Gary Oldman: biography, filmography, personal life and photos

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Gary Oldman is a world famous actor, musician, producer and director. This man has become a true legend. Most famous Hollywood actors look up to him, including Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hardy, Brad Pitt. This actor has received a lot of prestigious awards and starred in more than 100 films. And today, many fans are interested in questions about how the career of a brilliant artist began.

Gary Oldman: biography and childhood

Today Oldman is a cult film actor. But it was not always so. He was born on March 21, 1958 in London. His family could hardly be called we althy, since his mother was a housewife, and his father worked as a welder. The boy's father was a drunkard, so life in the family became unbearable. And when the boy was seven years old, he left home.

At the age of 17, the guy decided to try his hand at acting. First, he applied to a prestigious school, namely the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Naturally, the attempts of the unknown boy were unsuccessful.success. But Gary did not think to give up - he entered the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama.

Gary graduated at the age of 21, after which he began working on the theater stage. It is worth noting that even here his game was a success - for three years he received several prestigious theater awards. It was here that director Colin Gregg spotted him in 1982.

First career steps

In 1982, actor Harry Oldman made his debut as Daniel in a film called Memories. Two years later, he landed the role of Coxsey in the film Meantime. But the real breakthrough in the film career of the future star was the role in the film "Sid and Nancy", where he brilliantly played the infamous Sid Vicious, the bassist of the Sex Pistols. It was this work that paved the way for Gary to Hollywood.

Gary Oldman Filmography

After moving to Los Angeles, the actor began active work. Already in 1987, he agreed to play the role of playwright and gay Joe Orton in the film "Prick Up Your Ears". In 1988, the actor starred in the erotic thriller Path 29. In the same year, other films with Gary Oldman were released, in particular, "Criminal Law", where he played Ben Chase, as well as "We Think Only of You", where the actor got the role of Johnny. In the same year, a rather popular picture called "The Firm" was released.

There are many other films in which Gary Oldman has played. The roles of the actor got mostly complex and ambiguous. In particular, in 1989 he played the hero of the Korean War, placed in a psychiatric clinic inmovie Chattahoochee. And in 1990, the picture "State of Frenzy" appeared on the screen, where the actor talentedly played a member of the gangster group Jackie Flannery.

Famous villains played by Gary Oldman

Naturally, the talent of the young actor did not go unnoticed. Nevertheless, only in 1991 did all of America find out who Gary Oldman was. The best films of the actor are those in which he played negative characters. In fact, Oldman literally knocked you off your feet with his extraordinary ability to naturally and organically fit into any environment.

In 1991, a film appeared on the screens called “John F. Kennedy. Shots in Dallas, where Gary played the role of a suspect in the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald.

In 1992, another picture appeared with the villain Oldman in the title role. In the film Dracula, he simultaneously played the young and handsome Vlad Tepes, as well as the terrible vampire Count Dracula. This role brought the actor worldwide popularity, a lot of accolades from critics, several nominations and awards.

In 1993, Oldman played a corrupt cop in Romeo Bleeds and cemented his bad boy image. And although the script and direction of the film were criticized, Gary's acting was appreciated.

In True Love (1993), the actor successfully played the cruel pimp Spivey. The role of Milton Glen, a sadistic prison guard in the film "Murder in the First Degree" (1995) was also very convincing. And surely many remember Gary Oldman in the imagetyrant Zorga in the famous "The Fifth Element" (1997).

The popularity and recognition of the actor brought the role in the cult film "Leon" - here Oldman played a drug addict policeman who killed the main character's family. And in 1994, the biographical picture "The Immortal Beloved" was released, where the actor brilliantly played the complex role of Ludwig van Beethoven. And in 2001, the film "Hannibal" was released, where the actor gets the role of millionaire Mason Verger, who is eager to take revenge on Hannibal Lecter.

Triumphant return of popularity

It is worth noting that after the release of the famous film "Hannibal" and until 2004, the actor did not take part in the creation of a single feature film - during this time he starred in only a few second-rate films and was engaged in dubbing video games.

But already in 2004, the actor triumphantly returned to world screens paired with Daniel Radcliffe. Gary Oldman in "Harry Potter" played Sirius Black - the godfather of the protagonist, who appeared in the third part of the movie / book "Prisoner of Azkaban". It is worth noting that the actors became friends during their joint work, and young Daniel noted more than once that he was trying to be exactly like Oldman.

And the very next year, actor Gary Oldman appeared on the screens as the incorruptible Police Commissioner James Gordon in Batman Begins. In 2008, he also took part in the filming of a sequel called The Dark Knight. In 2012, the actor delighted fans with his performance inthe final part of The Dark Knight Rises trilogy.

In 2011, the film "Spy Get Out!" appeared, where Gary got the role of the sophisticated spy George Smiley. By the way, for this role the actor was nominated for the Oscar for the first time, which was a complete surprise for him. And the 2012 crime drama The World's Drunkest County was nominated for the Palme d'Or.

Director's work

In addition to filming in the mass of bright and extraordinary films, Gary Oldman is also engaged in directing. In 1997, the actor made his debut as a director, presenting his film titled Do Not Swallow at the Cannes Film Festival. This is a story about an ordinary London working family with all its problems and turmoil. For this film, Oldman received two popular awards, and critics called his debut stunning.

In the future, the actor, together with Douglas Urbansky, created the SE8 Group company, which released several more films, as well as clips directed by Gary Oldman.

Music career

It is worth noting that the famous actor was interested in music from an early age. As a child, he was fond of playing the piano. Gary also plays the guitar well. In one of the interviews, the actor jokingly said that it was better for him to become a musician.

By the way, he created soundtracks for some of his films on his own. And in 1995, together with David Bowie, he recorded a song called "You've been around".

Private life

It's no secret that Gary Oldman managed to be married four times. In 1987 he married actress Leslie Manville. In 1988, the couple had a son, Alfie. Unfortunately, the relationship did not work out and in 1990 the couple filed for divorce.

In the same 1990, Gary married the famous actress Uma Thurman. But due to Gary's problems with addiction, this marriage also broke up in 1992. Then the actor had an affair with actress Isabella Rossellini - the couple even jointly adopted the child Roberto.

In 1997, the actor married photographer Dona Fiorentino. Together they lived until 2001. In 1997, the couple had a son, Gulliver Flynn, and two years later, another son, who was named Charlie John.

In 2008, Gary began a serious relationship with jazz singer Alexandra Edenborough. The couple were soon married. The singer remains the wife of the famous actor to this day.

It's no secret that since the early 1990s, Gary has suffered from alcohol addiction. And in 2001, his ex-wife Dona Fiorentino also announced the actor's addiction to drugs. Such problems had a bad effect primarily on Oldman's personal life, since it was his addiction that caused the divorce from Uma Thurman and Dona Fiorentino. But soon after the third divorce, the actor agreed to treatment in a rehabilitation clinic.

Celebrity Actor Awards

During his career, Gary Oldman managed to receive a lot of various awards and nominations. In 1987, for his performance in the film "Sid and Nancy", he received the award as "Mostpromising newcomer. In 1992, the actor was awarded the Saturn Award as the best film actor for the role of Dracula.

In 1997, for the author's film, Gary was awarded the following awards: "Best Original Screenplay", "Best British Film", "Best Director", "Best Directorial Debut". In 2009, the actor received an honorary award as "Cinema Icon".