In his three-and-a-half-decade career, Oldman has emerged as one of the finest actors of his time, often playing twisted and even bizarre characters.
Gary Oldman holds his Best Actor Oscar for The Darkest Hour, in Hollywood, US, on March 4, 2018. Credit: Reuters
After a nomination for his remarkable turn as George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), Gary Oldman won the Oscar for best actor for The Darkest Hour, in which he plays, improbably, Winston Churchill. With hardly any resemblance with the wartime British prime minister, Oldman, with the help of makeup and prosthetics, emerges on screen as not just a dead ringer for Churchill but also captures his mannerisms, portraying him as a hero who led his country through a very difficult time.
In his three-and-a-half-decade career, Oldman has emerged as one of the finest actors of his time, often playing twisted and even bizarre characters. But to each role he has brought depth and understanding, and a special touch that makes it unforgettable. Whether as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter films or as the playwright Joe Orton in Prick Up Your Ears, Oldman immersed himself in his characters. Here are five of his memorable roles, in no particular order, which demonstrate his range and versatility.
Sid and Nancy
Oldman played punk rocker Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols, a self-destructive musician who was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen. Oldman is all manic energy, talented but a “fabulous disaster”, a rebellious voice in Thatcherite Britain, and he brings alive the lost soul that Vicious was once the band had imploded not the least because of his bizarre behaviour.
Dracula
In this Francis Ford Coppola version, Count Dracula is less a vampire and more a lover, the ‘ultimate romantic’, in the words of a critic, on a quest to find the perfect love, Winona Ryder, who resembles his late wife. The film was a success, and praised for its lavishness, but was criticised for over-reliance on style. Still, Oldman took it in another direction from the conventional portrayals of the undead count, and won a lot of praise.
The Fifth Element
Luc Besson’s film was a comic book brought on to the screen, visually exciting and innovative if somewhat campy, and Oldman’s character Zorg – the villain – added much flavour to the proceedings. With Bruce Willis his usual smirking self, Oldman got to play it flamboyantly, who is more comic than threatening. Even so, it is a remarkable and stylised turn that a lesser actor would have ruined by hamming it up. With Oldman, however ridiculous the whole thing is, there is complete fidelity to the character.
The Dark Knight series
Oldman is Commissioner Gordon, who, as police chief of the crime-infested Gotham City, does not necessarily approve of Batman’s vigilante ways but understands why they may be necessary. At all times, he retains his integrity and strength, even at great personal cost. Oldman’s Gordon is the perfect foil for Batman and held his own in the face of Christopher Bale, the villains and the overwhelming scale of the film, which were the main draw.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Alec Guinness had played George Smiley on television and had owned the role so fully, that no other actor could have possibly reprised it. Gary Oldman did it and put his own stamp on Smiley, who is less diffident but no less brimming with intelligence as Guinness’s interpretation. Oldman’s Smiley shows the steely side of the spymaster, who is fully aware of the office politics but is not going to be cowed down even when his only backer, Control, dies. Tomas Alfredson directed the film as a bleak drama of betrayal, with excellent casting, none more perfect than Oldman in a role for which he was nominated for an Oscar.