actor
The man of a thousand voices: Gary Oldman turns 64
Gary Oldman turns 64. Photo: Alberto Pezzali/Pool AP/dpa
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Gary Oldman has been on the big screen almost continuously since 1986. He gives each of his characters their own voice. Today is his birthday.
Berlin (AP) – As a versatile actor and voice imitator, he is able to put himself in most roles. Without having much money, he relied on mini-jobs and a scholarship to shape his career. Today Gary Oldman is 64 years old.
Most recently, Oldman could be admired in the Hollywood biopic “Mank”. In the film by David Fincher, the Brit plays the screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz (“Citizen Kane”). Oldman was nominated for an Oscar for this last year, but went away empty-handed.
Your own path to success
Gary Oldman, who comes from a humble background and was born in London in 1958 and grew up with his two sisters, dropped out of school at the age of 16. He worked in a sports shop and felt the need to help his financially struggling mother. His father, an alcoholic welder, had left the family. Oldman showed a penchant for art. He taught himself to play the piano and was well read from an early age.
From the 80s in the film industry
After his first theater appearances and an engagement at the London Rose Braford Drama College, which he was able to afford thanks to a scholarship, he found his way onto the big screen in 1986. From 1986 he was seen in a film every year.
Successful productions were a regular feature. Also roles of villains, as in 1992 in “JFK-Tatort Dallas”, as Lee Harvey Oswald, Kennedy’s assassin. Large franchises have also been able to draw on his art. Christopher Nolan, for example, in his Batman films. He also had several appearances in the Harry Potter films as godfather Sirius Black.
The actor and director is characterized by a special quality. As a man with an affinity for languages and dialects, he is able to lend each of his characters their own voice. As a versatile and versatile artist, he is able to imitate virtually every American accent and dialect.
He has also tried his hand at being a producer and director. In 1997 he processed his childhood in London’s working-class district in “Nil by Mouth”. He also played a role in the cartoon «Anastasia».
Awards and celebrity friendships
Gary Oldman has received a number of awards and accolades throughout his career. The Oscar, which he won in 2018 as the best leading actor in “The Darkest Hour”, was also included.
Ever since his engagement on the set of the Harry Potter film series, he and leading actor Daniel Radcliffe have been close friends. Oldman also has a lot to tell in terms of relationships. Three children came from five marriages. He has been married to the author and curator Gisele Schmidt since 2017.