Gary Oldman Spotlight
A MASTER ACTOR
Gary Oldman is one of the best actor in cinema. This isn’t up for debate. There is no one that transforms into a role more than Gary Oldman. It’s not just his physical changes via makeup, but a complete change in his voice and mannerisms. He has a method that creates memorable characters. Don’t believe us? Let’s discuss just a few of his rolls; Sirius Black, Commissioner Gordon, Dracula, & Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg.
DRACULA
Every few years it seems we are introduced to a new Dracula. In 1992, Gary Oldman dawned the cape and fangs as he brought to life one of the most terrifying vampires on film. This is long before Vampires glimmered in the sun, this is the classic Dracula. A portrayal that lends so much weight to a villain you can almost see take his side.
JEAN-BAPTISTE EMANUEL ZORG
That’s right, we are going back to The Fifth Element for this one. Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg is the main antagonist in the Sci-Fi Thriller from 1997. If you haven’t seen The Fifth Element you need to jump on that. It’s a classic movie in the geek zeitgeist.
SIRIUS BLACK
Harry Potter is one of the largest film phenomenon ever. Gary Oldman personified the dark character of Sirius Black. He was a character of layers. From torment and hatred, to love and pride… he managed to hold a mysteriousness about him while showing true depth. This transformation was so complete that many people don’t remember that Gary Oldman was Sirius Black.
COMMISSIONER GORDON
The Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy, was anchored by not only Alfred but Commissioner Gordon. Gary Oldman brought to life a character that has never been honestly portrayed on film as his background deserved. To think that that Gary Oldman was going back and forth between Sirius Black and the Commissioner is really impressive.
DREXL & MORE
The variety in voice & mannerism can be staggering, even in movies that are from the same years. This is just 4 examples (technically 9 films) out of over 90 films that Gary Oldman has starred in. Gary Oldman entrenches himself so deeply in his roles that he actually needed help regaining natural British accent. Enrolling in voice classes to perfect his speech for the film adaptation of the British spy novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. A Britain born actor becoming so consumed by this characters that he needed help to him himself again.
We could go on and on with amazing examples of Gary Oldman’s work, such as Leon: The Professional, Rosencrantz & Gildenstern Are Dead, and the infamous Drexl from True Romance. It’s also worth noting that every movie we’ve listed here has a whole hearted recommendation from us. As we mentioned, Gary Oldman is one of the best actor in cinema.
