History of Gary Oldman in Timeline
Gary Oldman is a highly acclaimed English actor and filmmaker celebrated for his versatility and intense acting style. He has received numerous prestigious awards, including an Academy Award and Golden Globe, alongside multiple BAFTA wins and Emmy nominations. Oldman's films have collectively grossed over $11 billion globally, establishing him as one of the highest-grossing actors in cinematic history.
1987: Marriage to Lesley Manville
In 1987, Oldman married the English actress Lesley Manville.
1988: Singing and playing piano in Track 29
In 1988, Oldman sang and played live piano in the film Track 29.
1989: Separation from Lesley Manville
In 1989, Oldman and Lesley Manville separated three months after their son Alfie's birth.
1990: Marriage to Uma Thurman
In 1990, Oldman married the American actress Uma Thurman.
1991: Arrested for drink-driving
In 1991, Oldman was arrested for drink-driving.
1993: Appearance in Annie Lennox's Love Song for a Vampire music video
In 1993, Oldman appeared in the music video for Annie Lennox's international hit "Love Song for a Vampire", which was written for the soundtrack to Bram Stoker's Dracula.
1994: Engagement to Isabella Rossellini
From 1994, Oldman was engaged to the Italian actress and model Isabella Rossellini, his co-star in Immortal Beloved.
1994: Checked himself into rehabilitation
In 1994, Oldman checked himself into rehabilitation.
1994: Tracing Beethoven compositions in Immortal Beloved
In 1994, Oldman traced over Beethoven compositions in the film Immortal Beloved, and he tutored Daniel Radcliffe on bass guitar.
1995: Desire to be a musician
In a 1995 interview with Charlie Rose, Oldman expressed his strong preference for being a musician rather than an actor.
1996: Engagement to Isabella Rossellini ended
In 1996 Oldman's engagement to the Italian actress and model Isabella Rossellini ended; they never wed.
1997: Direction, production, and writing of Nil by Mouth
In 1997, Gary Oldman directed, produced, and wrote Nil by Mouth, which won the BAFTA Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film and the BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay, among others.
1997: Marriage to Donya Fiorentino and birth of son Gulliver
In 1997, Gary Oldman married American model Donya Fiorentino and they had their son Gulliver.
1997: Luc Besson praises Oldman as one of the top five actors
In 1997, director Luc Besson called Oldman "one of the top five actors in the world".
1997: Sober since 1997
Oldman has been sober since 1997 and attributes his success in beating his addiction to attending meetings with Alcoholics Anonymous, which he has publicly praised.
1998: Honoured at Camerimage Film Festival
In 1998, Oldman was honoured at the Camerimage Film Festival, receiving the Krzysztof Kieślowski Award for Acting.
1999: Birth of son Charlie
In 1999, Gary Oldman and Donya Fiorentino had their second son, Charlie.
1999: Recognition of Nil by Mouth
In 1999, Nil by Mouth was recognized by the British Film Institute as one of the hundred best British films of the 20th century.
2000: Appearance in The Contender
In 2000, Gary Oldman appeared in The Contender as Sheldon Runyon, a zealous American Republican Party congressman, also serving as executive producer. He received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for his performance. Disputes arose regarding DreamWorks' alleged editing of the film, which Oldman's manager later dispelled as sensationalism.
May 2001: Guest appearance in Friends
In May 2001, Gary Oldman made two guest appearances in the NBC sitcom Friends, in "The One With Chandler and Monica's Wedding", playing Richard Crosby. He received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his performance.
2001: Donya Fiorentino files for divorce
In 2001, Donya Fiorentino filed for divorce from Gary Oldman, accusing him of assault. Oldman was investigated and cleared, receiving sole legal and physical child custody.
2001: Recovering alcoholic
In a 2001 interview with Charlie Rose, Oldman acknowledged his problems with alcohol and called himself a recovering alcoholic.
2002: Starring in Interstate 60 and The Hire: Beat the Devil
In 2002, Gary Oldman starred in Interstate 60 and played the Devil in the BMW short film The Hire: Beat the Devil.
2002: Role as the Devil in BMW short film Beat The Devil
In 2002, Oldman played the Devil in the BMW short film Beat The Devil, alongside Clive Owen, James Brown and Marilyn Manson.
2003: Roles in Tiptoes and Sin
In 2003, Gary Oldman took on roles in the films Tiptoes and Sin, which were considered 'barrel-scraping roles' by some critics. Oldman did garner praise for his portrayal of a man with dwarfism in Tiptoes.
2003: Reduced access to children for Fiorentino
In 2003, a judge reduced Donya Fiorentino's access to her children after dismissing her claims of drugging and abuse by Gary Oldman.
2004: First appearance in Harry Potter film series
In 2004, Gary Oldman made his first appearance in the Harry Potter film series, portraying Sirius Black in "The Prisoner of Azkaban", to positive reviews.
2004: Starring role in the Harry Potter film series
In 2004, Gary Oldman returned to prominence when he landed a starring role in the Harry Potter film series, playing Harry Potter's godfather Sirius Black, starting with The Prisoner of Azkaban.
2005: Starring role in Batman Begins
In 2005, Gary Oldman starred as James "Jim" Gordon in Christopher Nolan's commercially successful Batman Begins.
September 2006: Release of Donut
In September 2006, Nokia Nseries Studio released Donut, a short film directed by Gary Oldman.
2007: Portrayal of Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
In 2007, Gary Oldman continued his portrayal of Sirius Black in the film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
2007: Dinner at home every night with my kids
In 2007, Oldman mentioned in an interview that he has "dinner at home every night with my kids."
2007: Named one of Empire's Sexiest Stars in Film History
In 2007, Oldman was named as one of Empire's "100 Sexiest Stars in Film History".
December 2008: Marriage to Alexandra Edenborough
On December 31, 2008, Gary Oldman married Alexandra Edenborough in Santa Barbara, California.
2008: Reprising role in The Dark Knight
In 2008, Gary Oldman reprised his role as James Gordon in The Dark Knight.
2009: Roles in A Christmas Carol and The Unborn
In 2009, Gary Oldman co-starred in A Christmas Carol, playing three roles, and had a starring role in The Unborn.
2009: Labelled as arguably the best actor never Oscar-nominated
In 2009, Leigh Singer of The Guardian called Gary Oldman "arguably the best actor never Oscar-nominated."
2010: Roles in The Book of Eli and Red Riding Hood
In 2010, Gary Oldman co-starred in The Book of Eli and played a lead role in Red Riding Hood. He also voiced Lord Shen in Kung Fu Panda 2, earning an Annie Award nomination.
2011: Tribute Award from Gotham Awards
In 2011 Oldman received a Tribute Award from the Gotham Awards and the Palm Springs International Film Festival announced that Oldman would be receiving its International Star Award.
2011: Directing music video for Alex Eden's single
In 2011, Gary Oldman directed a music video for then-wife Alex Eden's first single, "Kiss Me Like the Woman You Loved".
2011: Portrayal of George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
In 2011, Gary Oldman portrayed George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, earning his first Academy Award nomination and a BAFTA Award nomination.
2011: Portrayal of Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
In 2011, Gary Oldman reprised his role as Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
2011: Recipient of Empire Icon Award
In 2011, readers of Empire voted Gary Oldman the recipient of the Empire Icon Award, which was presented by Colin Firth.
2012: Appearance on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover
In 2012 Oldman was among the British cultural icons selected by the 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.
2012: Role in Lawless
In 2012, Gary Oldman played Floyd Banner in John Hillcoat's Lawless.
2012: Reprising role in The Dark Knight Rises
In 2012, Gary Oldman reprised his role as James Gordon in The Dark Knight Rises.
2012: Lynn Crosbie's praise in The Globe and Mail
In 2012, Lynn Crosbie of The Globe and Mail wrote that critics consistently praised Oldman as one of the greatest living actors.
2012: Highest-grossing actor in history
In 2012, The Hollywood Reporter named Oldman the highest-grossing actor in history, based on lead and supporting roles. Films in which he has appeared have grossed over $4.1 billion in the United States, and over $11 billion worldwide.
2013: Starring in David Bowie's The Next Day video
In 2013, Oldman starred as a sleazy priest in the controversial religious-themed video for David Bowie's single "The Next Day".
2014: Dilys Powell Award For Excellence in Film
In 2014 he received the Dilys Powell Award For Excellence in Film by the London Film Critics.
2014: Roles in RoboCop and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
In 2014, Gary Oldman starred in RoboCop and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. He also faced controversy for comments made in an interview.
2014: Described himself as a libertarian
In 2014, Oldman described himself as a libertarian.
January 2015: Divorce filing by Alexandra Edenborough
On January 9, 2015, Alexandra Edenborough filed for divorce from Gary Oldman.
September 2015: Finalization of divorce from Alexandra Edenborough
In September 2015, Gary Oldman's divorce from Alexandra Edenborough was finalized.
2015: Signing deal for Blood Riders book series
In 2015 Oldman and his manager Douglas Urbanski signed a deal with the Simon & Schuster/Atria Publishing Group label Emily Bestler Books for Blood Riders, a vampire book series.
2015: Roles in Child 44 and Man Down
In 2015, Gary Oldman played the head of police in Child 44 and had a supporting role in Man Down.
2015: Voicing Lord Vortech in Lego Dimensions
In 2015, Oldman voiced Lord Vortech, the evil mastermind in the Lego Dimensions video game.
2016: Tribute to David Bowie at the Brit Awards
At the 2016 Brit Awards in London, Oldman paid tribute to David Bowie before receiving the Brits "Icon Award" on behalf of the singer and his family.
2016: Role in Criminal
In 2016, Gary Oldman played a Central Intelligence Agency chief in Criminal.
August 2017: Marriage to Gisele Schmidt
In August 2017, Gary Oldman married Gisele Schmidt in a private ceremony at the home of his manager, Douglas Urbanski.
2017: Roles in The Space Between Us, The Hitman's Bodyguard, and Darkest Hour
In 2017, Gary Oldman played roles in The Space Between Us, The Hitman's Bodyguard, and Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, the latter receiving critical acclaim. He spent 200 hours in makeup for the role of Churchill.
2017: Museum of Tolerance Screening
In 2017, The Simon Wiesenthal Center invited Gary Oldman to its Museum of Tolerance to screen 2017's Darkest Hour.
2017: Discussion of immersion versus impression
In a 2017 interview, Oldman discussed the difference between immersion and impression in acting.
2018: Roles in Tau and Hunter Killer
In 2018, Gary Oldman voiced an evil artificial intelligence in Netflix's Tau and starred in Hunter Killer.
2018: Awards for Darkest Hour
In 2018, Gary Oldman won the Academy Award for Best Actor, Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama, Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor, Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor, and BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role in Darkest Hour.
2018: Gulliver Oldman defends his father
In 2018, Gulliver Oldman, son of Gary Oldman and Donya Fiorentino, publicly defended his father against the assault allegations, denouncing his mother's "lies".
2018: Good terms with Lesley Manville
In 2018, Lesley Manville stated that she and Oldman are on good terms.
2018: Variety Award at British Independent Film Awards
In 2018, Oldman received the Variety Award at the British Independent Film Awards, recognizing his global impact on cinema. He was also awarded the Maltin Modern Master Award by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and his first Career Achievement Award by the Hollywood Film Awards. The Make-up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards honored him with the Distinguished Artisan Award.
2018: Described as "the master of being brilliant in bad movies"
In 2018, Stuart McGurk of GQ described Gary Oldman as "the master of being brilliant in bad movies".
2019: Roles in Mary, The Courier, and The Laundromat
In 2019, Gary Oldman starred in Mary, The Courier, and The Laundromat.
2020: Starring role in Mank
In 2020, Gary Oldman starred as Herman J. Mankiewicz in the Netflix film Mank.
2021: Living in Palm Springs
As of 2021, Gary Oldman and his wife, Gisele Schmidt, were living in Palm Springs, California.
2021: Roles in Crisis and The Woman in the Window
In 2021, Gary Oldman starred in Crisis and The Woman in the Window.
November 2022: Intention to retire after Slow Horses
In November 2022, Gary Oldman stated that the Apple TV+ series Slow Horses would likely be his last role and that he intended to retire from acting after it ended.
August 2023: Starring in Parthenope
In August 2023, it was confirmed that Gary Oldman would star as John Cheever in Paolo Sorrentino's then-untitled film Parthenope.
May 2024: World premiere of Parthenope at Cannes Film Festival
In May 2024, Parthenope, starring Gary Oldman, had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival where it earned a nine-and-a-half-minute standing ovation but received overall negative critical reviews.
August 2025: Handprint and Footprint Ceremony at TCL Chinese Theatre
On August 22, 2025, Gary Oldman was honored with a handprint and footprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
2025: Knighted by William, Prince of Wales
In 2025, Oldman was knighted by William, Prince of Wales "for services to drama" in the Birthday Honours.
Mentioned in this timeline
James Brown an iconic American singer songwriter dancer and musician...
The United States of America is a federal republic located...
Lego is a line of plastic construction toys created by...
California is a U S state on the Pacific Coast...
Apple TV is a digital media player and microconsole by...
Denzel Washington is a highly acclaimed American actor producer and...
Trending
3 months ago Josh Hutcherson renames dog inspired by girlfriend and supports 'Clear The Shelters' campaign.
4 months ago Mariah the Scientist to perform at Global Citizen Festival alongside The Weeknd and Shakira.
Kelly Babstock is a Canadian-American professional ice hockey player currently with the Boston Fleet of the PWHL Notably she is...
6 months ago Alex Warren to electrify the 2025 American Music Awards with a stellar performance.
5 months ago Angola: Call for Electoral Law Improvements and Transparency Assurance by President
2 hours ago Chimpanzee Escape at Indianapolis Zoo: Concerns Over Animal Bite Reported.
Popular
Nancy Pelosi is a prominent American politician notably serving as...
Chuck Schumer is the senior United States Senator from New...
Bernie Sanders is a prominent American politician currently serving as...
Nicholas J Fuentes is a far-right political commentator and activist...
Candace Owens is an American political commentator and author known...
XXXTentacion born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy was a controversial yet...