abbie Cornish,Michael Keaton andSamuel L. Jackson in theremake ofRoboCop, as Norton, the scientist who creates the title character. Also that year, Oldman starred inDawn of the Planet of the Apes as one of the leads alongsideJason Clarke andKeri Russell. In a promotional interview published in the July/August issue ofPlayboy magazine, Oldman slammed what he saw as excessivepolitical correctness inAmerican media, alleged discriminating hypocrisy by entertainers who hide "behind comedy and satire to say things we can't ordinarily say", and downplayed the convictions behind offensiveslurs said by the actorsAlec Baldwin andMel Gibson, attributing their statements to anger andinebriation, respectively. He went on to say that Gibson—who had faced censure forantisemitic remarks—had "bitten the hand that [feeds]", being in "a town that's run by Jews" (referring to Hollywood). Oldman stressed that he is not "a fascist or a racist",[80] but was nevertheless criticised for his comments.[81] He issued multiple apologies, including on 25 June edition of thelate-night talk showJimmy Kimmel Live!, where he described the remarks as "offensive, insensitive, pernicious and ill-informed".[82][83] Both theAnti-Defamation League and theSimon Wiesenthal Center welcomed Oldman's contrition (the latter inviting him to itsMuseum of Tolerance to screen 2017'sDarkest Hour).[83][84] The directorDavid Fincher toldPlayboy, "I know him very well... Gary's not cruel. He's an incredibly thoughtful guy."[85]
Oldman was also slated to direct a biopic aboutEadweard Muybridge entitledFlying Horse.[105] In 2022, Oldman starred as a cantankerous manager of intelligence agents in theApple TV+spy drama television seriesSlow Horses, based on the book of the same name.Slow Horses marked the first time Oldman played a lead role in a television series.[106] On 20 November 2022, he stated that the series would likely be his last role as he intended to retire from acting once the series ended.[107]
Oldman and producing partner Douglas Urbanski formed the SE8 GROUP to produceNil by Mouth. The company also producedThe Contender, which also starred Oldman. He completed a screenplay,Chang & Eng, co-written withDarin Strauss, based on the author'sbook of the same name. In September 2006,Nokia Nseries Studio[119] released the Oldman-directed short filmDonut, with music byTor Hyams. The film was shot with anN93 to promote the phone.Juliet Landau made a 25-minute documentary about the making of the video. In 2011, he directed a music video for then-wife Alex Eden's first single, "Kiss Me Like the Woman You Loved".
Music
Oldman has had a keen interest in music from an early age. He is a proficient pianist and stated in a 1995 interview with Charlie Rose that he would rather be a musician than an actor.[10] Oldman sang several tracks on theSid and Nancy soundtrack, on which he performed alongside the originalSex Pistols bassistGlen Matlock, and sang and played live piano in the 1988 filmTrack 29. He traced over Beethoven compositions in 1994'sImmortal Beloved,[10] and tutored theHarry Potter actorDaniel Radcliffe on bass guitar.[120] Oldman appeared onReeves Gabrels's albumThe Sacred Squall of Now, performing a vocal duet withDavid Bowie on the track "You've Been Around".[121] He produced a live performance by the formerWhite Stripes memberJack White in conjunction withVevo andYouTube.[122] At the2016 Brit Awards in London, Oldman paid tribute to Bowie, before receiving the Brits "Icon Award" on behalf of the singer and his family.[123]
Voice acting
Oldman participated in the creation ofThe Legend of Spyro games, produced by Sierra Entertainment. He provided thevoice of the Fire Guardian, Ignitus. He voices SergeantViktor Reznov and scientist Daniel Clarke in theCall of Duty games. He also provides the narration of Sergeant Jack Barnes in the Spearhead expansion forMedal of Honor: Allied Assault. In 2015 he voiced Lord Vortech, the evil mastermind who seeks to control the LEGO Multiverse, in theLego Dimensions video game.[124] He will play Admiral Ernst Bishop in the upcoming single-player campaign of theChris Roberts-designed crowdfunded video game,Squadron 42.[125]
Writing
In 2015 Oldman and his manager Douglas Urbanski signed a deal with theSimon & Schuster/Atria Publishing Group label Emily Bestler Books forBlood Riders, a vampire book series.[126]
Acting style
Oldman studied the teachings ofKonstantin Stanislavski andStella Adler while at drama school but went "off-book", drawing much of his inspiration fromAmerican cinema.[14] As a screen actor, Oldman was almosttypecast as ananti-social personality early in his career.[45][127] The necessity to express villainous characters in an overtly physical manner led to the cultivation of a "big" acting style that incorporated projection skills acquired during his stage training.[45][128] He further sought to develop a distinctive approach that would distance him from his "stuffy" and "often interchangeable" British peers.[45]
Oldman has conceded that his performances often involve an element ofoveracting: "It's my influence on those roles that probably [makes them] feel bigger than life and a little over-the-top. I mean, I do go for it a bit as an actor, I must admit."[21] In another interview, he stated, "If it's coming from a sincere place, then I think the screen can hold the epic and it can hold the very, very small."[129] Stuart Heritage ofThe Guardian wrote, "Finding the definitive Gary Oldman ham performance is like trying to choose which of your children you prefer. The man is a long-term devotee of the art of ham."[130] Conversely, Oldman noted that he enjoys "playing characters where the silence is loud" such asGeorge Smiley inTinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011).[67]
Oldman has adopted various accents for roles[33] and portrayed a wide range of characters.[13][19] He is known for his in-depth research of his roles,[131] as well as his devotion to them, at one point being hospitalised after losing significant weight forSid and Nancy,[132] and another time had to hire a dialect coach to relearn his English accent after nearly adopting an "American twang" due to his children being raised American.[133] In a 2017 interview, he differentiated between immersion and impression:
I have a relatively good ear and can do a few impressions of people. I don't study them, but I think what happens with an impressionist is that they're looking at one particular source. Impressionists have to paint with a very broad stroke because you've got to see it within a couple of seconds. As an actor, though, you look at different aspects of a character. I try to completely surround myself with the assignment. It's like being in a big cloud and then some of it rains through—for instance, looking at not only [Winston] Churchill's way of walking and mannerisms and the way he sounds, but also looking into the psychology.[134]
Reception and legacy
Oldman signing autographs for fans in 2007
Oldman has established acult following among film fans.[135] He is known for playing the primary antagonist in a number of popular motion pictures,[19] which has seen him referenced in popular culture. At the peak of his popularity in the 1990s, Oldman was dubbed byEmpire magazine Hollywood's "psycho deluxe",[136] and was spoofed on popular television shows such as theFox comedy seriesIn Living Color[137] and MTV'sCelebrity Deathmatch,[58] as well as drafted in to appear on the first ever cover ofLoaded magazine.[138] In 1993 he appeared in the music video forAnnie Lennox's international hit "Love Song for a Vampire", written for the soundtrack toBram Stoker's Dracula, and had a cameo role as theDevil in the video forGuns N' Roses single "Since I Don't Have You"[139]—Oldman also played the Devil in the 2002BMWshortBeat The Devil, alongsideClive Owen,James Brown andMarilyn Manson.[140] He starred as a sleazy priest in the controversial religious-themed video forDavid Bowie's 2013 single "The Next Day".[141][142] In contrast to his often dark on-screen roles, Oldman's affable real-life demeanour has been noted,[35] and he was named as one ofEmpire's "100 Sexiest Stars in Film History" in 2007.[143] In 2011 readers ofEmpire voted him the recipient of theEmpire Icon Award, which was presented byColin Firth.[144]
Washington Post andIndependent writers noted that Oldman is regarded as one of the greatest actors of his generation.[8][145] In 2012The Globe and Mail journalistLynn Crosbie wrote, "Critics never fail to single Oldman out... he is one of a few truly great living actors—arguably, even, the best".[146] Of his diversity,Yahoo! Movies noted that he had "gained a well-earned reputation as a brilliant chameleon";[13] theHouston Chronicle dubbed Oldman "the face of versatility".[147] He is noted for his avoidance of the Hollywood celebrity scene,[148] often being referred to as an "actor's actor".[6] His work has been acclaimed by Hollywood figures:Tom Hardy has described Oldman as his "absolute complete and utter hero"[149] and "hands down, the greatest actor that's ever lived";[30]Brad Pitt,[150]Daniel Radcliffe[151] andRyan Gosling have also cited Oldman as their favourite actor.[152] Hardy recalled Oldman's influence on students at drama school, stating that "everybody used to quote him in all of his films".[153]Jessica Chastain,[154]Jennifer Lawrence,[154]Joseph Gordon-Levitt,[155]Tom Hiddleston[156] andChris Pine[157] have also named Oldman as one of their favourite actors.
Film critics have also been vocal in their appreciation of Oldman.Roger Ebert hailed him as "one of the great actors, able to play high, low, crass, noble";[175] whileGene Siskel called him "wonderful"[176] and one of his favourite actors.[177]Peter Travers described Oldman as "one of the best actors on the planet".[178] Prior to his firstAcademy Award nomination forTinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Oldman was regarded as one of the greatest actors never nominated for the award;[9][179][180] In 2009 Leigh Singer ofThe Guardian called him "arguably the best actor never Oscar-nominated."[181] Before winning forDarkest Hour, he also carried the label of the greatest actor never to win an Oscar.[182][183] In 2018 Stuart McGurk ofGQ described Oldman as "the master of being brilliant in bad movies".[184]
In 1998 Oldman was honoured at theCamerimage Film Festival, where he was awarded theKrzysztof Kieślowski Award for Acting, the first recipient of the award.[185] In 2011 Oldman received a Tribute Award from theGotham Awards.[186] In that same year, thePalm Springs International Film Festival announced that Oldman would be receiving its International Star Award, which honours "an actor or actress who has achieved both critical and commercial international recognition throughout their body of work". The PSIFF chairman called Oldman "a performer whose ability to portray the most extreme of characters is a testament to the enormity of his talent".[187] In 2012The Hollywood Reporter named Oldman thehighest-grossing actor in history, based on lead and supporting roles.[188] Films in which he has appeared have grossed over $4.1 billion in the United States, and over $11 billion worldwide.[189]
In 2012 Oldman was among theBritish cultural icons selected by the artist SirPeter Blake to appear in a new version of his most famous artwork—the Beatles'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover—to celebrate the British cultural figures of his life that he most admires to mark his 80th birthday.[190] In 2014 he received the Dilys Powell Award For Excellence in Film by theLondon Film Critics.[191]
In 2018 Oldman received the Variety Award at theBritish Independent Film Awards, which recognises a director, actor, writer or producer who has made a global impact and helped to focus the international spotlight on the UK Variety's vice-president, Steven Gaydos, remarked that Oldman "has blazed a path as one of international cinema's most versatile and valued actors."[192] In the same year, theSanta Barbara International Film Festival awarded Oldman the Maltin Modern Master Award, the highest accolade awarded by SPIFF that honours an individual who has enriched our culture through accomplishments in the motion picture industry.Leonard Maltin claimed Oldman has "once again proven that he is a force to be reckoned with, and a true master of his craft".[193] Oldman was also awarded his first Career Achievement Award by theHollywood Film Awards.[194] The Make-up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards as well honoured him with the Distinguished Artisan Award, which IATSE President Susan Cabral-Ebert proclaimed him as "a chameleon, an actor who changes his appearance, his voice, everything about himself from film to film".[195]
After establishing himself as an actor, Oldman moved toLos Angeles in the United States in the early 1990s.[35] He employs no publicist and does not go to parties, telling an interviewer in 2007 that he has "dinner at home every night with my kids."[35] In 2014 he described himself as alibertarian.[200]
Oldman's alcoholism was well known during the early 1990s; he was arrested fordrink-driving in 1991[201] and checked himself intorehabilitation in 1994.[13][201] In subsequent interviews, he acknowledged his problems with alcohol and called himself a recovering alcoholic in a 2001 interview withCharlie Rose.[202] He has been sober since 1997[203] and attributes his success in beating his addiction to attending meetings withAlcoholics Anonymous, which he has publicly praised.[204]
Marriages and family
Oldman has been married five times. He wed the English actressLesley Manville in 1987, and their son, Alfie, was born the following year.[8] They separated in 1989, three months after Alfie's birth, and divorced a year later.[205] Manville stated in 2018 that she and Oldman are on good terms, saying, "He's got a new wife, and we all get on... Gary and I are friends."[206] They have two grandchildren, Matilda and Ozzy Oldman, through Alfie.[207]
Oldman married the American actressUma Thurman in 1990; they divorced in 1992.[208]
In 1997 Oldman married the American model Donya Fiorentino (sister of the actressLinda Fiorentino),[209] with whom he had two sons: Gulliver (b. 1997) and Charlie (b. 1999).[8] In 2001 Fiorentino filed for divorce, claiming that Oldman had hit her in the face with a telephone receiver while choking her.[210][211] Oldman was investigated and cleared, receivingsole legal and physicalchild custody;[212][213] Fiorentino was granted limited,state-supervisedcontact dependent on her passing drug and alcohol tests.[81][212] In 2003 a judge reduced her access to the children after dismissing claims that Oldman had drugged and physically abused them.[214][215] In 2018 Gulliver, whom Fiorentino claimed had witnessed the alleged 2001 assault, lamented the "pain and hardship" caused by his mother's "lies" over the years, while specifically condemning the media's "disgusting" perpetuation of the assault allegation.[216]
On 31 December 2008, Oldman married Alexandra Edenborough, an English singer and actress who was temporarily known as Alex E.,[217] inSanta Barbara, California, US.[218] Edenborough filed for divorce on 9 January 2015; the divorce was finalised in September 2015.[219][220]
In August 2017 Oldman married Gisele Schmidt, a writer and art curator, in a private ceremony at the home of his manager,Douglas Urbanski.[221] As of 2021, Oldman and Schmidt lived inPalm Springs, California.[222]
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^"Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Zendaya, Suranne Jones, Gary Oldman, Leading Ladies".The Graham Norton Show. Series 22. Episode 13. 31 December 2017.BBC One.British Broadcasting Corporation.You are one of the greatest actors to have ever lived, you are one of my inspirations.
^abGraham, Jane (3 February 2014)."Gary Oldman interview".The Big Issue. Archived from the original on 10 March 2014. Retrieved16 July 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Picture, Bill (30 July 2003). "Father Knows Best".San Francisco Examiner: 2.Donya alleges that a drunken Gary hit 4-year-old Charlie recently and burned him with a cigarette. But the judge saw through her bogus accusations.
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