The Hollywood establishment Gary Oldman calls “fucking ridiculous”
Great Britain is known for producing some of the finest acting thespians in cinema history, from Ian McKellan, who would go from the Shakespearean stage to play Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, to Tilda Swinton, who is undoubtedly one of the country’s greatest living actors. Yet, few performers have done more for cinema than Gary Oldman, a star who has thrived in both independent and popular filmmaking.
Rising to prominence in the 1980s, making his first major debut in the Mike Leigh classic Meantime, a film that has gained a loyal contemporary fanbase, Oldman went on to gain popularity as Sid Vicious in Alex Cox’s 1986 biopic Sid and Nancy. Soon, the actor became known for his chameleon-like ability to morph into any bizarre character, embodying Lee Harvey Oswald in Oliver Stone’s JFK before playing the world’s most iconic vampire in Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula.
Despite such influential performances in these aforementioned films, as well as later 20th-century classics such as Tony Scott’s True Romance, Luc Besson’s Leon and the sci-fi favourite The Fifth Element, Oldman wouldn’t receive an Oscar nomination till the new millennium, and would only claim a coveted award in 2018, thanks to his performance as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour.
Yet, speaking back in 2014 with Playboy, Oldman didn’t seem too bothered about receiving an Oscar, telling the publication: “Does it mean anything to win a Laurence Olivier Award or a Tony? I guess it’s peers or people acknowledging you in some way. I know it certainly doesn’t mean anything to win a Golden Globe, that’s for sure”.
Indeed, if an Oscar once meant little to Oldman, it’s clear that the Golden Globes mean almost nothing at all, despite the actor later winning an award at the ceremony in 2018.
“It’s a meaningless event,” he stated, slamming the Golden Globes, “The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is kidding you that something’s happening. They’re fucking ridiculous. There’s nothing going on at all. It’s 90 nobodies having a wank. Everybody’s getting drunk, and everybody’s sucking up to everybody. Boycott the fucking thing. Just say we’re not going to play this silly game with you anymore. The Oscars are different. But it’s showbiz. It’s all showbiz. That makes me sound like I’ve got so”.
Clearly knowing his role in the Hollywood showbiz conveyor belt, it’s clear that the actor simply couldn’t resist having a dig at the show that marks the start of the annual awards season.
Take a look at Oldman accepting his Golden Globe for his performance in 2018’s Darkest Hour below.
