From his first appearance on the world stage, Gary Oldman is an amazing character actor. He’s been villainous Lee Harvey Oswald in JFK, Carnegie in The Book Of Eli or Korshunov in Air Force One, and he’s been heroic, like Sirius Black in the Harry Potter series and Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Batman films. Often known for his showy acting, Oldman tones it way down for the more ambiguous George Smiley in this year’s awards contender Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Although the film has yet to make much of an impact this awards season, it has turned into a hit in England and a sizable success so far in limited release in the U.S., where it has grossed over $4 million since opening December 16. It will expand to 800 screens on Friday. Gary Oldman is receiving the International Star award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival on Saturday and will receive a three-day retrospective of his films beginning Monday at the Arclight in Hollywood.
Surprisingly, he has never been nominated for an Oscar. Focus Features is releasing Tinker Tailor in the US and is obviously hoping to change that, backing Oldman with an extensive campaign that has included many Q&A appearances from the star himself. Below you can watch the trailer of the much anticipated thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy:
