English actor Gary Oldman holds up his hands after places them in cement during his hand and footprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre Forecourt on August 22, 2025 in Hollywood, California (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - Gary Oldman was honored for his career on Friday with a handprint and footprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
The backstory:
Born in London on March 21, 1958, Oldman started his career in 1979 with a production of the 1927 farce "Thark." He made his film debut in 1982's "Rembrance" before gaining prominence in 1986 for his portrayal of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious in "Sid and Nancy."
In the 1990s, Oldman portrayed Lee Harvey Oswald in "JFK," Count Dracula in "Bram Stoker's Dracula," and villains in "True Romance," "Murder in the First,""The Fifth Element," "Air Force One" and "Lost in Space."
Oldman received his first Oscar nomination in 2011 for his portrayal of fictional MI6 spy George Smiley in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy."
He won the best actor Oscar in 2018 for his role as Winston Churchill in his early days as the British prime minister in "Darkest Hour."
Oldman's other Oscar nomination also came for the portrayal of a real person, screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz in "Mank," released in 2020.
Oldman also portrayed President Harry S. Truman in the Oscar winner for best picture of 2023 "Oppenheimer."
The actor was also part of the casts of the Harry Potter films as Harry Potter's godfather Sirius Black. He also played Commissioner Jim Gordon in "Batman Begins" and in its sequels, "The Dark Knight" and "The Dark Knight Rises."
Oldman currently stars as British spy Jackson Lamb in the Apple TV+ thriller series "Slow Horses," receiving outstanding lead actor in a drama series Emmy nominations in 2024 and July.
Oldman was knighted by King Charles III June 13 for services to drama.
What they're saying:
Oldman told the crowd that he was "all too aware of the hundreds of talented artists that have preceded me and their contribution to the world of cinema." He added, "never in my wildest dreams as a young boy growing up in South London could I have imagined standing here one day as an honoree."
In a 2022 interview with the "Sunday Times," Oldman suggested he might retire after his current role as a spy in the Apple TV+ series "Slow Horses" concludes its run. "I'd be very happy and honored and privileged to go out as Jackson Lamb and then hang it up," he said.
The Source: This report is based on direct quotes from Gary Oldman at the TCL Chinese Theatre ceremony, along with information from his career history. It also incorporates specific statements Oldman made to the entertainment news website Deadline and in an interview with the Sunday Times.