The Harry Potter Compendium
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File:Gary-oldman.jpg
Gary Oldman
Biographical information
Birth name

Leonard Gary Oldman

Born

21 March, 1958
New Cross, London, England, UK

Nationality

British

Current residence

Los Angeles, California, USA

Gender

Male

Height

5' 9"[1]

Family
  • Lesley Manville (ex-wife)
  • Alfie Oldman (son)
  • Uma Thurman (ex-wife)
  • Donya Fiorentino (ex-wife)
  • Gulliver Flynn Oldman (son)
  • Charlie John Oldman (son)
  • Alexandra Edenborough (wife)
  • Laila Morse (sister)
Career
Years active

1982-present

In Harry Potter

Sirius Black

Notable roles
  • The Dark Knight (2008)
  • Batman Begins (2005)
  • Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
  • JFK (1991)
  • Sid and Nancy (1986)
Academy Awards

Best Actor nomination (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, 2011)

Emmy Awards

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series nomination (Friends, 2001)

Gary Oldman is the actor who plays Sirius Black in the film adaptations of Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, and Deathly Hallows: Part 2. He also voiced Sirius in the video-game adaption of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Acting career[]

Oldman made his first significant impact upon Hollywood when he was cast as Sid Vicious, the bassist of the Sex Pistols, in Alex Cox's Sid and Nancy (1986). He gained critical acclaim for the role, as did his next significant role – playwright Joe Orton in Prick Up Your Ears (1987).

In 1990, he appeared with Tim Roth and Richard Dreyfuss in the Tom Stoppard comedy Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead. He also played Lee Harvey Oswald, the suspected assassin of John F. Kennedy, in Oliver Stone's 1991 drama JFK.

Oldman is best known portraying villains. Throughout the 1990s, he made appearances as villains in several blockbusters including Dracula (1992) with Anthony Hopkins; Leon (1994) with Jean Reno; Air Force One (1997) with Harrison Ford; The Fifth Element (1997) with Bruce Willis; and Lost in Space (1998) with William Hurt.

Having become acquainted with Matt LeBlanc on the set of Lost in Space, Oldman agreed to appear in a 2001 episode of the sitcom "Friends". The memorable two-part episode "The One with Monica and Chandler's Wedding" featured a much talked-about spitting scene between Oldman and LeBlanc, after Oldman's character claimed that "real" actors spat on each other when they enunciated. For his role, Oldman earned an Emmy Award nomination.

In 2003, he was cast as Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; he reprised the role in the following two films. And in 2005, he co-starred in Christopher Nolan's "Batman" reboot Batman Begins as James Gordon. He played Gordon a second time in the 2008 Oscar winning sequel The Dark Knight.

In 2009, Oldman played the roles of Jacob Marley, Bob Cratchit, and Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol, and in 2010, he played the role of Carnegie in The Book of Eli with Denzel Washington.

In 2011, Oldman reprised the role of Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.[2] He also played George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (with John Hurt, Toby Jones, Ciarán Hinds, Simon McBurney, and Roger Lloyd-Pack), for which he earned the first Academy Award nomination of his career.

Personal life[]

  • Oldman has been married four times, most famously to Oscar nominated actress Uma Thurman—who co-starred with Ralph Fiennes in The Avengers—from 1990 to 1992. He is currently married to Alexandra Edenborough, since 2008.
  • He has three sons from two other marriages: Alfie (b. 1988) from his marriage to Lesley Manville, and Gulliver (b. 1997) and Charlie (b. 1999) from his marriage to Donya Fiorentino.

Behind the scenes[]

  • Gary gave Daniel Radcliffe a bass guitar as a gift when they first met.

Filmography[]

Year Film Role Notes
2014 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
RoboCop Dr. Dennett Norton
2012 The Dark Knight Rises Jim Gordon
2011 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy George Smiley Academy Award nomination for Best Leading Actor
BAFTA Award nomination for Best Leading Actor
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Sirius Black
Kung Fu Panda 2: The Kaboom of Doom Voice of Lord Shen
Red Riding Hood Father Solomon
Guns, Girls and Gambling Elvis
2010 Criminal Empire for Dummy's Unknown
Call of Duty: Black Ops Voice of Sgt. Reznov
Voice of Dr. Clarke
Video game
The Book of Eli Carnegie
2009 Planet 51 Voice of General Grawl Animated
A Christmas Carol Bob Cratchit/Marley/Tiny Tim A 3-D film that was produced through the process of performance capture.
Rain Fall William Holtzer
The Unborn Rabbi Sendak
2008 Call of Duty: World at War Voice of Sgt. Reznov Video game
The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon Voice of Ignitus
The Dark Knight Jim Gordon
2007 The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night Voice of Ignitus Video game
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Sirius Black
2006 The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning Voice of Ignitus Video game
The Backwoods Paul
2005 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Sirius Black
Batman Begins Jim Gordon
2004 Who's Kyle? Scouse Short film
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Sirius Black
Dead Fish Lynch
2003 Sin Charlie Strom
True Crime: Streets of LA Voice of Rocky, Agent Masterson Video game
Tiptoes Rolfe
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault - Spearhead Voice of Sgt. Jack Barnes Video game
2002 Beat the Devil Devil Short film
Interstate 60: Episodes of the Road O.W. Grant
2001 Friends (TV series) Richard Crosby 2 episodes
The One with Monica and Chandler's Wedding: Part 1
The One with Monica and Chandler's Wedding: Part 2
Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Hannibal Mason Verger
Nobody's Baby Buford Bill
2000 The Contender Shelly Runyon
1999 Jesus Pontius Pilate TV movie
Tracey Takes On... (TV series) Hairdresser 1 episode
Hair
1998 The fifth Element (Video game) Voice of Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg
Quest for Camelot Voice of Ruber Animated
Lost in Space Dr Zachary Smith/Spider Smith
1997 Air Force One Ivan Korshunov
The Fifth Element Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg
Nil by Mouth Writer/director/producer BAFTA Award for Best British Film
BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay - Original
1996 Basquiat Albert Milo
1995 The Scarlet Letter Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale
Murder in the First Milton Glenn
1994 Immortal Beloved Ludwig van Beethoven
Léon Stansfield
1993 Romeo Is Bleeding Jack Grimaldi
True Romance Drexl Spivey
Fallen Angels (TV series) Pat Keiley 1 episode
Dead End for Delia
1992 Bram Stoker's Dracula Count Dracula / Vlad III Draculea
1991 JFK Lee Harvey Oswald
1990 Henry & June Pop
State of Grace Jackie Flannery
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead Rosencrantz
1989 Knots Landing (TV series) Don Ross 1 episode
Close Call
Chattahoochee Emmett Foley
Criminal Law Ben Chase
1988 We Think the World of You Johnny
Track 29 Martin
1987 Prick Up Your Ears Joe Orton BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actor
1986-1991 Screen Two (TV series) Bex Bissell / Derek Bates / Ian Tyson 3 episodes
Heading Home (1991) - Ian Tyson
The Firm (1989) - Bex Bissell
Honest, Decent and True (1986) - Derek Bates
1986 Sid and Nancy Sid Vicious
1985 Summer Season Gary 1 episode
Rachel and the Roarettes
1984 Morgan's Boy (TV series) Collin Unknown episodes
Dramarama (TV series) Ben 1 episode
On Your Tod
Meantime Coxy TV movie
1982 Remembrance Daniel

External links[]

Notes and references[]

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