An Underrated Study: Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman - Case Study

This post marks the beginning of the 'An Underrated Study' series that will explore the craftsmanship and filmography of several actors that I consider to be severely underrated among their peers. 

I first became aware of Gary Oldman's underrated-ness as I was expressing my admiration of his work to my parents. "You know Gary Oldman, right?" was my rhetorical question. "No" was both of their answers. I couldn't believe it. Possibly one of the greatest actors that has graced the screens and they "have never heard of him". My reaction inspired me to focus my A2 Film Studies Case Study on his work and how it has been overlooked. When I first started this blog, I thought back to this case study and it got me thinking of other actors that despite their blatant talent seem to go unnoticed. 

Gary Oldman. It may be a name that you have heard or seen somewhere but you just cant put a face to it. Well, this may be down to his undeniable chameleon abilities that have shaped him into one of the most versatile actors of all time. (yes, it sounds like a bit of an exaggeration but trust me it's not.) So, lets begin this investigation by analyzing just two of the roles that he has played across his four-decade long career. 

Firstly, Drexl Spivy in True Romance. A role that any male actor would die for, Oldman playing a Rastafarian-esque pimp in the Tarantino written film. There is a definite feeling of ambiguity surrounding Drexl who never fails to make the audience (and other characters) feel threatened and uneasy around him. 

In  contrast, we have Sirius Black. The Godfather of Harry Potter most notable for his part in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Black actually is the prisoner of Azkaban). He has strong paternal qualities and appears to be a very honest, approachable person.

In addition to the obvious versatility, Oldman also has this amazing quality where he can appear in highly successful big-budget films (he also plays James Gordon in Christopher Nolan's Batman films) and yet still remain relatively unknown. His inconsistency and unpredictability contributing to his physical ability to change his appearance with every role.

There has also been a massive surge of young actors (younger than Gary anyway) who have expressed their admiration and idolization of Oldman time and time again:

Tom Hardy "He is my absolute complete and utter hero"
Jennifer Lawrence "Gary Oldman I've always been blown away by because he's such a good actor and literally cant get famous because he is unrecognizable"
Daniel Radcliffe "I regard him as the best England has to offer"
Brad Pitt "Gary Oldman is the best"
Jim Carey "He's my rock star as far as actors go"
Benedict Cumberbatch "It's an inspiration to go up against an actor of Gary Oldman's quality"
Michael Fassbender "Gary Oldman has been a hero of mine since I was 14-15"
George Clooney "Gary keep on acting cause you f**** it up for the rest of us"
..... the list goes on

Despite the obvious appraisal by other actors, Oldman is continuously snubbed by critics and academies; hitting home how underrated he is. Lets have a look at a few of his performances and guess for which ones he was nominated for an Academy Award (Oscar):

Sid Vicious (Sid and Nancy)

Joe Orton (Prick Up Your Ears)

Count Dracula (Bram Stoker's Dracula)

Beethoven (Immortal Beloved)

Norman Stansfield (Leon: The Professional)

Answer: None

By stating this by no means insinuates winning an Oscar is the most important thing for an actor or that the fact he wasn't even nominated degrades his performances in anyway. Not at all. But if baffles me along with many others as to why his performances are continuously overlooked and yet people like Jennifer Lawrence (she's good ... but no Gary Oldman) who at 24 is already on her 3rd Oscar nomination.

So. To conclude. Gary Oldman is an incredible versatile actor with a humble upbringing and adored my many. Yet the media and film critics have failed to give him the recognition he deserves year after year. Thus I believe that the title for 'The Most Underrated Actor of his Generation' should be firmly handed to Mr. Gary Oldman.

Oldman recently starring in RoboCop and is currently in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Next year he will appear in upcoming film Child 44.