Critically acclaimed actor and filmmaker Gary Oldman is well known for his fiery intensity and portrayal of negative roles in a career spanning over two decades. He has successfully played a wide range of characters including historical figures, negative roles and even lead roles.
Leonard Gary Oldman was born in Nottinghamshire, England on March 21st 1958 to Len Oldman, a welder and former sailor and Kathleen, a homemaker. He dropped out of school when he was 16 and worked as a clerk in a sporting goods store. A talented musician, he gave up his passion for singing and piano to establish his career as an actor. He was an active member of the Young People’s Theatre in Greenwich, England. After being rejected at the Britain’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, he won a scholarship at Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama in Kent. He received a BA in Drama in 1979, following which he began to find regular gigs.
A favourite in the theatrical circles in Glasgow in the mid 80’s, Gary Oldman won acclaim for his lead role in “The Popes Wedding”. He was a part of theatre for nearly 8 years. In the meantime he also acted in a number of TV films including “Remembrance” [1982], “Meantime” [1983] and “Morgans Boy” [1984]. But it was his role as Sid Vicious in the 1986 “Sid and Nancy” which enabled him to find a place in Hollywood. His convincing performances as a disturbed Boston lawyer in “Criminal Law” [1988] alleged presidential assassin in “JFK” [1991], the lovesick vampire Count Dracula in the blockbuster “Dracula” [1992] and Sirius Black in the Harry Potter Series are well remembered.
Gary Oldman has not just established himself as a brilliant actor. He has also written, produced and directed “Nil by Mouth”, an award winning semiautobiographical work. He has also lent his voice to the animated feature “The Quest for Camelot” [1998]. Oldman has been the recipient of acclaim and awards from right from the beginning of his career. He received Time Outs Fringe Award for Best Newcomer of 1985-86 and the British Theatre Association Drama Magazine Award for Best Actor in 1985 for “The Popes Wedding”. His performance in the blockbuster “Dracula” won him the Best Actor Award at Academy of Science-Fiction, Fantasy and Horror films in 1992. His dream project “Nil by Mouth” won the British Academy Award for Best Screenplay, Alexander Korda award and it was honoured by the BAFTA as one of the hundred best films of all time.
Gary Oldman has been linked to some of the most beautiful women over the years. He has been married to Lesley Manville, Uma Thurman and Danya Fiorentino and has three sons from his marriage to Lesley Manville and one son from his marriage to Donya Fiorentino.
Few years ago, Gary Oldman publicly acknowledged his alcohol problem and admitted that he was a recovering alcoholic. He is an active member of the Alcoholics Anonymous, which he believes played an instrumental role in beating his addiction.
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