ACTOR · BORN 1958
Gary Oldman
- Born
- 21 March 1958, London, England, UK
- Known for
- The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Batman Begins (2005), The Godfather Part II (1974), Léon (1994)
47 archived facts 7 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Gary Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an actor best known for The Dark Knight Rises, Batman Begins and The Godfather Part II.
47 Interesting Facts About Gary Oldman
Interesting Facts (9)
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Actors Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt have cited Oldman as their inspiration.
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Production Story (10)
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The Film Production section of Variety, 20 October 1982, announced that the movie "Gossip" began filming on 25 October 1982 in London with director Don Boyd and actors Anne-Louise Lambert, Anthony Higgins, Leif Garrett, Gary Oldman and Simon Callow. When financing didn't come through, filming shut down on 14 November 1982 and never resumed.
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He went uncredited for Hannibal (2001) when he was denied star billing with Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore.
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Behind the Scenes (3)
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Gary Oldman appeared in David Bowie's music video for 'The Next Day' (2013) alongside Marion Cotillard, his co-star in 'The Dark Knight Rises' (2012). The video caused a great stir as Bowie's comeback. This behind-the-scenes collaboration reinforced Oldman's connection to the music world.
Characters & Cast (3)
Easter Eggs & References (3)
Career & Awards (11)
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He has been nominated twice for the Oscar for playing a British hero (one fictional and one real) who saved Britain from an unseen enemy. His first Oscar nod was for playing the fictional George Smiley who uncovered a Soviet double-agent in British Intelligence during the Cold War, and his second Oscar nod (which also became his first Oscar win) was as Winston Churchill, who led Britain to victory against the Germans during World War II.
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Gary Oldman was awarded a Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 2025 King's Birthday Honours for services to drama. Unusually, he was elevated directly to a knighthood without having previously received any honour, not even an MBE. This is an indication of how greatly his contributions to the art world have been appreciated. This honour is recorded as one of the most prestigious awards of Oldman's career.
Life & Family (8)
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He is a libertarian, has criticized political correctness and accused Hollywood of a liberal bias, claiming that "conservatives in Hollywood don't have a podium". He is also a big admirer of right-wing British politician Winston Churchill, whom he portrayed sympathetically in the film Darkest Hour (2017) and described as "arguably the greatest Briton who ever lived".
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His problems with alcohol were well known during the early 1990s, and he checked himself into rehab for alcoholism treatment in 1995. In subsequent interviews Oldman acknowledged his problems with alcohol and called himself a recovering alcoholic in a 2001 interview with Charlie Rose. Oldman lives a teetotal lifestyle and attributes his success in beating his addiction to attending meetings with Alcoholics Anonymous, which he has publicly praised.
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During their divorce, Donya Fiorentino claimed that Oldman physically assaulted her in front of the pair's children. Oldman denied the accusation. Police investigated but filed no charges, and Oldman was awarded sole legal and physical custody of the children. Gulliver later asserted that the alleged incident was a fabrication on the part of his "sad and very troubled" mother.
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In 2012, Oldman was among the British cultural icons selected by artist Sir Peter Blake to appear in a new version of his most famous artwork - The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover - to celebrate the British cultural figures of his life that he most admires to mark his 80th birthday.
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Related pages
- What We Do in the Shadows — Gary Oldman comes up in the facts on that page
- Zodiac — Gary Oldman comes up in the facts on that page
- Call of Duty: Black Ops — Gary Oldman comes up in the facts on that page
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Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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