Trivia

Has used a different speaking voice (i.e., accent) in practically every movie in which he has ever been.

Was famously told by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) to find a new career other than acting before training at Rose Bruford.

Played Lee Harvey Oswald in both JFK (1991) and Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald? (1993).

Before his nod for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), he was considered one of the greatest actors never nominated for an Oscar.

As of July 2014, films starring Oldman have grossed over $3.8 billion at the United States box office, and over $9.9 billion worldwide. In 2012, The Hollywood Reporter named Oldman the highest-grossing actor in history, based on lead and supporting roles.

His performance as Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy (1986) is ranked #62 on Premiere magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

Performed a vocal duet with David Bowie for the song "You've Been Around" on the album "The Sacred Squall of Now" (1995) by longtime Bowie guitarist Reeves Gabrels. He is also featured on the song "Stamford Hill" on the same album.

He took on the role of Sirius Black in the Harry Potter films partially to impress his sons, but mainly because he needed the money, having taken a year off work to spend time with his family.

Received the scar below his right eye during a rehearsal for Meantime (1983), where Tim Roth threw a bottle that hit a light and fell on Oldman.

Actors Tom Hardy and Alexander Skarsgård have named Oldman as their favorite actor.

On August 8, 1991, he was arrested for drunk driving in Los Angeles and released on bail the next morning. His passenger in the car was his friend Kiefer Sutherland.

Is very close to Harry Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe.

He went uncredited for Hannibal (2001) when he was denied star billing with Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore.

When their 18-month marriage ended, he and Uma Thurman made a pact not to talk about each other.

Has been an inspiration to many actors including up and comers Michael Fassbender, Bo Barrett, Ryan Gosling, Shia LaBeouf, Chris Kato, and Kaili Thorne.

His film Nil by Mouth (1997) is loosely based upon his own life growing up in London.

Turned down the title role in Edward Scissorhands (1990), which went to Johnny Depp.

Was a friend of David Bowie and he paid tribute to him at the BRIT awards after Bowie passed away.

His The Dark Knight Rises (2012) co-star Tom Hardy has named Oldman as his idol and described him as "hands down, the greatest actor that's ever lived".

Directed a music video for Jewish hip-hop group Chutzpah shot entirely on Nokia cell phones. Actress Juliet Landau directed a 25-minute documentary - Take Flight: Gary Oldman Directs Chutzpah (2009) - about the making of the music video.

Filmed a role in The Thin Red Line (1998) but all his scenes were deleted from the final cut.

Auditioned for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) but was rejected and told by advisers that he should consider something besides acting.

His older sister Laila Morse plays the character Maureen "Big Mo" Harris on the British soap opera EastEnders (1985).

Used to work various jobs on assembly lines, as a porter in an operating theatre, selling shoes, and beheading pigs in an abattoir.

In 2011, he named his five favorite films as Apocalypse Now (1979), The Conversation (1974), The Godfather Part II (1974), Badlands (1973) and Ratcatcher (1999) and cites his director from Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), Francis Ford Coppola, as his favorite filmmaker.

For his portrayal of Churchill in Darkest Hour (2017), he became the third performer to win an Oscar for playing a British prime minister. The first was George Arliss for Disraeli (1929) and the second was Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady (2011).

His problems with alcohol were well known during the early 1990s: 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, whom he has publicly praised.

Has three sons: Alfie Oldman (born 1988) from his first marriage to Lesley Manville. Gulliver Flynn Oldman (born August 20, 1997) and Charlie John Oldman (born February 11, 1999) with Donya Fiorentino.

He turned down the villain role in Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997) in order to play the villain in Air Force One (1997).

Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Shia LaBeouf, Ben Mendelsohn, Johnny Depp, Jason Isaacs, Josep Gordon Levitt, Chris Pine, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Fassbender have all named Oldman as a major influence.

Harry Potter co-star Jason Isaacs lists him as one of his favorite actors.

Attended and graduated from Rose Bruford Drama College three year acting course BA-Hons in London, England.

Friends with Benedict Cumberbatch.

Director Patrice Chéreau originally wanted him for the lead role in Intimacy (2001), which he turned down because of the sex scenes.

Submitted a recorded voice audition for General Grievous in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005). George Lucas later chose the anonymous audition of Matthew Wood for the role instead.

Is the third actor to be nominated for an Oscar for playing a role in a John le Carré novel adaptation. The others were Richard Burton for The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965) and Rachel Weisz who won the award for her performance in The Constant Gardener (2005).

Like Ian McKellen, he has taken on popular characters in screen adaptations of cult favorite fantasy novels and comic books. He appeared as James Gordon in Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008) and as Sirius Black in the middle three Harry Potter films: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007).

Despite numerous lead and supporting roles in major Hollywood films, he is intensely private about his personal life and is known for his stance on celebrity and the ideals of Hollywood.

Gary was first inspired to pursue an acting career after seeing Malcolm McDowell's performance in Long Ago, Tomorrow (1971).

He and his ex-wife, Uma Thurman, have both appeared in Batman films. Thurman played Poison Ivy in Batman & Robin (1997), and Oldman played James Gordon in Batman Begins (2005).

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.

Since moving to the US, he had lost most of his native English accent over the years. With the help of a voice coach, he relearned it in order to portray the character George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011).

He was a pianist as a child, and later a singer, but gave up his musical aspirations to pursue an acting career after seeing Malcolm McDowell's performance in Long Ago, Tomorrow (1971). In a 1995 interview with Charlie Rose, Oldman said: "Something about Malcolm just arrested me, and I connected, and I said, 'I wanna do that'.".

Starred in David Bowie's music video David Bowie: The Next Day (2013) alongside Marion Cotillard, his co-star in The Dark Knight Rises (2012).

Actors Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt have cited Oldman as their inspiration.

Member of jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1993.

Is the second actor to be nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for playing a lead character in a John le Carré novel adaptation. This first was Richard Burton for "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold," which featured George Smiley.

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 he described as "arguably the greatest Briton who ever lived".

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.

Although he has spent much of his career playing psychotic and sadistic characters, he has recently moved away from that on-screen image by playing more likeable, sympathetic characters like Sirius Black (in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)) and James Gordon (in Batman Begins (2005)).