Gary Oldman's Return to the Stage: How a Versatile Actor Keeps Surprising Us All

It has been a long time, 46 years to be exact, since Gary Oldman first stepped onto a professional stage in York. Now, at 67, he is back there for Samuel Beckett’s solo play Krapp’s Last Tape. He is definitely not the young actor Rada once told to find a different job. Over the past four decades Oldman has quietly become one of the best actors of his time. His range and intense performances have earned him many awards including an Oscar a few Baftas and a Golden Globe. This is no small feat.

Today he is one of the highest-earning actors ever. People in Britain really like him for his stand-out role as Jackson Lamb, the grumpy boss of a team of disgraced spies in the Apple TV+ show Slow Horses. It is no surprise that viewers are drawn to Lamb. His appeal comes from his human flaws. He is messy a bit corrupt and pessimistic. He likes to drink and swear. It is exactly the kind of unusual character Oldman has spent his career making just right.

Will Smith, the creator of Slow Horses, shared his thoughts on Lamb. “Jackson Lamb’s character history is all in his past. He’s not going to change or grow. We’re looking at a worn-out man,” Smith told a newspaper. “Because Gary is such an amazing actor he can show that huge background with just a look or a change in how he stands. There’s so much to show and learn about with Lamb. But Gary is happy to let it sit in the background and then give us a hint of his dark past once in a while. It’s wonderful to watch.” This really captures what makes Oldman so good at what he does.

From Early Rejection to Becoming a "Brit Pack" Star and Hollywood's Unforgettable Villains

Tracing Gary Oldman's Path From Troubled Beginnings To Memorable Screen Roles

Gary Oldman is often called a "working-class hero." This is especially true in an industry that now has many actors from privileged backgrounds. He grew up in New Cross in south-east London starting his life in 1958. His father Leonard was a welder and former sailor. He left the family home when Gary was seven. Oldman as a teenager was a big Millwall fan. He first wanted to get into music. But he decided to try acting after seeing Malcolm McDowell on stage. He started studying with the Young People’s theatre in Greenwich. He worked odd jobs too like being a porter and a shoe shop assistant. He did not get into Rada but he studied acting at the Rose Bruford College in Sidcup. After that he worked a lot with York Theatre Royal the Royal Court and the Royal Shakespeare Company. This shows his dedication from the very start.

He first appeared in a film in 1982 in Colin Gregg’s Remembrance. The next year he got a lead role as a skinhead in Mike Leigh’s Meantime. Then he really got noticed for playing Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy in 1986. Playing the Sex Pistols’ bassist showed how much Oldman committed to his roles. At one point he went to the hospital because he lost so much weight for the part. John Lydon himself said the performance was "bloody good." This role led to many others. He played the playwright Joe Orton in Prick Up Your Ears in 1987. He was a football firm leader in The Firm in 1989. He was also Rosencrantz in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead in 1990. He became a unofficial leader of the "Brit pack" of driven young British actors. This group included Colin Firth and Daniel Day-Lewis. He was definitely one to watch.

In 1991 Oldman starred in his first big US movie playing Lee Harvey Oswald in Oliver Stone’s JFK. After that he started to be known as Hollywood’s "psycho deluxe." He was Count Dracula in Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula in 1992. He played the violent pimp Drexl Spivey in True Romance in 1993, a movie directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino. He was a cruel prison warden in Murder in the First in 1995. He also played a corporate dictator in The Fifth Element in 1997. Perhaps most famously he played a corrupt DEA officer in Luc Besson’s Léon: The Professional in 1994. Many people consider this one of the best villains and most corrupt cops in movie history. He really knew how to make you hate his characters.

From Franchise Success to Oscar Wins: Gary Oldman's Journey To Critical Acclaim

How Roles In Harry Potter And Batman Led To Long-Awaited Academy Recognition

After a quiet period in the early 2000s Oldman returned to the spotlight. He was cast in two major movie series. He played Harry Potter’s godfather Sirius Black in the Harry Potter Movies. He was also police commissioner Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Critics really praised his performance as Gordon. They often said Oldman was one of the greatest actors who had never been nominated for an Oscar. That changed. His first Oscar nomination came for playing the spy George Smiley in Tomas Alfredson’s 2011 movie Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. But he did not win the award until 2018. That is when he won for playing Winston Churchill in Joe Wright’s Darkest Hour.

Oldman recently shared that he turned down the Churchill role "half a dozen times." His wife finally changed his mind. She said: "Go out there and walk on the wire. It could be great. But even if you fall and it’s no good, you’ve got to stand on the set and say: We shall fight you on the beaches.” He thought: “You’ve got a point there." Oldman’s transformation into the wartime leader was huge. It took 200 hours in the makeup chair and 14 pounds of silicone rubber. He even got nicotine poisoning from smoking $20,000 worth of Cuban cigars for the role. Christopher Eccleston said Oldman’s Oscar win was "massive" for working-class actors. He stated, “Oldman is as fine an actor as Daniel Day-Lewis. But Gary is not double-barrelled.”

Oldman’s third Oscar nomination was for playing the main role in Mank in 2020. This film was David Fincher’s tribute to a past era of American filmmaking. Oldman said he found it hard to work on this film without a disguise. He often uses prosthetics or makeup to hide. He explained, "I do like to hide. But I’m hiding because it’s all my baggage. So that was my problem.” This gives a glimpse into his personal process and why he often chooses such transformative roles. He does like to disappear into his characters.

Overcoming Personal Struggles And Finding Peace: Gary Oldman's Life Beyond The Screen

Reflecting On His Difficult Childhood And Long Journey To Sobriety

There have been many personal challenges in Oldman’s life. His difficult childhood was one. He used this experience when writing and directing Nil By Mouth in 1997. It was a raw look at an abusive alcoholic father in south London. A film critic called it "the most authentic working-class Cockney movie ever." He also struggled with alcoholism in the 90s. He was arrested for drunk driving and went to rehab. Oldman has been sober for over 25 years now. He shared that since he stopped drinking many good things have happened. He is not as lonely anymore. He is not living out of a suitcase in a hotel room anymore. He said there were years when he was very sad and destructive.

He once showed up drunk to the set of The Scarlet Letter in the mid-1990s. He apologized to Demi Moore later. He thought she would hate him for being unprofessional. But she just said, "It’s OK. I don’t hate you. I’m just disappointed.” He knew at that moment he could not go on like that. This moment really changed his life. He decided he would not play villains after that. Harrison Ford used to call him "Scary Gary" because of his villain roles. Oldman only broke that promise once to play Mason Verger in Ridley Scott's Hannibal. He heard they wanted to use a puppet for the character. He thought that was a bad idea. He called Ridley and suggested he take the part. He thought Verger was a great character. He really loves a challenge.

In 2014 Oldman apologized for comments he made that seemed to defend Mel Gibson’s anti-Jewish slurs. He has also had several marriages. These include to actors Lesley Manville and Uma Thurman. He has faced accusations of violence toward his third wife Donya Fiorentino. These accusations came out when he was promoting Darkest Hour. He has been married to writer and art curator Gisele Schmidt since 2017. His path has not been easy, but he has always kept working and pushing forward.

The Enduring Appeal Of Gary Oldman: From Slow Horses To The Stage Once More

His Continuing Success Proves He Is Still At The Top Of His Game

While Oldman has appeared in several recent films, like Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope, Slow Horses has really cemented his place as a national treasure. The show is very popular. Will Smith, the showrunner, found working with Gary an "education and inspiration." He called Oldman a "truly transformational actor." He also said Oldman is a "once-in-a-generation talent" with a "wonderful work ethic" and a "generous spirit." Smith noted that every actor on the show is in awe of him. But Oldman makes them feel welcome and comfortable.

Much like the character of Krapp, Oldman is revisiting his own past by being on stage each night. He carries a feeling of "an older man talking with his younger self," according to a review. Oldman has spoken about wanting to retire once Slow Horses finishes. This makes his return to York even more fitting. Near the end of the play, Krapp asks if his "best years are gone." But for Gary Oldman, it is clear his star is just as bright as it ever was. He continues to take on roles that challenge him and delight audiences around the world. He is truly an actor who keeps on giving.