The Versatility of Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman is a true chameleon. He has an almost supernatural ability to morph into drastically different characters, changing his appearance, voice, and mannerisms from film to film. This is a curated reel of only some of his best work, meant to showcase his versatility as an actor.
This is the first installment in a series of reels for the most versatile film actors around the world. Who do you want to see next? Sound off in the comments.

[@Ciofey]

Gary Oldman is a chameleon. Other actors are still themselves a lot, but Gary just disappears, and the character appears in his stead. He is f-ing magic, and should receive every award there is for it.

[@johnhess4148]

I'm a 50 y/o movie buff & I have never witnessed a more capable actor.

[@crystalledford9364]

Agreed

[@Tatjana_J]

Amen!

[@Narrate918]

I’m convinced that Gary Oldman is not an actor he’s a medium channeling real people.

[@riftsalty7562]

Summoning demons 🔥

[@alvarozamora2962]

This is so accurate

[@Mr..Malice]

One of my favorite actors! 😍

[@rodneyhendricks2412]

He’s a bad man.

[@Bffgjhyfffgg]

Close, but he is actually the only known changeling that we have discovered so far.

[@patricklewis9496]

Ironically, the reason why Gary doesn’t get more accolades is because people legitimately don’t even know it’s the same guy in all these movies, he’s just that good

[@bobbwc7011]

His ability to reproduce accents and dialects correctly and believably is amazing.

[@Bmblb815]

Like Meryl Streep...amazing!

[@DESSERT_X]

BRILLIANCE. SINCE. EVER.

[@DESSERT_X]

@@Bmblb815 This is it. FINE ART INDEED. Every character he plays is different.

[@adrianbarac3063]

Google Gary impersonating Tony Hopkins. This is NOTHING this god of a man cannot do.

[@5dollarshake263]

I know Gary Oldman is an extremely successful actor but I still find him underrated because nobody brings him up when discussing best actors of all time.

[@adamjenkins190]

I agree. He is one of the greatest actors to walk this planet

[@dorienegosseling1551]

I do. No doubt

[@Geronimo_Jehoshaphat]

I do. First and foremost.

[@rlkinnard]

i do. The only caveat was that Brando could do the same thing but that takes nothing away from Lewis or Oldman.

[@Geronimo_Jehoshaphat]

@@rlkinnard Brando could absolutely not. He never did.

[@esperthebard]

One of the best actors ever.

[@BigBass-xf5yi]

The most dynamic for sure. Which imho makes him the best.

[@Mr..Malice]

One of my absolute favorites 😍

[@dizzotizzo69]

Indeed. Gary Oldman, Daniel Day Lewis, Benedict Cumberbatch would be a top 3. I can't think of any others at this moment.

[@crystalledford9364]

Agreed

[@KrisMavericko]

Wonder why he never gets mentioned more often in the list of greatest actors of all time. Such an artist. Such a chameleon.

[@iconoclast137]

because it's hard to know when it's him if you don't read the credits

[@jenniferclark9170]

It's his low profile. He doesn't subscribe to the holly wood scene. Just watch him anytime he is in an interview. He is genuinely surprised and bashful when he is complemented.

[@Aethgeir]

That IS why. He's so good, that people don't even realize it's him.

[@anshumaanpurohit6707]

@@iconoclast137 agreed. Only on my 3rd rewatch of oppenheimer did i realise that gary oldman was in it

[@MdnightWnd]

If you didn't know that it was Gary Oldman you'd think that it was a different person in each of these clips - In looks, voice, tone, accent, mannerisms. He's incredible.

[@daryastark3314]

Gary’s performance in Léon: The Professional still gives me chills all the time.

[@BrianMax]

Gary Oldman dissapears into his roles like no one else. He's the most talented actor of his generation.

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

I love Gary Oldman because he really keeps under the radar, he doesn’t hog the spotlight, he’s a professional who’s determined and dedicated and so every time I see a movie of him I know I’ll just get an absolute delight, he’s so captivating, and more importantly so consistent. He can do method acting and impersonate real figures like the best and he can create entirely unique fictional baddies or good guys (the former are always memorable as hell). I mean ffs when I heard he was playing Truman I thought it was fantastic, and for all of three lines he completely nailed exactly what I was expecting from the stories I heard of Truman and Oppenheimer’s interaction from documentaries

[@user-kj1pq6zh3x]

He always looks unrecognizable

[@supacopper4790]

In most of his characters, he not only look different with those makeup and styling, even his voice and accent are also different, but everything just look so natural with him and doesn't look like he is acting at all. Him, and Daniel Day Lewis are really an incredible talents.

[@theedit9028]

Absolutely brother.

[@LetsGetitBoah]

Have they ever done a movie together? They need to. EDIT: just realized he was in my left foot with DDL. Still need to do more movies together.

[@akshaybijuvinayak5561]

​@@LetsGetitBoahWhich scene?

[@Gene-XL]

It was his portrayal of Dracula, how he absolutely dripped with menace, that made him one of my absolute favorite actors.

[@tanciemette2551]

Sexually menacing.

[@laurieh878]

That movie is what made me a fan of his. 😊

[@tanciemette2551]

“The Professional “, the crazed , insane detective was really menacing, and absolutely crazy out of his mind, and another crazy “The Book of Eli”

[@TheMovieFan3]

It's pretty amazing - I can't even recognize his voice with some of the characters he potrays. Gary Oldman is kind of a Daniel Day-Lewis but more of a risk taker isn't he?

[@brianct7801]

Finally realizing what a transcendent actor Gary Oldman is. I've appreciated his various roles for over two decades, but I wasn't able to associate the roles with the actor until now. I attribute this to the fact that the guy's acting ability is so diverse & elastic; all of his roles are completely different. Are you telling me the villain from 5th Element and Commissioner Gordon are the same guy? The second reason I've had difficulty spotting Oldman in the past is because he looks so damn generic and forgettable. You would never notice the guy in a crowd, which is a total asset if you're a professional chameleon. Anyway, I feel embarrassed I've never given this guy the credit he deserves. What an insanely talented actor.

[@SX-sv6vo]

What a blessing! If I were an actor, I would want his career. Talent, versatility, respect, anonymity, and wealth I suspect. That's how you do Hollywood.

[@sahandnasiri3185]

He is a real professional chameleon im not good at spotting him either,im a big harry potter fan and i just recently found out that he was sirius black

[@mattiassvanberg8292]

Very good said. I completely concur. This video showed me a couple of roles I definitely never knew it was him, and in some cases just never thought of it because the reasons you submitted.

[@teacat55]

The perfect George Smiley

[@UrsaMajorPrime]

This was rather how I came to be a Gary Oldman fan myself, everyone keeps calling him a chameleon but I'm convinced he's a changeling, doppler, shapeshifter, whatever. It was looking up these incredible characters and seeing his name over and over again; then I started looking for it.

[@dunetiger]

It's a god damned shame that he has only one Oscar to his name. He's one of the few actors who you KNOW, but still melts into each of his roles. It's never Gary Oldman playing Gary Oldman. He's so good I have absolutely NO IDEA what he's like IRL based on his performances. DDL is another one of those. These kinds of actors deserve the Untouchable award.

[@daniellevy2272]

One of the greatest actors of all time

[@balitzky]

Fascinating. I love when he played villians, one of the best in history of cinema like Norman Stansfield and Dracula, and less known but amazing role of Drexl Spivey.

[@MrGadfly772]

What an incredibly talented actor. It speaks to the shallowness of Hollywood that this man isn't treasured more.

[@abbyissatire]

Everyone talks about how Jonny Depp changes completely for his roles, but I think there needs to be more attention on this masterpiece of a man, Gary Oldman.

[@fairdav]

E V E R Y O N E

[@Jared_Wignall]

Gary Oldman is the best actor period. No matter how good or great an actor is, there will always be Gary Oldman.

[@qcdoomqc]

The fact that you can watch a compilation like this and go "wait… THAT WAS GARY OLDMAN??" so many times is a testament to his talent. It’s crazy and also he can play every type of character from subtle to overly dramatic and entertaining or realistic characters, with many different speech patterns and accents and look… it’s crazy how good he is.

[@Geronimo_Jehoshaphat]

Fact.

[@mskipper19]

Gary Oldman is the greatest actor of all-time.

[@5dollarshake263]

1:57 - OMG I had to rewind this clip just to check if the dude was actually Oldman. What a shapeshifter.

[@Loyannelima]

The greatest actor of Hollywood!!! Each character he turns into a totally different person, the Oscar for male acting should be called Gary Oldman Award 🔥🔥🔥

[@jackcraig4772]

I was thinking the same thing last week!

[@BigBass-xf5yi]

Agreed. He’s on a level by himself

[@rlkinnard]

Lewis, Brando, Oldman.

[@andromeda2000]

What did I just watch! What a man, Gary Oldman! I realized I’ve watched many of these movies - only now realizing that some of the key characters were played by Gary Oldman!

[@donna25871]

I didn’t realise Gary Oldman was in Oppenheimer until I had seen the movie three times…he is that good.

[@roku_nine]

He is truly a chameleon.

[@charlesdavis7087]

Mr. Oldman's Churchill was beyond compare.

[@Ladykyra101]

There's just something about an actor who can emote just with their eyes. It conveys so much more than words alone. 👌🏾

[@LastlyMore]

Gary Oldman and Daniel Day-Lewis are the two greatest actors ever.

[@sturock2000]

Daniel Day Lewis isn't an actor. He is a cobbler who takes on an acting job every once in a while.

[@Kenofla]

Two of my all time favorite and now add the uprising to their level, Tom Hardy.

[@Ariesdrone603]

Would have to add Edward Norton to that list as well.

[@jaceshaffer8104]

JK Simmons ain't no slouch neither.

[@ericphilen3433]

I agree

[@britaom3299]

I remember first seeing him way back in 86 when Sid and Nancy came out. Absolutely mesmerized by his performance. I was a Sex Pistols fan at the time and couldn't believe how well he channeled Sid. Been enjoying his performances ever since, especially those crazy characters he did in the 90s!

[@sacredxgeometry]

A masterclass actor that simply has no (or few) parallels. I love every movie he's been in. Every. Single. One.

[@sacredxgeometry]

dare I say this, I think he might be MORE versatile than Daniel Day-Lewis, despite the constance of that name being drawn up when anyone considers versatile actors. He is phenomenal of course, don't get me wrong! One of my other favourites indeed. But seeing these films, and some of the minor ones I'd never heard of, I have never quite seen an actor so poised in confidence and consistency as Gary Oldman.

[@orpheus9037]

from Sid Vicious to Winston Churchill - hard to imagine an actor that could embody that range.

[@daniera7635]

The world is a better place with Gary Oldman in it!

[@Aethgeir]

Watching this, it's actually hard to believe this is all the same guy. Oldman's ability to completely transform into the characters he portrays is astonishing. I think he's the greatest actor working today.

[@justicewillprevail1106]

He's truly legendary.

[@quantessenz]

Extreme good compilation, shows what an amazing actor he is. Hope it gets more views.

[@hayk117]

Hope so too

[@bakermario7339]

i guess I'm kinda randomly asking but do anyone know of a good site to stream newly released tv shows online ?

[@gordonshiloh4997]

@Baker Mario Flixportal :D

[@bakermario7339]

@Gordon Shiloh Thanks, I went there and it seems to work :D Appreciate it !!

[@gordonshiloh4997]

@Baker Mario You are welcome =)

[@mclare71]

It's ILLEGAL how brilliant he is. Thank you for this compilation of his immense talent.

[@meganann3876]

Gary Oldman is SO talented he literally disappears in EVERY performance because he’s THAT GOOD! G.O.A.T.

[@sweetlaughter78]

Im 45, and some of his roles....disnt realize it was him. Exceptional actor! ❤

[@crystalledford9364]

Hes one of the best actors out there. So versatile. One one of my favorites.

[@jebjim9391]

Gary Oldman is such a great actor I legit don't recognize him. Only when someone told me how good he was did I look at his IMDB and thought WHAAAAAT. And right here, these clips are amazing. He really is one of the best actors of our time.

[@ClimateChangeKids]

He does one thing in every performance: he lets the moment carry him, rather than pushing the scenes hard. He’s discovering the moment with us, and his truthful work is perfect for villains, heroes, fools, and victims. This video is beautifully edited, by the way. Great work, Chameleon Cast!

[@rell27]

Gary is one hell of an actor but till this day my favorite role by him is Drexl in “True Romance”. His role in “The Professional” is a close second.

[@tanciemette2551]

He did crazy good.

[@MrWeezeloner]

The fact that he could be Dracula and Drexl and Norman Stansfield so seamlessly is why he is so great.

[@agatankh]

He is amazing. Whenever I watch a movie with most actors it's like I'm watching them playing themselves in the characters. With him, I totally see a different person in every character. He truly is the best actor of his time. I bet you haven't recognized him in some movies because he is that good 🙌

[@28maitreyagupta21]

Can you believe the same guy played Stansfield and Commisoner Gordon and Churchill. What a phemonenal actor.

[@MiddleAgedFox]

Gary Oldman is one of the greatest living actors.

[@tombork2281]

I think his best role was in Bram Stoker's Dracula. Absolutely loved it!👍

[@TheAnomaly01010]

Seriously dude his accent and creepy pizazz is flawless

[@dizzotizzo69]

"The Darkest Hour" was a remarkable performance as well.

[@tanciemette2551]

I thought he oozed this raw power of sexuality.

[@claudiabarbosareis5087]

One of the few actors I love most

[@BigBass-xf5yi]

I used to admire actors like Harrison Ford, Hackman, Pacino, Bale,Brando, RDJ etc….. The more I watch Oldmans movies, the more I realize that he might very well be the greatest act of r that has ever been on the screen. He literally enhances every single movie that he acts in. He is an absolute chameleon. Apex

[@alojzyrosenberg5769]

He's a lot better than Ford or Pacino

[@self-righteousideologue9398]

@@alojzyrosenberg5769 - Definitely. Pacino and Ford probably have better movies, but Oldman is far above them both in acting. People often conflate good movies to good acting, which isn't the case

[@Tonycillian5]

Ford is absolute cow turd. Pacino is probably the most characteristic actor to ever live. Marlon Brando is the first method actor and changed acting forever, And Gary Oldman is the most versatile actor of all time.

[@armandoruiz8963]

One of my favorite actors 😎

[@TheKitty1952]

A chameleon and a transcendent

[@djsosonut]

Amazing actor. Phenomenal even. He's never the weak link in anything he's ever performed in. Not many can say that.

[@traceydelfs2657]

I cant count how many times ive watched a movie for the first time, not knowing the cast, and never realized it was Oldman until half way through. Like damn, Gary got me again!

[@marinaisabel3901]

Gary Oldman is my favorite actor. My bf asks "what's your favorite role he took on?" Ummm......🙄 .....Then I had to show him this. Now he understands that was not an easy question to answer.

[@joewas2225]

It's incredibly easy actually. True Romance.

[@KwisatzHaderach.22.]

Since yesterday, Gary Oldman has played both Churchill and Truman.

[@gentachoi]

Him as Drexel in True Romance is amazing- short but amazing

[@irfanma3671]

I dont know why he have only a oscar he deserved more

[@damitajo1045]

Right! Why the hell it to so long for him to receive one is beyond me,ridiculous.

[@siddhartha9834]

His case is quite similar to that of Al Pacino..deserved so many Academy awards but had to content with only one..

[@willemneill5418]

He's an actor where the art speaks for itself. His performances don't need awards to lend a voice.

[@Tonycillian5]

Should have also won for Tinker Tailor Soilder, Sid and Nancy, and atleast have nominations Dracula, Leon, Immortal Beloved, and True Romance

[@luthfeeghazale6206]

the fact he only has three nominations is a fcking crime..oldman should atleast have 8-10

[@larryhaug71]

It may be debated but some , but Gary Oldman, Is now and forever will be the greatest actor who has ever lived. No one can touch his body of Outstanding work, not just the volume of it, but also the execution! He’s NEVER turned in a half ass performance!

[@o.portista]

Oldman is just legendary, especially in Leon.

[@zn9095]

I’ve never been able to recognize him in a movie till I watched the credits. I think that shows how brilliant he is.

[@tomshepherd4901]

Gary Oldman has been my favorite actor since the second film I saw him in, many years ago, (when I almost didn't recognize him and realized just how good he is). I was thrilled that he finally won an Oscar. He deserved to win a long time ago, but he's so damned good that people don't recognize him from one role to the next. (The character actor's curse) His body of work is just staggering. Thanks for this.

[@swankybutters8371]

Gary Oldman, so good…

[@robertpearson8798]

One of my favourite actors since I first saw Immortal Beloved and I became aware of him.

[@casseith]

He is simply brillant.

[@Horsecentstoday]

His role as mason verger was brilliant

[@Trowblood]

Possibly the finest actor of all time.

[@lauriefrancisco1084]

HUGE fan of Mr. Oldman. He and Benedict Cumberbatch may be in a tie for top two fav British actors, though there are several I think very highly of! This is a wonderful compilation which not only displays his enormous versatility, but showed me there are many of his movies I have yet to see!

[@JulieHalligan-go8ov]

You have great taste in actors . Benedict & Gary are my favourite actors too. 🎉

[@balazsfejes8817]

HOLY SHIT, Oldman played Drexl in True romance?! My jaw droped

[@OzyMandias13]

It’s awesome that he conceived the look of the character as well. He took the role without reading the script. Tony Scott basically described the character as Alabama’s white pimp who thinks he’s black. Oldman took the role and created such a memorable on-screen presence.

[@honorsilverthorne7227]

He's my favorite actor. ❤😊

[@PamArtsValentine]

Oldman is one of my favorite character actors of all time! He is AMAZING!!!

[@gorkmusic]

I think most great actors usually have 2-3 standout performances where they're unrecognizable and completely transcendent but Oldman almost does it every time. I can't say his movies are necessarily the best but even DDL is more repetitive in his speech patterns than Oldman is. I can't think of a more versatile actor than Gary Oldman.

[@theresawatkins-lj8pw]

He is absolutely fascinating!!!

[@chickadeeacres3864]

Man of a thousand faces. There have been times when I didn’t even recognize him, he’s so good. 🥰

[@HalfStepTides]

Daniel Day-Lewis and Gary Oldman may in fact be the best living actors at this present moment. Gary has provided us with so many memorable characters, it's almost like a "pilgrimage" whenever you go back to old movies he was in to appreciate them. For me, as a slightly younger person - my 'Mecca' of Gary is Agent Stansfield from "The Professional". I can't imagine what my movie-going life would be like today without seeing him in that role. What a fantastic actor.

[@katakurifan5213]

He'd be perfect for the role of David Bowie

[@janski1982]

He's too old. Should have done it years ago. But obviously then I would've agreed with you.

[@armand187]

One of the best method actor of all time!!! Love him!!!

[@deborahduthie4519]

His Acting is Simplicity and Beautiful 👏🏼

[@multiplepassions3694]

One of if not THE most underrated actor of all time

[@NKA23]

Most actors have a certain "shtick" or "programme", their personal range of different speech patterns and body language patterns, they chose from and if they play a different character in a new movie, who is similiar to one they played in an earlier movie, they will play them in a similiar way. There are even some great actors who do that, f.e. if Leonardo Dicaprio (whom I admire a lot for his intensity and who does have a rather wide range himself) goes "ape shit" in a movie, he will look very similiar to him going "ape shit" in other movies. He does it well, always very convincing, but always in a similiar manner if his characters are similiarly constructed. And then there are actors like Gary Oldman, who, even when he plays a similiar character to one in his earlier works, he will always come up with an entire new character every time, a new idiolect, a new speech pattern, a new body language, new mimics. Sometimes I didn't even recognize him at first, when I went to a movie with him in it without knowing the cast, even though he's one of my favourite actors. He always surprises and impresses me in everything I see him in.

[@freddynovember5842]

Thank you Gary Oldman for all of the etertainment

[@palefaced1]

That he can go from the dark knight to true romance is crazy

[@cynthiaschultheis1660]

HE'S IN MY TOP 5 ACTORS!!!

[@BenjaminNelson-xy5yr]

He’s clearly the best actor of all time…and also a good man in real life.

[@ericphilen3433]

Daniel Day Lewis is the 🐐 But Gary is up there too for sure.

[@UBERTAMMY]

My vote is for Gary!

[@alexontheedge]

Superb! The mark of a truly great character actor, perhaps *_any_* actor, is that you cannot see the actor, only the character. A rare gift, indeed.

[@vanessajazp6341]

One of my all time favorite actors!

[@ramzitafsorqa2494]

It's Daniel Day Lewis and Gary Oldman Best actors of all time . Both can speak so many accents flawlessly and perfectly. Great method actors. It's never a dull moment with G man

[@pbjsilverstudio4882]

Probably my FAVORITE actor of all time!!

[@bobbifreedman2435]

He is amazing. We watched Churchill not long ago. He blew my mind.

[@56music64]

Wow, wow, wow. Brilliant actor

[@bonsaipiper3773]

This dude had better win a life time achievement award.

[@antonellacocorocchio5072]

One of the best❤

[@richardpichan6916]

Gary Oldman is a master with amazing foundation and control. I couldn't imagine so completely adopting so many variations of human character attributes without losing my mind.

[@lourdesurquiza187]

This incredible human is an absolute genius! Yes, there are many great actors out there but Gary Oldman completely absorbs and transforms himself, his spirit, and his soul into who he is performing. Brilliant man! Thank you for posting this!

[@joshrose666666]

Hands down one of the best performers of his generation maybe even all time

[@cathytrottier8944]

The man is amazing, and so criminally underrated. Never gotten the recognition he should have

[@tonicastel2390]

One of favorite actors. Totally brilliant.

[@charlottebanks7903]

I was in high school when I first saw Gary in Sid and Nancy. He stole my heart and I've been trying to get it back ever since.

[@CMHernandez-qq9zu]

What a freaking talent what a freaking career

[@Anouk-Azul]

He deserved a Oscar's nominee every year since 1986.