Gary Leonard Oldman is an English actor, writer, director, producer, voice-over artist and occasional musician who has garnered critical acclaim for his chameleonic performances in diverse roles. He is noted for his avoidance of the Hollywood celebrity scene, often being referred to as an "actor's actor".

Oldman came to prominence for his portrayal of ill-fated rocker Sid Vicious in 1986's Sid & Nancy, and has since retained a career as both a lead and supporting actor of more than fifty motion pictures.

His most popular starring role was as Count Dracula in the 1992 blockbuster adaptation of Dracula, and he has since starred in several other popular films including True Romance, Léon: The Professional, The Fifth Element, Air Force One, The Contender, three films in the Harry Potter film series (Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, and Order of the Phoenix) and both films in Christopher Nolan's ongoing Batman film series (Batman Begins and The Dark Knight).

Along with Sid Vicious, he has portrayed a number of other real-life historical figures on screen, such as Joe Orton in Prick Up Your Ears, Lee Harvey Oswald in JFK, Ludwig van Beethoven in Immortal Beloved and Pontius Pilate in Jesus. His portrayal of Sid Vicious was listed as one of Premiere Magazine's "100 Greatest Performances of All Time".

Oldman was also popular in '90s Hollywood for his portrayals of villainous and morally corrupt characters, playing the primary villain of several popular motion pictures. As a result of his varied roles, he is generally regarded as one of film's most diverse actors.

In 1997, Oldman directed, produced, and wrote the award-winning Nil by Mouth, a movie partially based on his own childhood. Oldman has received various awards and honours throughout his career but has at various times expressed his lack of regard for the Oscar and the presenting Academy. Perhaps as a result, he has never been nominated for such an award despite a critically acclaimed career spanning three decades.