From the unruly (Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy) to the unrecognizable (Mason Verger in 2001's Hannibal), British actor Gary Oldman is considered one of the most versatile contemporary actors in Hollywood.
A method actor often touted as one of the best of his generation, his roles span more than 100, going back almost 40 years. In fact, it's often difficult to select which might be considered his best, but for fans of any film in which he happens to star, the good news is that he continues to turn out one memorable part after another.
Dracula (1992) - 7.4
Some critics felt Oldman's depiction of the bloodthirsty count in this adaptation of the Bram Stoker classic was over the top. Given the Victorian sumptuousness of the entire film, however — as well as the talent opposite him in the form of Anthony Hopkins — Oldman needed to deliver in a big way.
As the title character, he succeeded in making one of the best Dracula movies. From the frail and decrepit count that opens the film to the virile suitor of Winona Ryder's Mina to the nightmarish monster that has been the stuff of historic legend for more than a century, Oldman manages to tie them all together with style and panache ... a perfect addition to an opulent period piece.
Immortal Beloved (1994) - 7.4
The same year he played a dirty cop, he also went back in time — as Ludwig van Beethoven, a role told in flashbacks as his secretary and biographer attempts to ascertain the identity of the piece of music that gives the film its title.
In real life, Oldman hasn't shied away from discussing his flaws — namely, his battle with alcohol. (He's now been sober for 25 years.) Such brilliance balanced with such complexities undoubtedly inform his work and contributed to the success of Immortal Beloved, in which Beethoven's genius and shortcomings were depicted in equal measure.
Darkest Hour (2017) - 7.4
Oldman was practically unrecognizable as Winston Churchill, the World War 2 leader of Great Britain, but his physical transformation wasn't the only contributing factor to his Oscar win for Best Actor. He owned every scene, and riveted viewers could practically smell the cigar smoke every time he strode into a room.
Portraying fictional characters takes a certain skill; playing historical ones — especially contemporary leaders like Churchill, who were captured for posterity on film and in history books — is another feat altogether. In Darkest Hour, Oldman is at the top of his game, and his acting was certainly deserving of an Academy Award.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) - 7.6
For all of his abilities to mine roles for their quirks, Oldman has no problem playing the straight man — or in this case, the straight villain — when the story demands it. As Dreyfus, leader of a group of survivors who attempts to restore humanity to the top of the evolutionary ladder, there's not a lot of depth to the role, but that's precisely the point to a role opposite that of actor Jason Clarke.
The story requires conflict, and as Dreyfus, Oldman provides it in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. He's a man out of his depth, clinging desperately to vestiges of power, and while viewers know that Caesar and his fellow apes will come out on top, it's a sweet payoff that they're given a foil of Oldman's talent.
The Fifth Element (1997) - 7.7
Technically, Oldman's Zorg is the villain of The Fifth Element, but his distinct Southern accent, his ridiculous combover, and his sniveling acquiescence to Shadow — the big bad behind the scenes — make him a far different antagonist than his other roles.
Facing off against Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich in the action movie, he's often as frustrated by the actions of his minions as he is by those of his opponents. In fact, Zorg always seems to be on the verge of a childlike temper tantrum, which makes Oldman's portrayal a clever one that gives depth to a part that could have been very one-dimensional.
True Romance (1993) - 7.9
Quentin Tarantino wasn't in the director's chair for this story of a couple on the run from the mob, but his trademark brutality and humor are all over True Romance. Of all of the characters populating the film, Oldman's Drexl Spivey was as despicable as they come.
Oldman's ability to lose himself in his roles is on full display, because Drexl — a dreadlocked pimp whose gangster affectations make him as wickedly funny as he is explosively violent — bears little resemblance to the British gentleman he is in real life. It's a wonderful turn that further demonstrates Oldman's versatile range.
JFK (1991) - 8
As the man accused of killing President John F. Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald raised more questions than he ever answered before being gunned down himself by Jack Ruby. As Oswald, Oldman managed to thread the needle of suspicion, playing a man shifty enough to have been an assassin but hapless enough to have been a patsy.
Director Oliver Stone put together an ensemble cast to dissect Kennedy's killing, but much of the story turns on whether Oswald did it and acted alone; did it as part of a plot; or was the fall guy for a much deeper conspiracy. Those questions still persist to this day, but Oldman's turn in the movie help make it a fascinating potboiler.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) - 8.1
Technically, Oldman's Sirius Black only gets a few minutes of screen time in the final entry of the Harry Potter movie series, but according to IMDb, it's the highest rated of them all — and serves as an ideal placeholder for his service to one of the most beloved franchises on film.
As Sirius Black, Oldman (who returns for the HBO Max Harry Potter reunion) was, as much as any of the other actors, the living embodiment of the character first given life by author J.K. Rowling. Wild and unhinged, but so very loyal to his friends and an ally of Harry's to the end, Sirius Black could have been played by another actor, but it wouldn't have been the same.
Léon: The Professional (1994) - 8.5
Does any actor do as much with his eyes as Oldman? As the antagonist in the Luc Besson thriller The Professional, Oldman's gaze is at turns haggard — owing to his copious consumption of pills, no doubt — and, more often than not, empty. In that emptiness, however, he communicates Stansfield's psychopathic nature more than his words ever could.
He keeps it buttoned up, but when he explodes with one of his best lines — "bring me everyone!" — his quieter moments become all the more riveting, because viewers never know what he'll decide to do next, and who's going to get hurt because of it.
The Dark Knight (2008) - 9
Oldman introduced viewers to his take on Commissioner Jim Gordon in 2005's Batman Begins, but it was the Christopher Nolan-directed sequel that ranks as one of the best films on IMDb's list of Top 250 Movies. While Christian Bale's Caped Crusader drives the Batmobile, and the late Heath Ledger steals the film as the Joker, Oldman brings a gravitas to his portrayal that matches the flick's darkness.
It's easy to argue that The Dark Knight would be essentially the same with another actor in the role, but given how much Oldman does with what screen time he's given, it's difficult to see how it could be better. He doesn't steal scenes; he elevates them, and in The Dark Knight, he does so admirably.