Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Well-known to audiences for his portrayals of dark and morally corrupt characters,[2] he came to prominence in roles such as Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy, Jackie Flannery in State of Grace and Lee Harvey Oswald in JFK, which led to his most successful, and arguably best known, leading role as Count Dracula in the 1992 blockbuster Dracula. Following the success of Dracula, he was cast as the villain of a number of popular films, including True Romance, Léon, Murder in the First, Air Force One, The Fifth Element, The Contender and The Book of Eli, frequently in starring roles. He is also known for his portrayals of real-life figures: as well as Vicious and Oswald, he portrayed Joe Orton in Prick Up Your Ears, Ludwig Van Beethoven in Immortal Beloved and Pontius Pilate in Jesus. In recent years he is recognisable as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter film series and James Gordon in Christopher Nolan's reboot of the Batman film series.
Oldman has received acclaim for his diverse on-screen performances,[3][4] being described as an "actor's actor".[5][6] He has also been cited as an influence by a number of successful actors.[7] In addition to leading and central supporting roles in big-budget Hollywood films, Oldman has frequently acted in independent films, as well as having appeared on television shows such as Fallen Angels and Friends. He also directed, wrote and co-produced Nil by Mouth, a film partially based on his own childhood,[8] and served as a producer on The Contender, Plunkett & Macleane and Nobody's Baby. Described by The Guardian as "arguably the best actor never Oscar-nominated,"[9] Oldman's acting and filmmaking work have seen him nominated for, among other awards: an Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, the Palme d'Or, three BAFTA Awards (winning two) and three Saturn Awards (winning one).[10] Allmovie characterised Oldman as "capable of portraying almost any type of character", having "consistently amazed viewers with his ability to completely disappear into his roles."[
Oldman has received acclaim for his diverse on-screen performances,[3][4] being described as an "actor's actor".[5][6] He has also been cited as an influence by a number of successful actors.[7] In addition to leading and central supporting roles in big-budget Hollywood films, Oldman has frequently acted in independent films, as well as having appeared on television shows such as Fallen Angels and Friends. He also directed, wrote and co-produced Nil by Mouth, a film partially based on his own childhood,[8] and served as a producer on The Contender, Plunkett & Macleane and Nobody's Baby. Described by The Guardian as "arguably the best actor never Oscar-nominated,"[9] Oldman's acting and filmmaking work have seen him nominated for, among other awards: an Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, the Palme d'Or, three BAFTA Awards (winning two) and three Saturn Awards (winning one).[10] Allmovie characterised Oldman as "capable of portraying almost any type of character", having "consistently amazed viewers with his ability to completely disappear into his roles."[
