Early Life and Education
Gary Leonard Oldman was born on 21 March 1958 in New Cross, London. His father, Leonard Bertram Oldman, was a welder and had served in the navy. During his childhood, he developed an interest in the arts, particularly music and theatre. After leaving school at a young age, he worked in factories for a period. He then received acting training at the Greenwich School of Speech and Drama, and then completed his theatrical training by winning a scholarship at the prestigious Rose Bruford College.
Career
Oldman began his career on the theatre stage and performed at important institutions such as the Royal Court Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. He transitioned to film in the 1980s and became known especially for his role as Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy (1986). He then gained international recognition for his performances in films such as Prick Up Your Ears (1987), State of Grace (1990), JFK (1991), and Dracula (1992). Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he worked as both a character and leading actor; he appeared in productions such as Léon (1994), The Fifth Element (1997), and Air Force One (1997).
In the 2010s, he received BAFTA and Oscar nominations for his role as George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011). He gained great popularity for his roles as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter series and as Commissioner James Gordon in The Dark Knight trilogy. One of his most notable performances was his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour (2017). He won the Best Actor Award for this performance.
Selected Filmography
- Sid and Nancy (1986) – Sid Vicious
- Dracula (1992) – Count Dracula
- Léon: The Professional (1994) – Norman Stansfield
- The Fifth Element (1997) – Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg
- Harry Potter Series (2004–2011) – Sirius Black
- Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), The Dark Knight Rises (2012) – James Gordon
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) – George Smiley
- Darkest Hour (2017) – Winston Churchill
- Mank (2020) – Herman J. Mankiewicz
- Slow Horses (2022–) – Jackson Lamb (TV series)
Awards
Oldman won the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour (2017). He has also won and been nominated for numerous awards, including BAFTA, SAG, and Golden Globe. In total, he has won 68 awards and received 119 nominations.
Academy Award (Oscar)
- Best Actor – Darkest Hour (2017)
BAFTA Awards
- Best British Film – Nil by Mouth (1997, director)
- Best Actor – Darkest Hour (2017)
Golden Globe Award
- Best Actor – Darkest Hour (2017)
Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award
- Best Actor – Darkest Hour (2017)
Directing and Producing
Nil by Mouth (1997), which Oldman directed and wrote the screenplay for, won awards at both the Cannes Film Festival and the BAFTAs. The film depicts life in the London suburbs. Active in producing, Oldman has served as both producer and director on projects such as Flying Horse (2024).
Personal Life
Oldman has been married several times. His first marriage was to Lesley Manville, and they have one child together. He later had a short-lived marriage to Uma Thurman. In 2017, he married writer and art consultant Gisele Schmidt. He grew up in an artistic family, and his sister Laila Morse is also an actress.
