Gary Oldman was born March 21, 1958. By the age of twenty-four he was appearing in films, almost immediately being praised for his uncanny ability to transform himself to the point of nearly being unrecognizable, and just as quickly became typecast as the villain. But by 1997 he was burnt out by the Hollywood scene and wrote/directed his first film, the notoriously profanity-laced Nil by Mouth. His career took off again when he signed on to play Sirius Black in the Harry Potter franchise and took on the role of Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s visionary new Batman series. You can now see (check local theatres for showtimes) Oldman as George Smiley in the phenomenal Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy, for which he just received an Academy Award Nomination for Best Actor (unimaginably, this is his first nomination). To celebrate, let’s take a moment to highlight some of Gary’s best roles – the horrific ones, of course.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) – The title of this film is ridiculous, as it really bares little resemblance to Stoker’s novel, save for its amazing beginning. But Oldman was the perfect choice for Francis Ford Coppola’s Count. His ability to be suave, seductive, and menacing, all while keeping emotions at a high, is amazing. There was also some great FX work; the gigantic vampire bat Dracula transforms into after immediately bedding Mina is the coolest thing I have ever seen. The film also stars Anthony Hopkins as Van Helsing. In truth, the movie is not that great, but also not that bad, if you take out the ridiculous werewolf scene (did we really need that?). Oh, and take out Keanu Reeves too. He’s just terrible.
The Fifth Element (1997) – After working with Luc Besson on 1994’s Leon: The Professional (one of the best films ever), Oldman paired with the director for The Fifth Element. Now a cult hit, this movie features our icon as the villain Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg. That’s really all I can say about this movie because Oldman is the only good thing about it.
Hannibal (2001) – In this follow-up to The Silence of the Lambs, Oldman is once again the antagonist to a character played by the incomparable Anthony Hopkins, this time his infamous Hannibal Lecter. Oldman plays Mason Verger, Lecter's only living victim. A rich, eccentric, blood-thirsty hypocrite, Verger has been mutilated (by his own hand, after being drugged by Lecter) to the point where his face is nearly unrecognizable as human. Oldman has said that this role was one of his favorites because of the extensive prosthetic work, which allowed him to be “completely hidden.”
Backwoods (2006) – This little-known indie film is actually very, very good. In the vain of ‘70’s and ‘80’s throwback films, this movie is slow-burn exploitation all the way. The story is simple: an English couple's holiday in Spain is interrupted when they discover a girl imprisoned in a cabin. But of course, the girl is practically feral from neglect, and the locals hid her away purposely. They’d do anything to get her back – including rape and murder. It’s classic hunter vs. prey, prey becomes the predator (literally), and Oldman’s performance is impeccable.
Congratulations, Gary, on your first Oscar nom. It’s well-deserved!
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