Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman given knighthood in King's Birthday Honours

The London-born film star, 67, is known for his versatile acting style having portrayed a range of figures, from former prime minister Sir Winston Churchill to Sex Pistols member Sid Vicious.
He started out on the stage and performed in productions at the York Theatre Royal, which he recently returned to in a staging of the Samuel Beckett play Krapp's Last Tape.
One of his more recent and most recognisable roles is as veteran MI5 agent Jackson Lamb in Apple TV's Slow Horses, based on the Slough House book series by British writer Mick Herron.
Late last year he won the performance of the year gong at the 63rd Rose d'Or Awards for his role as Lamb, an unhygienic, ill-mannered individual, who has 'no vanity' and 'doesn't give an eff', according to Sir Gary.
Born on March 21 1958, a young Sir Gary toyed with the idea of becoming a musician but changed his mind after watching a Malcolm McDowell film.
He was turned down by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada), but gained a place studying acting at the Rose Bruford College, which he graduated from in 1979.
He became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), starring in productions that included 1985's Abel And Cain at London's Almeida Theatre and first came to public attention in films including Remembrance (1982) and Sid And Nancy (1986), which saw him play the notorious punk rock star.
In the early 1990s he played Lee Harvey Oswald, alleged assassin of US president John F Kennedy, in 1991's JFK and the titular vampire in Bram Stoker's Dracula in 1992.
Other notable roles included Ludwig van Beethoven in Immortal Beloved (1994) and Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg in The Fifth Element (1997).
His directorial debut, a semi-autobiographical piece about his childhood titled Nil By Mouth, was released in 1997 and lauded as a brilliant but gut-wrenchingly emotional film.
The acclaimed film earned him Baftas for outstanding British film and best original screenplay in 1998.
Across the noughties and into the 2010s he appeared in some of the Harry Potter films as Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, and also starred as Gotham City Police lieutenant Jim Gordon, in Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012).
He was lauded for his role playing George Smiley in 2011 film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which saw him earn Bafta and Oscar nods.
He was unable to secure the leading actor gongs, however, until his role in The Darkest Hour which saw him sweep the 2018 awards season, winning an Academy Award, Bafta and more.
Upon winning his Oscar, for playing wartime leader Sir Winston, Sir Gary appeared emotional and thanked 'the Academy and its members for this glorious prize' as well as his colleagues, his wife and family in a lengthy speech.
Sir Gary has three sons, Alfie whom he shares with ex-wife Lesley Manville, and Gulliver and Charlie, whose mother is his former wife Donya Fiorentino.
The actor, whose sister is former EastEnders actress Laila Morse, has been married to Gisele Schmidt since 2017 and was previously married to Hollywood actress Uma Thurman and singer Alexandra Edenborough.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Scotsman

7 minutes ago

• Scotsman

Punk All Dayer 2025: Here are 30 amazing pictures of the gig in Glasgow's Bellahouston Park - plus full setlists, from The Rezillos to the Sex Pistols

The Punk All Dayer took over Glasgow's Bellahouston Park on Saturday (June 21), with six legendary bands taking the stage. The Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter took the headline slot, supported by The Rezillos, The Skids, The Buzzcocks, The Undertones and The Stranglers. And, following a downpour before the first band took to the stage, the sun came out and the weather behaved (for a change). Here are 30 pictures of the event, and what all six bands played: 1 . Openers Local punk legends The Rezillos kicked off proceedings. | David Hepburn Photo Sales 2 . Why does it always rain on me? Rain lashed down as The Rezillos took to the stage, but soon the sun came out. | David Hepburn Photo Sales 3 . Good hair day There were plenty of mohicans on display. | David Hepburn Photo Sales 4 . Four-legged friend A punk dog enjoys the music. | David Hepburn Photo Sales Related topics: GlasgowWeatherConcerts

North Wales Chronicle

10 minutes ago

• North Wales Chronicle

EastEnders actress Laila Morse has famous film star brother

Also known as 'Big Mo', she has been portrayed by actress Laila Morse in the programme, as well as in the spin-offs Slaters in Detention and Pat and Mo. She was introduced in 2000 as the matriarch of the Slater family and appeared for 16 years before departing initially. It wasn't long before she returned, though, as she was reintroduced in 2018 before being written out again in 2021. A post shared by EastEnders (@bbceastenders) However, after a stint of a few episodes in 2022, she was permanently brought back in 2024, alongside great-grandson Freddie (played by Bobby Brazier). With Mo having been a presence on EastEnders for so long, many fans might be aware her actress Laila Morse has a very famous film star for a brother. Laila's younger brother is Gary Oldman, who won the Oscar for Best Actor back in 2018 for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. The 67-year-old has appeared in many major films over the years, including in The Fifth Element, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, the Harry Potter series and Oppenheimer, among many others. Gary was also recently knighted as part of the King's Birthday Honours. Some might not be aware that Laila's break into acting is in part thanks to Gary, as he cast her in his 1997 film Nil by Mouth. This was Laila's first foray into acting at the age of 51, and Gary's debut as a filmmaker. She featured alongside Ray Winstone, Kathy Burke and Charlie Creed-Miles. Laila's performance as the character of Janet won her the award of 'Most Promising Newcomer in any Category' at the British Independent Film Awards. Another interesting fact is the link between Gary and the stage name 'Laila Morse', as the actress's real name is Maureen Oldman. When Gary was in a relationship with Isabella Rossellini, she suggested to Maureen to use 'Laila Morse' as a stage name. It is an anagram of 'mia sorella', which translates from Italian as 'my sister'. The unique bit of trivia surrounding Laila and Gary being siblings always provides a lot of interest to EastEnders fans. In a recent post on the EastEnders Reddit page, one person shared images of the two side-by-side saying: "Mo and Gary Oldman being siblings with [sic] never not be funny too me." One person joked in response: "One is the greatest actor of our generation who has inspired millions and is beloved by all. The other is Gary Oldman." Another shared: "I always forget. Then I remember. And it always makes me laugh. I don't know why I find it so funny. But I do." Some people have expressed hope that Gary might make a brief appearance in EastEnders one day due to the link. Recommended reading: EastEnders' new Vicki Fowler actress has a very famous film star father Emmerdale villain John Sugden's real life partner is EastEnders soap legend EastEnders star part of iconic family to make dramatic return after eight years One person on the post commented: "Could Gary Oldman be the Squares ultimate villain? (If all his other acting work dries up)". Another replied: "It would be so elite, honestly I would love him to appear just for one episode." A third concurred, writing: "It would be awesome if he turned up on the square as Mo's long lost brother."

Daily Mirror

16 minutes ago

• Daily Mirror

Brit, 22, arrested at Disneyland Paris after 'trying to marry Ukrainian girl, 9'

Disneyland Paris cast members alerted the police after the 22-year-old man was seen with a child, dressed in four-inch heels taped to her feet and accompanied by her Ukranian mother A British man has been arrested at Disneyland Paris for trying to marry a nine-year-old girl in a bizarre private event. Disney cast members alerted the police after the 22-year-old man was seen with a child, dressed in four-inch heels taped to her feet and accompanied by her Ukranian mother, at private function held at 5am on Saturday, before the French theme park was open to the public. ‌ The ceremony was due to take place at dawn in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at the end of Main Street, USA and had been hired out of for a wedding, with organisers failing to tell Disney what was planned. ‌ Disneyland Paris was reportedly deceived about the nature of the event, with the organiser assuming the "identity of a Latvian national" and using "false documents to secure the contract for privatising the park", BFM TV in France reports. It is reported that guests' were recruited online via adverts seeking 200 adults and 100 children aged between five and 15 to play the guests at a 'rehearsal' for a wedding in Disneyland. Video obtained by BFM showed around 100 seated guests awaiting the ceremony as a female violin trio played at dawn before a stage strewn with flowers. The event reportedly cost around £110,000. "Four people were arrested and questioned: the groom, who was believed to be the organiser of the event and is presumed to be British, aged 22; the mother of the child, a 41-year-old Ukrainian woman; and two Latvian nationals aged 55 and 24," a statement from the French prosecutor's office in the nearby town of Meaux said. The 55-year-old Latvian man claimed he was recruited to play the role of the bride's father for 12,000 euros but discovered last minute she was nine years old, local news reports. ‌ Disneyland Paris told French newspaper Le Parisien the event was immediately shut down by its team and that guests were stopped from entering the premises. Circumstances around the wedding remain unclear, as to whether it was a stunt or a real ceremony. A medical examination of the young girl found she had not suffered any violence, the prosecutor's office said. A police source said the groom has claimed to be the director of a production company and they were shooting a video. ‌ An updated statement from the prosecutors office said: "So it wasn't a wedding, but a staged wedding filmed with around a hundred extras. They privatised Disneyland Paris, pretending it was a real wedding." Two suspects have been charged with 'fraud and breach of trust' against Disneyland Paris. One wedding guest told the Le Parisien: "We all thought we were going to attend a wedding... Everyone was stunned, no one expected it. Disneyland did things very well. ‌ "They canceled everything as soon as they realised the bride was a child. We were shocked to see that." Another extra, named Yeleen, who attended the ceremony with her daughter, said: "I saw a little girl dressed in white. I saw her hair prepared with curls and a lady picking her up in her arms. "At that moment, I was shocked. I realised when I saw the child. It was atrocious."