{"id":163691,"date":"2025-09-27T11:33:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-27T11:33:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/163691\/"},"modified":"2025-09-27T11:33:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T11:33:13","slug":"the-15-best-gary-oldman-films-ranked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/163691\/","title":{"rendered":"The 15 best Gary Oldman films ranked"},"content":{"rendered":"

With a new series of Slow Horses back on Apple TV+, it\u2019s the perfect time to revisit the chameleonic brilliance of Gary Oldman. As Jackson Lamb, the grubby, chain-smoking MI5 rebel with serious flatulence, Oldman once again proves he\u2019s one of the most compelling actors of his generation. <\/p>\n

But Lamb is just the latest in a long line of memorable characters Oldman has brought to life. In parts ranging from a vampire to a punk rocker, Oldman is the master of transformation on the big screen, disappearing so completely into his roles that audiences often forget they are watching the same actor.<\/p>\n

What is Oldman\u2019s finest film performance? Here we pick 15 of his best roles in film (so that means no Slow Horses \u2014 this is silver screen only). <\/p>\n

Do you agree with our picks and what have we missed? Let us know in the comments below. <\/p>\n

\u2022 Slow Horses director on Gary Oldman: \u2018A joy to work with \u2014 but terrifying\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

15. The Fifth Element (1997)\"Gary<\/p>\n

Oldman in The Fifth Element<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

This is not a film any of its stars would like people to remember. Still, Oldman\u2019s intergalactic tycoon Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg is the best thing about Luc Besson\u2019s sci-fi blockbuster, which also stars Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich. Loopy and ludicrous, it\u2019s a refreshing comedic turn for the actor. Buy\/rent<\/p>\n

14. True Romance (1993)\"Gary<\/p>\n

As Drexl Spivey in True Romance<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

Tony Scott\u2019s film, with a genius script by Quentin Tarantino, appears to be an adorable indie meet-cute until Oldman shows up as Drexl Spivey, a former pimp and dreadlocked psychopath who thinks he is black. Bizarre and audacious, this is a character that only Oldman could bring to life. <\/p>\n

13. State of Grace (1990)\"Gary<\/p>\n

As Jackie Flannery in State of Grace<\/p>\n

ORION PICTURES\/ENTERTAINMENT PICTURES<\/p>\n

Oldman stole the show with his energetic and commanding performance as Jackie Flannery, the brother of the crime boss Frankie (Ed Harris). He ignites every scene, particularly when waving a pair of dismembered, frozen hands. Leonardo DiCaprio cited Oldman\u2019s performance as one of his inspirations, adding that it \u201cinfluenced an entire generation of actors\u201d. Sky\/Now<\/p>\n

12. JFK (1991)\"Gary<\/p>\n

As Lee Harvey Oswald<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

The actor trained as a marksman and went on extensive research trips to Dallas and New Orleans for his first leading American role as Lee Harvey Oswald, and captures the alleged presidential assassin\u2019s nervy energy. Disney+<\/p>\n

11. Harry Potter series (2004-11)<\/p>\n

In the film adaptation of JK Rowling\u2019s third novel, Oldman took the Harry Potter franchise to a new, darker level with one of the most complex characters of the series. As Harry Potter\u2019s reckless godfather Sirius Black, Oldman gave a performance that proved the saga wasn\u2019t just for kids. Netflix\/ITVX<\/p>\n

\u2022 I assumed Gary Oldman was a self-obsessed thespian \u2014 I was so wrong<\/a><\/p>\n

10. The Contender (2000)\"Gary<\/p>\n

Oldman as Shelly Runyon<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

Made in the shadow of the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky scandal, this film about a female vice-president dogged by allegations about her sexual history caused a stir, particularly after accusations of liberal bias in the editing suite. But that shouldn\u2019t take away from Oldman\u2019s standout role as a congressman. Dustin Hoffman liked it so much that he phoned Oldman after his screening to congratulate him. Prime Video<\/p>\n

9. Mank (2020)<\/p>\n

In this ode to the backstage lore of classic Hollywood, Oldman gets to flex his chops as Herman Mankiewicz, an alcoholic screenwriter hell-bent on redemption and penning the script for Orson Welles that would become Citizen Kane. Under David Fincher\u2019s direction, he delivers a moving performance of an emotionally wounded man haunted by demons, but still burning with creative fire. Netflix<\/p>\n

8. Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-12)<\/p>\n

After a run of playing misfits and villains, Oldman took on the no-nonsense straight man Jim Gordon in this superhero saga. Opposite Christian Bale\u2019s Batman and his fellow Brit Michael Caine\u2019s butler, he made the police commissioner his own. Jeffrey Wright and JK Simmons, who have played the character since, pale in comparison with Oldman\u2019s elegant and often mesmerising everyman. Prime Video<\/p>\n

7. Bram Stoker\u2019s Dracula (1992)\"Gary<\/p>\n

Oldman as Count Dracula<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

This is Oldman in flamboyant mode, playing the count as an undead rock star in Francis Ford Coppola\u2019s version of the Dracula story. His voice alone is a masterstroke \u2014 and good enough to compensate for the questionable performance of Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker. Sky\/Now<\/p>\n

6. Darkest Hour (2017)\"Gary<\/p>\n

As Winston Churchill<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

Dressed in a fat suit and with a face slathered in latex, Oldman gives us the finest screen Winston Churchill to date (yes, it\u2019s better than Albert Finney\u2019s). In a film that captures the tensions within Churchill\u2019s Conservative Party at the outset of the war, the actor gives a special turn that combines charisma with vulnerability, a performance that was worthy of his first Oscar win. Sky\/Now<\/p>\n

\u2022 Gary Oldman breaks his silence: \u2018I\u2019d be happy to go out after Slow Horses\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

5. L\u00e9on: The Professional (1994)\"Gary<\/p>\n

Oldman in L\u00e9on: The Professional<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

In Luc Besson\u2019s revenge thriller, which features Natalie Portman\u2019s film debut (aged just 12), Oldman is an overblown triumph as a drug-addicted, corrupt agent. He\u2019s a brilliant screen villain. The best line? \u201cI haven\u2019t got time for this Mickey Mouse bullshit!\u201d Buy\/rent<\/p>\n

4. Prick Up Your Ears (1987)\"Molina<\/p>\n

With Alfred Molina in Prick Up Your Ears<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

At just 29, Oldman made his mark in this film about the ultimately fatal relationship between the playwright Joe Orton and his jealous lover Kenneth Halliwell. Directed by Stephen Frears and with a script written by Alan Bennett, this film captured Oldman\u2019s magnetism. It\u2019s an early indication of how the actor can completely inhabit a role. ITVX<\/p>\n

3. The Firm (1989)\"Gary<\/p>\n

The cast of The Firm<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

In Alan Clarke\u2019s gritty drama, a young Oldman proved his worth. He starred opposite his first wife, Lesley Manville, and played Clive \u201cBex\u201d Bissell, a well-spoken real estate agent with a secret life as a leader of a hooligan firm. Intense and charming, he\u2019s an actor bursting with potential. Paramount+<\/p>\n

2. Sid & Nancy (1986)\"Gary<\/p>\n

Oldman as Sid Vicious<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

Oldman doesn\u2019t just play a punk star in Alex Cox\u2019s film, he channels the raw energy and destruction that defined a generation of disaffected youth. The actor plays the doomed Sex Pistols bassist whose girlfriend was found stabbed at his side in the Chelsea Hotel in New York in 1978. He later died of an overdose. Raw and emaciated (thanks to a diet of steamed fish and melon), Oldman is sublime as the tragic junkie rocker. His rendition of My Way is the movie\u2019s outstanding centrepiece. Buy\/rent<\/p>\n

1. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)\"Gary<\/p>\n

Other actors would have been fazed by taking on a part played twice by the great Alec Guinness. Yet Oldman makes it look easy in this bleak John le Carr\u00e9 adaptation. As George Smiley, a Cold War spymaster charged with rooting out a Soviet mole, the actor delivers something of a marvel, a delicate performance with understated power. This is Oldman at his best. It earned the actor his first Oscar nomination. BFI Player<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With a new series of Slow Horses back on Apple TV+, it\u2019s the perfect time to revisit the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":163692,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[96,2839,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-163691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-entertainment","tag-movies","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=163691"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163691\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/163692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=163691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=163691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=163691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}