Gary Oldman, an Oscar-winning actor, expressed his surprise at his royal snub.
Gary Oldman has expressed surprise and disappointment at not receiving a knighthood or other royal honour despite his distinguished career.
In a recent BBC interview, Oldman, who won an Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe for his portrayal of Sir Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, spoke candidly about his lack of royal acknowledgment.
“I do not know why. Ask them. When asked about the lack of an honour, Oldman replied, “No nod from the royals, but there we are.”
The 66-year-old actor, whose career spans four decades, said with a glimmer of hope, “Maybe it’s in my future.”
Oldman had three Academy Award nominations and numerous critically lauded performances in films including Sid and Nancy, Dracula, and The Dark Knight Trilogy.
His status contrasts starkly with that of many of his British peers, as he is the only British Best Actor Oscar winner this century who has not received a royal honour.
Fellow actors, like Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sir Daniel Day-Lewis, and Sir Kenneth Branagh, have all received knighthoods, often following huge Oscar wins.
Mark Rylance was knighted the year after winning Best Supporting Actor for Bridge of Spies in 2017, Colin Firth received a CBE in 2011 for his Oscar-winning performance in The King’s Speech, and Olivia Colman received the same honour in 2019 after winning Best Actress for The Favourite.
Eddie Redmayne received an OBE in 2016 after winning Best Actor for The Theory of Everything, while Kate Winslet received a CBE in 2012, three years after winning an Oscar for The Reader.
Oldman is currently experiencing success in his first long-running television role, as Jackson Lamb in the Apple TV+ series Slow Horses.
The show, which is poised to begin its fourth season, has received great reviews, with Oldman’s portrayal of the disheveled MI5 agent earning him a BAFTA for Best Actor earlier this year.
He is currently expected to win his first Emmy for the part next month and has hilariously highlighted his character’s disagreeable habits, such as breaking wind: “Here are the chats you have.
“You know: ‘This one is on a leather chair, so it should be more robust’.”
The fourth series will be available for streaming on AppleTV+ beginning September 4.