Gary Oldman

**Sir Gary Leonard Oldman** (born 21 March 1958) is a British actor and filmmaker. He is known for his starring role in the 1992 movie _Dracula_ and as Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the 2017 movie _Darkest Hour_.

His other roles include Sid Vicious in "Sid and Nancy", Sirius Black in the Harry Potter movies, George Smiley in _Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy_, Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg in _The Fifth Element_, Egor Korshunov in _Air Force One_, Norman Stansfield in _Léon: The Professional_,  and as James Gordon in _The Dark Knight Trilogy_.

In 2018, for his role as Churchill, Oldman was awarded a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, a Satellite Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Academy Award.

In June 2025, Oldman was appointed a Knight Bachelor by King Charles III in the 2025 Birthday Honours.

He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time.

## Early life

Oldman was born in New Cross, London on 21 March 1958. He is the son of housewife Kathleen (née Cheriton; born 28 November 1919), and Leonard Bertram Oldman (21 May 1921 – October 1985), a former sailor who also worked as a welder. Oldman has stated that his father was an alcoholic who left the family when Oldman was 7 years old. Oldman attended West Greenwich School in Deptford, leaving school at the age of 16 to work in a sports shop.

## Career

Oldman has earned renown for his classical acting style and diversity, being hailed by famous movie critics such as Roger Ebert and Peter Travers as one of cinema's great actors. Peer Colin Firth described him as "a very strong candidate for the world’s best living actor". An Academy Award nominee, Oldman has won two BAFTA Awards and a Saturn Award, as well as Emmy Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Palme d'Or nominations.

### Influence

Oldman's performances during his career have provided inspiration for younger actors who would go on to enjoy successful Hollywood careers: Tom Hardy has described Oldman as his "absolute complete and utter hero", and "hands down, the greatest actor that's ever lived"; Brad Pitt, Daniel Radcliffe, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ryan Gosling have also cited Oldman as their favourite actor. Other actors such as Christian Bale, Shia LaBeouf, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Johnny Depp, Chris Pine, Jason Isaacs and Michael Fassbender have praised Oldman as well.

## Personal life

Oldman married his first wife, Lesley Manville, in 1987 but left her in 1989 three months after their son, Alfie, was born. He met American actress Uma Thurman on the set of _State of Grace_, and they were married in 1990, but the marriage ended two years later. Oldman then settled into a relationship with actress and model Isabella Rossellini. The couple were rumoured to be engaged in July 1994 but separated two years later. Oldman was married to Donya Fiorentino from 1997 to 2001 and they have two sons, Gulliver Flynn (b. 20 August 1997) and Charlie John (b. 11 February 1999).

On 31 December 2008, Oldman married English jazz singer Alexandra Edenborough in Santa Barbara, California in a private, formal ceremony. Oldman currently lives in Los Angeles with his family.

## Other websites

- Interview with Gary Oldman on his directorial debut – Nil by Mouth
- Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: The Strange Career of Gary Oldman

## Infobox (person)

- **honorific prefix**: Knight Bachelor, Sir
- **name**: Gary Oldman
- **image**: Gary Oldman (13948780853) (cropped).jpg
- **caption**: Oldman in 2014
- **birth name**: Gary Leonard Oldman
- **birth place**: New Cross, London, England
- **education**: Rose Bruford College (Bachelor of Arts, BA)
- **children**: 3
- **partner**: Isabella Rossellini (1994–1996)
- **relatives**: Laila Morse (sister)
- **years active**: 1979–present
- **works**: Gary Oldman filmography, Full list
- **awards**: List of awards and nominations received by Gary Oldman, Full list
- **signature**: File:Gary Oldman signature.png