Joseph Tralongo is a playwright and screenwriter who approaches storytelling with a deep respect for film’s ability to distill human behavior into meaningful moments. His personal work- i.e. his plays, screenplays, and films- leans into semantic tension, moral ambiguity, and the quiet unraveling of social dynamics- not to preach, but to parse. For him, writing is a slow excavation of truth through craft. With a background in theatre and independent film, he brings a structural precision and dramatic instinct to every film he reviews. Hollywood Insider’s mission to champion substance over spectacle aligns with Joseph’s belief that storytelling should investigate, not dictate.
Jul 5, 2025
Table of Contents
Gary Oldman Is Finally Being Knighted
Well it’s about time!
There is only one question surrounding this honor. And it certainly has nothing to do with the validity of England’s decision. Rather, it is a question of “WHAT TOOK SO LONG?!”
Oldman has long stood as a symbol- if not, a standard- of artistic excellence, a master of the craft who consistently disappears into his roles. But for whatever reason, recognition always seems to arrive late. Take his Oscar, for example. He won his first- and still only- Academy Award in 2018 for playing Winston Churchill in ‘The Darkest Hour.’
It’s not uncommon for great British stage actors of Oldman’s generation- himself and the likes of Anthony Hopkins– to aspire to the stature of American acting. And in both of their cases, become icons of American Cinema. So, perhaps that’s why it took so long for Gary Oldman to receive his homeland’s honor.
Gary Oldman’s earliest foray into acting was mimicry. As a schoolboy, he discovered a knack for impersonation- an instinct that still pulses through both his performances and personality today. In his SAG-AFTRA retrospective, for instance, his childlike playfulness shines through. Whether imitating his hero, Malcolm McDowell, or his own mother, Oldman slips into their voices and rhythms with ease. If the anecdote calls for physicality- say, his memory of Royal Court actors tightening their shoulders just before they step onstage- he stands up and reenacts the moment with precision.
This instinct to inhabit extends far beyond impressions. It’s the foundation of Oldman’s reputation as a chameleon: an actor who disappears so completely into his characters that you forget the man behind them. You see only the role.
But what makes Oldman singular isn’t just transformation- it’s possession. The character takes over, not just through costume, but through a magnetic control of voice and eyes. Two perfect examples of this are Oldman’s turn as Mason Virgil in ‘Hannibal’ where the costuming was truly just a mound of flesh that Oldman had to imbue with malice. And his work in ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’ as I would argue the most compelling and nuanced villains of not only the franchise but of the Pixar oeuvre.
Take his portrayal of Winston Churchill in ‘The Darkest Hour’. The prosthetic-heavy transformation was so demanding that Oldman coaxed legendary makeup artist Kazuhiro Tsuji out of retirement to craft it. The result? An Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling- and a performance that radiates from beneath the latex and jowls. The costume may be the centerpiece, but it’s Oldman’s voice, his eyes, his presence that pull the audience in.
Oldman is a modern Lon Chaney– the man of a thousand faces. Like Chaney, he doesn’t hide behind his costumes- he animates them. The makeup and wardrobe become just one element of a fully embodied performance. And Oldman’s genius lies not in the transformation alone, but in how he channels a character’s inner life through every external tool- without ever relying on any one piece too heavily.
What remains is something rare in cinema: a disappearance. Not a magic trick, but a masterclass.
The studio audience erupted. Because, of course- it’s true.
And that, I’d argue, is the key to Gary Oldman’s brilliance. He listens. He doesn’t just wait for his cue- he absorbs. And that quality is what makes not only his performance compelling, but his co-stars’.
This is where he stands in stark contrast to someone like Jared Leto, whose self-involved “process” alienates both cast and crew alike. Leto’s performance style is more about imposing than collaborating. Oldman, on the other hand, is all about the give-and-take: with scene partners, directors, makeup artists- everyone. He’s game. He’s present. He’s respectful.
And by “game,” I don’t just mean ready for outlandish roles- though he’s certainly conquered those. Think Zorg in ‘The Fifth Element,’ Norman Stansfield in ‘Leon: The Professional,’ or Mason Verger in ‘Hannibal’- a performance buried beneath grotesque prosthetics and yet entirely alive. But what really sets him apart is that he’s equally fearless in the opposite direction. He’ll play people- real, ordinary, conflicted humans. And to me, that’s the highest bar an actor can clear.
Think of Dustin Hoffman. As the titular Rain Man or Captain Hook, there’s freedom in the flourishes- hand placement, posture, vocal tics. These roles come with built-in license for theatricality. Churchill, Dracula- they’re characters with physical signatures. Churchill supports his famous weight with a cane; Hook gestures flamboyantly, using his namesake to intimidate and entertain.
But where does that intrigue come from sans the flourishes of prosthetics or signature characteristics or props?
It’s what radiates through an actor’s eyes. It’s what resonates from their voice. It’s what he processes in his heart after it enters through his ears.
In a featurette re the rehearsals of a particular scene in ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ Anthony Hopkins calls Oldman “volatile”- a word Hopkins also uses to describe his younger self. Not in a reckless way, but in an alive way. There’s a kind of electricity that hums beneath Oldman’s surface, whether he’s Drexl Spivey in ‘True Romance’, a coked-up maniac with dreadlocks, or Sid Vicious, punk rock’s tragic prince. That volatility never overwhelms- it concentrates. It’s channeled.
That’s the difference between presence and presentation.
Gary Oldman is to someone like Jared Leto what Van Gogh is to someone like Warhol. One is grounded in skill and discipline, pushing deeper with each brushstroke, while the latter starts with spectacle, flailing attempting depth without ever having mastered a foundational craft, so much so that arguably their only real cultural contribution has been their own “oh-so-wacky” personas. Oldman has the foundation- he can play normal people if he wants- but he chooses roles that challenge, disturb, and resonate. Because underneath the costume, the voice, or the silence, he’s listening. And so are we.
The term “actor’s actor” gets thrown around a lot. It usually means someone especially admired by fellow actors- not just for sheer versatility and talent, but for an unwavering commitment to the craft. These actors become pinnacles, goals for others to aspire to.
Oldman listens- to his fellow actors, to the moment. Unlike a self-centered performer like Jared Leto, he’s reverential and grounded. In his SAG-AFTRA interview, after naming Al Pacino as a hero, Oldman lingers over the name with the reverence of a devotee savoring a sacred word.
My aforementioned reference to Gary Oldman’s familiarity with drunk behavior is about more than just his battle with alcoholism. Though his addiction once consumed him so deeply that his tongue reportedly turned black, he made a triumphant break in 1997. Since then, he has been sober for twenty-eight years- an achievement that has not only extended his life but also enriched the wealth of performances he continues to deliver.
One might also trace a deeper fascination in Oldman’s artistic soul- a romanticized bond with the tortured-genius archetype rooted in the masculine theatrical tradition. Consider Richard Harris’s appearance on ‘The Dick Cavett Show’, his face bruised and nose broken, as he casually recounted a recent bar brawl. In interviews- including one with Business Insider– Oldman has admitted his heroes were often hard-drinking iconoclasts. Literary giants like F. Scott Fitzgerald and stage legends such as Peter O’Toole, Richard Harris, and Richard Burton all inhabited a creative zone on the edge- and Oldman aspired to join them.
Now, decades later, Oldman joins their ranks- not as a tragic figure, but as a knight. Not for the chaos he once carried, but for the discipline, imagination, and generosity he has long embodied. If O’Toole was a lion and Burton a storm, Oldman is something else entirely- a kind of sprite. Elusive, mercurial, flickering between forms. He slips into characters like shadows across a stage, and yet somehow, when the curtain falls, he remains- lighter than air, but utterly unforgettable. Sir Gary Oldman: not just a master of disguise, but a master of transformation. A shape-shifter, knighted not only by crown, but by craft.
By Joseph Tralongo
Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Cinema, TV and Media. An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “We have the space and time for all your stories, no matter who/what/where you are. Media/Cinema/TV have a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so. Talent, diversity and authenticity matter in Cinema/TV, media and storytelling. In fact, I reckon that we should announce “talent-diversity-authenticity-storytelling-Cinema-Oscars-Academy-Awards” as synonyms of each other. We show respect to talent and stories regardless of their skin color, race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, etc., thus allowing authenticity into this system just by something as simple as accepting and showing respect to the human species’ factual diversity. We become greater just by respecting and appreciating talent in all its shapes, sizes, and forms. Award winners, which includes nominees, must be chosen on the greatness of their talent ALONE.
I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc.
Joseph Tralongo is a playwright and screenwriter who approaches storytelling with a deep respect for film’s ability to distill human behavior into meaningful moments. His personal work- i.e. his plays, screenplays, and films- leans into semantic tension, moral ambiguity, and the quiet unraveling of social dynamics- not to preach, but to parse. For him, writing is a slow excavation of truth through craft. With a background in theatre and independent film, he brings a structural precision and dramatic instinct to every film he reviews. Hollywood Insider’s mission to champion substance over spectacle aligns with Joseph’s belief that storytelling should investigate, not dictate.
Joseph Tralongo is a playwright and screenwriter who approaches storytelling with a deep respect for film’s ability to distill human behavior into meaningful moments. His personal work- i.e. his plays, screenplays, and films- leans into semantic tension, moral ambiguity, and the quiet unraveling of social dynamics- not to preach, but to parse. For him, writing is a slow excavation of truth through craft. With a background in theatre and independent film, he brings a structural precision and dramatic instinct to every film he reviews. Hollywood Insider’s mission to champion substance over spectacle aligns with Joseph’s belief that storytelling should investigate, not dictate.
Joseph Tralongo is a playwright and screenwriter who approaches storytelling with a deep respect for film’s ability to distill human behavior into meaningful moments. His personal work- i.e. his plays, screenplays, and films- leans into semantic tension, moral ambiguity, and the quiet unraveling of social dynamics- not to preach, but to parse. For him, writing is a slow excavation of truth through craft. With a background in theatre and independent film, he brings a structural precision and dramatic instinct to every film he reviews. Hollywood Insider’s mission to champion substance over spectacle aligns with Joseph’s belief that storytelling should investigate, not dictate.
