Gary Oldman began his career on-stage. He was a member of the Glasgow Citizen's Theatre before he appeared in the American scene with an excellent portrayal of punk rocker, Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy. He followed with an unforgettable performance as playwright Joe Orton in Prick Up Your Ears. Roles such as a psychotic Irish thug, in State of Grace, and a traumatized war vet, in Chattahoochee, led to parts in larger, more commercial films. Few will forget his chilling portrayal of Lee Harvey Oswald in JFK, or his Count Vlad, the one redeeming character in Bram Stoker's Dracula. Oldman even managed to lend credibility to standard psycho/misfit roles in Romeo Is Bleeding and True Romance.

Growing up in London, Oldman was in a household full of women. His father deserted the family when Oldman was seven, and he later died due to an alcohol addiction. Oldman inherited his father's proclivity for booze, and his abuse became so severe that he feared that it would kill him. Though the drinking never interfered ith his acting, it had an adverse effect on his marriage to actress Uma Thurman. They divorced after eighteen months of marriage. He then met and fell in love with actress-model Isabella Rossellini on the set of Immortal Beloved, but again, his drinking placed a strain on the relationship. He finally checked himself into a detox clinic and has been a teetotaler ever since. Oldman married photographer Donya Fiorentino in early 1997.

His newfound sobriety hasn't diminished his wild streak: in early 1995, he showed up at the Ritz dressed as a woman, complete with wig, blouse, stockings, skirt, and make-up. As further testament to his acting abilities, he went unnoticed by the staff (the waiter politely called him "madam".