The King of Villains

Oldman’s 1990s filmography is like a museum of iconic antagonists. The brutal pimp Drexel Spivey in True Romance, the sleazy and corrupt DEA agent Norman Stansfield in Léon: The Professional, and the terrorist Egor Korshunov in Air Force One. Even in the Guns N’ Roses video Since I Don’t Have You, he appeared once again as… the villain.

A pattern, to say the least.

Photo: Getty Images

But as terrifying as he was, he was equally brilliant in his improvisations. Some of the most memorable lines in Léon were entirely his own creation. When he begins talking about Beethoven, for example – a coincidence, as he was filming Immortal Beloved the same year, playing the composer himself and meeting Isabella Rossellini, who became his partner for a period.

Master of Nuance

When Oldman stepped into Friends as a pretentious actor and co-star to Joey Tribbiani, the world briefly saw a more humorous side of him. Yet he still managed to make the scene iconic by teaching Joey the “proper” acting technique: spitting on your partner to make the dialogue feel authentic. Pure Oldman absurdity.

In contrast to his explosive roles, he delivered an unexpectedly subtle, understated performance in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, where as George Smiley he showed that silence can sometimes speak louder than screams. A single glance from him carried as much emotional weight as a full monologue.

From Villain to Hero

When Christopher Nolan cast Oldman as the principled Commissioner James Gordon in the Batman trilogy, audiences were initially surprised. Oldman as a good guy? Could that be true?

But his interpretation of Gordon became one of the most beloved elements of the series. He carried the role with dignity, humanity, and vulnerability — proving that he could play a moral compass just as convincingly as unhinged madness.

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Beethoven, Churchill and the Art of Disappearing Into a Role

His transformation into Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour finally earned him the Oscar that had long felt inevitable. The prosthetic suit that added weight, the meticulous makeup, and the more than 400 cigars he smoked during filming show his uncompromising dedication. He played Churchill with body, voice, and soul — and it showed.

A Private Life as Dramatic as His Roles

Behind the camera, Oldman has lived a life marked by turbulence and triumph. His alcoholism — a tragedy inherited from his father — held him in a tight grip for years. Thanks to Alcoholics Anonymous, he eventually broke free. Along the way, he met several significant women.

His relationship with Isabella Rossellini ended when she persuaded him to seek treatment, where he met Doña Fiorentino, whom he later married. The marriage ended bitterly, with Fiorentino accusing him of domestic violence — accusations their son Gulliver later called lies that traumatized the entire family.

Oldman has been married several times: to Leslie Manville (with whom he had his son Alfie), to Uma Thurman, to Doña Fiorentino, to Alexandra Edenborough, and finally to Gisele Schmidt, whom he married in 2017.

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The Uncompromising Artist

Oldman openly embraces the techniques of Stanislavski and Stella Adler, admitting he sometimes “goes a bit too far” in preparing for a role. While filming Sid and Nancy, he lost so much weight that he was hospitalized. He describes his work as a commitment where he drills deep into a character’s psyche until he knows every fiber of their being.

When asked if he has a favorite role, he answers as many parents do:

“It’s like choosing a favorite child.”

What matters most to him are characters “where the silence is loud,” like George Smiley — roles where every nuance means something.

Gary Oldman is not simply an actor — he’s a phenomenon.

Many can play evil. Few can make evil human.
And even fewer can do the opposite: play goodness without losing complexity.

That is where Oldman is strongest.
In the silence. In the gaze. In the transformation.

In everything that cannot be acted — yet he manages to embody.