Hurry Up Tomorrow
Through absolutely no fault of his own, Gary Oldman remains largely unknown by the movie-going public. Why is that? He’s an exceptionally talented actor, and has been in several of major films. Yet he’s rarely the star of the show, and has never been nominated for an Oscar.
Oldman is instantly recognizable and has 69 films to his name. Yet if you asked anyone to name the actor who was the detective in
Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies, or Sirius Black in Harry Potter, it’s unlikely you’ll get a response. We think it’s time to change that.
Gary Oldman deserves a little fan recognition!
British actor Gary Oldman, born March 21, 1958, began his career in acting after receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rose Bruford College in 1979.
He did mostly theater work for the next several years until 1986 when he was cast as the late Sid Vicious in "Sid & Nancy." This is considered by most to be his breakout role and he received two awards: one for Most Promising Newcomer from the Evening Standard British Film Awards and the ALFS Award for Actor of the Year from the London Film Critics' Circle Awards.
In 1987, he won a BAFTA Award for his portrayal of gay playwright Joe Orton in
"Prick Up Your Ears."
Oldman moved to the United States in the early '90s and won the role of Lee Harvey Oswald in "JFK." The following year, in 1992, he starred as Count Dracula in the Francis Ford Coppola-directed version of "Dracula." The film was very popular and earned Oldman a Best Actor accolade from the Saturn Awards.
His portrayal of the famous vampire led him to be cast as the miscreant in several more films such as "True Romance," "The Fifth Element," and "Air Force One." During this time period, Oldman ended a marriage to fellow English actress Lesley Manville and began a short marriage to American actress Uma Thurman. They were divorced in 1992.
In 2001, Oldman guest-starred on the hit television show "Friends." Oldman played himself and his hilarious interpretation earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.
In 2004, Oldman was cast as Harry Potter's godfather, Sirius Black. This recurring role earned him another nomination for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor.
For the rest of the decade, he won roles in many blockbuster films, such as Jim Gordon in "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight" and Carnegie in "The Book of Eli." He, along with the rest of the cast of "The Dark Knight" won The People's Choice Award for Best Cast. He provided the voices for Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit, and Jacob Marley in the 2009 adaptation of
"A Christmas Carol" with Jim Carrey. He also provided the voice of General Grawl in "Planet 51."
Most recently, Oldman has been cast as Father Soloman in "Red Riding Hood" and provided the voice for Lord Shen in "Kung Fu Panda 2." He also returned to his role as Sirius Black in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," the final film in the series.
Soon he will be seen as George Smiley, a fictional British intelligence officer, in the film "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy," co-starring Colin Firth. His character will be a retired officer who emerges from retirement to help capture a Russian agent. The film is scheduled to be released on September 16, 2011 in the United Kingdom; however, it will not be released in the United States until November 18, 2011. The film is already receiving Oscar buzz.
Sid and Nancy
JFK
Dracula
The Professional
The Scarlet Letter
The Fifth Element
Batman Begins
The Book of Eli
Kung Fu Panda 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II
