Throughout his trailblazing cinematic career, Gary Oldman has undergone several transformations for varying projects, including stepping into characters based on real-life figures. This is best exemplified by his standout performance in David Fincher’s biopic Mank, wherein Oldman plays notorious alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, who is best known for penning the screenplay of Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane.
Despite playing numerous iconic roles over the years, including a terrifying rendition of The Count in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and bringing Gotham’s James Gordon to life in The Dark Knight Trilogy, Oldman was not recognized with an Oscar nomination until 2011. Nominated for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Oldman went on to win an Oscar in 2017 for his magnetic performance as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. Oldman’s diverse range when it comes to completely surrendering to a character’s inner world is incredible, to say the least; a good example of which is his endearing portrayal of Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Although fictional creations come with their own intricate histories, nuances, and legacies, characters based on real individuals demand unflinching authenticity in order for it to be impactful. While Oldman is no stranger to cinematic transformation and the Keats-ian notion of negative capability, in which an artist must negate his core self to allow temporary personas to take over, the ability to live up to a person’s historical legacy via film is no small feat. Keeping this sentiment in mind, here is an in-depth run-through of every movie where Gary Oldman plays a real person, and whether these transformations worked in favor of the roles.
Sid and Nancy
After several noteworthy theater performances, while being a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Oldman caught the eye of director Alex Cox, who offered him the role of musician Sid Vicious in the 1986 film, Sid and Nancy. Although Oldman turned the role down twice due to personal disinterest in the punk movement and the seemingly “banal” nature of the script, he reconsidered the part after much insistence from his agent. This decision certainly worked in Oldman’s favor, as his performance as the lead vocalist of The Sex Pistols paved the way for more roles in Hollywood, and caught the eye of critics such as Roger Ebert, who praised Oldman for the ability to “re-invent himself for every role.”
In order to transform himself into the punk icon, Oldman delved deep into Vicious’ volatile, provocative persona, bringing the tragic undertones of his heroin addiction and labile relationship with girlfriend Nancy Spungen to life. It is also interesting to note that Oldman lost a considerable amount of weight to play the role, to the point of being briefly hospitalized as his diet consisted of nothing but steamed fish and melon. While Oldman pushed his artistic limits to the edge, he later told Variety that it was easier for him to channel Vicious due to his own struggles as an “outsider” growing up in the fringes of South London. Moreover, although Vicious’ former bandmates criticized the film on several grounds, they were particularly impressed by Oldman’s performance. Apart from this, prior to filming, Vicious’ mother gave Oldman her son’s heavy metal chain and padlock, which he proceeds to wear in the film, bringing yet another element of authenticity to the punk rock icon’s narrative.
Prick Up Your Ears
Directed by Stephen Frears, the 1987 British film, Prick Up Your Ears chronicles the tragic tale of playwright Joe Orton and his lover, Kenneth Halliwell, in which Oldman assumes the role of Orton. Fresh off playing Sid Vicious, Oldman imbues Orton’s character with bird-like alertness, helping paint a vivid picture of the playwright’s charming effect on those around him. Apart from perfecting Orton’s voice and mannerisms, Oldman is able to capture his anarchic spirit with incredible nuance, letting his eyes do all the talking in an era wherein the queer community was forced to remain hidden among the fringes of London society. This element of believability introduced by Oldman elevates Prick Up Your Ears, which still remains a brilliant, tragi-comic biopic and an unforgettable queer classic.
JFK
Examining the events that lead up to the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the alleged cover-up that ensued after, Oliver Stone’s 1991 true story political thriller, JFK, saw Oldman assume the role of Lee Harvey Oswald. Initially, Stone’s script barely fleshed out Oswald as a character, leaving Oldman very little to work with, but the actor was given several plane tickers and a list of contacts by Stone so that he could carry out his own research. Putting oneself in Oswald’s shoes is no small feat, as he remains a figure shrouded in mystery and inflamed controversy, and Oldman went on to meet Oswald’s family to garner a better understanding of the man. While JFK was subjected to intense scrutiny and criticism when it came out, critics praised Oldman’s complex performance, who presents Oswald’s character with nuanced multifacetedness despite the brevity of his appearance in the film.
Darkest Hour
Belting one of the most standout transformative performances of his career, Oldman portrays Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, which explores the former UK Prime Minister’s rise to power in 1940, whilst Nazi forces conquered France and posed to wipe out UK’s army trapped on a beach at Dunkirk. Channeling Churchill’s indomitable reputation and iron-clad will, Oldman prepared for this challenging role by immersing himself in extensive research, scouring through endless newsreel footage and speech recordings of the charismatic orator. Apart from being a psychologically-demanding role, the character of Churchill in Darkest Hour is also one that demanded intense physical transformation, which was achieved with the aid of artist Kazuhiro Tsuji, who had previously worked in big-budget productions such as Hellboy and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Oldman achieved the look with a combination of flexible silicone prosthetics and measured tweaks to his own natural visage, a process that took nearly three hours to complete.
Although the film’s narrative has been deemed flawed and staggering at certain points by most critics, Oldman’s electrifying performance as Churchill has been lauded for the touch of authenticity it lends to the film as a whole. Oldman went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, as well as a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for his performance in Darkest Hour — achievements that were more of a culmination of his thespian prowess spanning decades as opposed to mastery over a single role. Nevertheless, Oldman’s rendition of Churchill is worth remembering, as it remains a testimony of the actor’s ability to take on roles that are historic and challenging, to say the least.
Mank
David Fincher’s 2020 biographical drama, Mank, revolves around screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz and his development of the screenplay for Citizen Kane. Assuming the titular role of Mankiewicz, Oldman belts out yet-another career-defining performance with his mercurial, charismatic portrayal of the talented screenwriter. While some critics and audiences were of the opinion that Oldman was a bit too old to play the role, he imbues the character with an almost-elusive charm, reminiscent of a dazzling period of time in ‘30s Hollywood and its socio-political backdrop. Speaking to The Indian Express, Fincher says that Oldman’s transformation into cinematic characters is akin to the process of “osmosis or behavioral vacuum,” wherein the veteran actor absorbs aspects of the role like a sponge, which oozes like with creative wit and brilliance. All in all, it is safe to state that Gary Oldman as Herman J. Mankiewicz is bound to receive much love in the upcoming awards season, and hopefully garner a string of well-deserved nominations and wins.