I’ve been singing the praises of Slow Horses for years now, and sometimes it feels like I’m yelling into the void. Luckily, if you’ve been curious about the amazing book-to-screen adaptation, there is an early Prime Day deal on Apple TV that gives you time to get caught up before Season 6 hits the 2026 TV schedule in October. In fact, we just got our first look at the season, and I’m so ready for a big binge rewatch this summer. Here’s how you can, too.

Slow Horse Might Be My Favorite Current Show

Though some might argue that we’re no longer in the era of peak TV, it’s still hard for me to pick one show as my absolute favorite, but gun to my head, I’d probably say it’s Slow Horses, based on the books by Mick Herron. If you’ve not seen the show, the easiest way to sum it up without spoiling anything is that Gary Oldman plays Jackson Lamb, the agent in charge of a ragtag group of MI5 cast-offs in a rundown office far outside of the heart of the British Intelligence Services. Oldman’s performance as Lamb is worth the price of a subscription alone; it’s a crime that he hasn’t won an Emmy yet.

Apple TV Has So Much Other Stuff, Too

While Slow Horse is my favorite show, I also think Apple TV is the most consistent streamer when it comes to putting out excellent content. There are a bunch of dramas that I love, like Severance, For All Mankind, Silo (Season 3 debuts on July 3rd), and Pluribus. It seems like just about every show Apple TV produces has a huge budget and tons of talent in front of and behind the camera. There are also some great comedies, led, of course, by Ted Lasso and Shrinking.

Then there are the sports. I’m also a huge fan of Formula 1, and Apple TV is where all the races are broadcast in the US. Plus, as a season ticket holder to St. Louis City SC, I watch all their away matches on Apple TV, which is the home for all of the MLS games worldwide. I don’t care about watching Lionel Messi (unless he’s playing City), but you might!

These are all great perks, of course, but ultimately, I’d probably subscribe to the services for Gary Oldman's performance in Slow Horses alone. It feels like the rest is just a great bonus. Well, Slow Horses and MLS soccer, I guess. I almost wish I didn’t already have a subscription so I could take advantage of this deal and watch Slow Horses for the first time again.

A beautiful face can get you places in Hollywood, but how boring would it be if every actor populating the 2026 movie calendar looked like Sexiest Man Alive Jonathan Bailey or Michael B. Jordan? OK, maybe that was a bad example, but still, there are countless great character actors who may sport a more unique look, and fans are making their voices heard after a list went around claiming that guys like Gary Oldman, Walton Goggins and Alan Tudyk were “not hot enough to be a lead.”

There’s definitely more to being “hot” than having a chiseled jaw and rock-hard abs, and a good personality can be significantly more important (even Sydney Sweeney doesn’t want to date a jerk). So when stars like J.K. Simmons, David Dastmalchian, Steve Buscemi and Paul Dano showed up on a Reddit post asking for people’s “Favorite ugly bastard we call a ‘character actor’ as a nice way of saying they’re just not hot enough to be a lead?,” fanbases were activated. BabypintoJuniorLube responded with a timely comparison, writing:

Forget the fact that a lot of the men put forward by the original poster have been the lead in movies and on TV, because Redditors really took issue with the suggestion that these actors are ugly in the first place.

Gary Oldman seems to have gotten the lion’s share of responses, with fans imploring people to look past his flatulent-heavy role on Slow Horses to remember Sid and Nancy, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and even the Harry Potter movies. Comments included:

• Dude was sexy! Watched an older movie with him in it recently and my ex was like "wait is that.... sexy Gary Oldman??” – dragonflyzmaximize
• I’m (mostly) lesbian but Gary Oldman as Dracula at his first meeting of Mina WAS panty-dropping – Pan_Fluid_Boo
• Gary does not belong in that list. – idntknww
• As an Oldwoman myself, I can assure you that Sir Gary is still Hotasf--kman. – JessicaGriffin
• Seriously, we’re calling Gary Oldman ugly nowadays? – Hoppy-Poppy17
• I’m so confused, I thought he was super hot in Prisoner of Azkaban. – Late-Summer-1208

As for Walton Goggins, who blew up after his roles on The White Lotus and Fallout, plenty of fans said the Redditor was out of their mind for including him on the “not hot” list, writing:

• Women are drooling over Walton Goggins in the Fallout show and he doesn’t even have a nose in that one. – Misplacedwaffle
• Frankly that show [Fallout] is dare I say the hottest he’s ever been. He just oozes charisma – DowntownAd9720
• Goggins’ appeal is his confidence and energy, he’s got a whole vibe. Source: my wife – lefthandtrav
• Walton Goggins has always been objectively very good looking I don’t know what the hell he is doing here. – ValToolTime

Even Alan Tudyk’s inclusion got people fired up, inspiring comments like FigureUnusual4439’s “Would smash,” and catchyerselfon asking if the OP had even seen the Firefly actor’s “large semi-muscular physique.” One Redditor said the post was so misguided that others should have been consulted first:

Look, the sexy rat boyfriend is a real thing, guys. Timothée Chalamet is talking about marrying Kylie Jenner, and Pete Davidson just had a baby with model girlfriend Elsie Hewitt, for crying out loud.

There are a lot of classically beautiful men in Hollywood, and there’s definitely nothing wrong with that. But attractiveness is subjective, and the above fans know it goes much deeper than looks. Reddit user Impressive_Answer297 may have said it best:

If Gary Oldman, Walton Goggins, Paul Dano and the rest are involved, sign me up!

Gary Oldman has had lots of great roles during his prolific career. In addition to working on acclaimed prestige films, he's also gotten in on some genre work. That includes his tenure as Commissioner Gordon in Chris Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, which I would assume is the role fans talk to him about the most. But it turns out that honor goes to another franchise role: playing Sirius Black in the Harry Potter movies.

Harry Potter is a beloved global franchise, so perhaps this shouldn't be so surprising. The eight-movie franchise, which is streaming with a Max subscription, features a stellar adult cast, including Oldman. During an interview with ET, he was asked if he gets stopped by fans about Sirius. He responded resoundingly, offering:

I mean, who doesn't love Harry's godfather? Sirius Black is a fan favorite character, and that popularity extends to the Harry Potter cast. Gary Oldman might have filmed his appearances years ago, but the ongoing popularity of the Wizarding World means there are still fans stopping him and asking for signed pictures of the character.

While reminiscing about this particular role, Oldman lamented that he only appeared in a few Harry Potter movies. Just like in the books, Sirius shows up in The Prisoner of Azkaban, and is killed by Bellatrix Lestrange in Order of the Phoenix. He technically only appeared in four of the movies, and some of those were cameos. He spoke about his abbreviated time as Sirius, offering:

Gary Oldman filmed the Harry Potter movies and Dark Knight trilogy at around the same time, keeping the 67-year-old actor busy playing two beloved heroes of fiction. Oldman shared a fun fan interaction where he combined these two iconic roles. In his words:

Sirius Black's death is one of the most tragic moments in the Harry Potter franchise, especially as he had the potential to become the Boy Who Lived's guardian. Fans have long talked about the veil, and I love that Oldman found a way to shoehorn in Batman when talking about it.

Harry Potter might be one of the best book-to-screen adaptations, but the Dark Knight Trilogy is a universally acclaimed set of superhero movies. Oldman's Gordon is one of the many reasons why they work so well, and he's my favorite live-action version of the character. But you can't deny the staying power of the Wizarding World.

Both Harry Potter and The Dark Knight movies are streaming on HBO Max. We'll just have to wait and see who ends up playing Sirius Black in the developing Harry Potter TV show.

I recently revisited Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands, and came away completely understanding why it remains one of the best movies of the ‘90. The gothic fairy tale helped define the auteur director’s movie career while also further launching Johnny Depp into superstardom. In a recent interview, Oscar winner Gary Oldman addressed the fact that he was on Burton’s short list for the dialogue-lite role, but that he'd turned it down because he simply “didn’t get” the script.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Oldman admitted that he was given the script in the late ’80s, before Tim Burton was fully established as a tonal visionary. Even if Beetlejuice and Batman were both already out at the time, those distinct stories still wouldn't have provided Oldman a blueprint to understanding Edward Scissorhands on the page. As he tells it:

Honestly? Fair. It's hard to imagine something like Edward Scissorhands from just words on a page without hearing Vincent Price's voice or seeing Winona Ryder in snowglobe mode. There are so many ideas that go into making a movie as iconic as this flick, and not having Burton around to paint a mental picture would have made it challenging indeed.

Oldman explained that without Burton’s later filmography to help contextualize the project, the concept just struck him as confusing and even unappealing. The actor continued:

That decision meant Oldman never actually met with Burton to discuss the part, which propped the the door open more for Johnny Depp to take on what would become one of his best roles.

Despite his initial disinterest, Oldman wasn’t immune to the finished film’s magic eventually. He confessed:

It’s a classic “sliding doors” moment in Hollywood history where one actor passes on a role because it seems too odd or risky, only for another to step in and help turn it into a cultural phenomenon. It's wild to think about where both of their careers would have gone, and what Edward Scissorhands merch would look like with Oldman in the role.

Of course, Oldman’s career didn’t exactly suffer. While he missed out on playing Edward, he went on to build a decades-spanning résumé that includes a ton of great characters. He’s done everything from punk legend Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy to Sirius Black in Harry Potter, Commissioner Gordon in The Dark Knight trilogy (available to stream with an HBO Max subscription), and Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour — a role that finally earned him an Oscar.

Oldman frames the Scissorhands episode as one of many moments where instinct, timing, and perspective shaped his path. As THR’s profile highlights, his willingness to pivot away from typecasting and later embrace quieter, more internalized roles gave him staying power in a business that often chews up actors known for intensity alone.

Gary Oldman’s 2025 movie slate has been quiet, but his series Slow Horses returns for its fifth season on September 24, 2025. Available to anyone with an Apple TV+ subscription.

The Emmy nominations are out, and after watching all the nominated performances for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series on the 2025 television schedule, I’m completely torn as to who I think should win. Pedro Pascal, Sterling K. Brown, Noah Wyle, Gary Oldman, and Adam Scott all put in amazing turns in amazing shows. How to pick just one? I don’t know if I can, but by the end of this story, I hope to have some clarity.

Pedro Pascal For The Last Of Us

Pedro Pascal may indeed be the “internet’s daddy,” and a big reason why is his role as Joel in The Last of Us. There is one more season for The Last of Us, but given Joel's limited role in Season 2 (IYKYK), this may be Pascal's final shot at winning an Emmy for this particular role. If I'm honest, I think he deserves this award more for Season 1 of The Last of Us, as his role was much bigger, of course. However, since every scene he's a part of in Season 2 has so much emotional weight, it's not like he's undeserving now.

The last few years have been amazing for Pascal and his fans. He also has Fantastic Four: First Steps coming out this month, and The Mandalorian and Grogu on the 2026 movie schedule. For Pascal to win an Emmy for one of the best video game adaptations ever would be a crowning achievement. An achievement he well deserves. But he’s hardly alone in this category.

Adam Scott For Severance

Apple TV+ has put out some amazing movies and TV shows in the last few years and at the top of that list has to be Severance. The Emmys have certainly recognized that with an amazing 27 nominations in 2025, leading all shows. Adam Scott, who plays Mark S., leads a fantastic cast that includes fellow nominees Britt Lower, John Turturro, Tramell Tillman, and Patricia Arquette.

I do think, as amazing as Severance is and as fantastic as Scott is, he may be the longshot in this category, which goes to show just how loaded it is. I won’t be surprised by anything when the Emmy is announced on September 14th, but still, if I were a betting man, I wouldn’t be betting on Scott. He’ll surely be nominated again after Season 3 of Severance.

Noah Wyle For The Pitt

HBO Max's fantastic medical drama The Pitt was at first a tough watch for me, at first. It took me a couple of restarts to finally get into it. That’s not because I thought it was bad, in fact, it was quite the opposite, it was so good–and so real–that I had to turn it off. It was literally freaking me out by how real it felt.

The show’s star, Noah Wyle, has five Emmy nominations to his name from his days on that other medical drama he once starred in, ER, but honestly, he hit a new level of performance with The Pitt. Though he never won for ER, and he might not win here, given the competition, his performance is riveting, heartfelt, and most importantly, real.

Sterling K. Brown For Paradise

Hulu’s Paradise is the brainchild of Dan Fogelman, who is also responsible for a little show called This Is Us, for which Sterling K. Brown was nominated for five Emmys in this same category and won the award in 2017 after Season 1. Brown and Fogelman teamed up again for Paradise, and the outcome, unsurprisingly, was another fantastic season of television and a slew of Emmy nominations.

Brown brings his trademark emotional depth to a character, Secret Service Agent Xavier Collins, who might have been two-dimensional in anyone but Brown and Fogelman’s hands. On the surface, the show is a science fiction whodunit, but with Brown leading the amazing cast, it’s so much more than that. A win here would be Brown’s fourth Emmy (he also won for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson and Best Narrator for Lincoln: Divided We Stand), so it’s never a surprise to see him on the stage accepting an award for acting excellence.

Gary Oldman For Slow Horses

Finally, we come to what is actually my personal favorite. Slow Horses, which you can stream with an Apple TV+ subscription, has been among the best shows on streaming for four seasons now (with a fifth right around the corner). Gary Oldman, who plays the crusty, smelly, chain-smoking, washed-up spy Jackson Lamb in the thriller, has been outstanding for all of those seasons.

This is only Oldman’s second nomination for Slow Horses, which almost seems criminal. The Oscar winner has never won an Emmy, and while I would be happy to see any of these actors win, I’m quietly rooting for Oldman, because I really love the show, and his performance is so good, I can smell his character through the screen–and I mean that in the best way.

Who Will Win Is Anyone’s Guess

This is the Emmys, so of course there are always going to be five worthy Emmy nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series, but this year just feels different to me. It seems especially hard to predict a winner. While I’m personally rooting for Oldman, as I said, I don’t know that he’ll take it home, and really, nothing would surprise me here.

I’ve been sitting here for almost a day thinking about this, and still have no clue who will win. All five actors put in deserving performances in excellent (and very popular) shows. Even though I said Adam Scott is maybe the longshot, the more I think about Severance and its dozens of nominations, the more I change my mind about that. That’s where we are with this category. I go back and forth between all five. I can’t wait to tune in to CBS in September to find out who wins.

When going through the live-action Batman movies in order, Batman Begins especially stands out from the pack given that it rebooted DC Comics’ Dark Knight for the big screen following the commercially-disappointing and critically-maligned Batman & Robin. One of the highlights of the 2005 superhero movie is Gary Oldman’s performance as Jim Gordon, who becomes a key ally to Christian Bale’s Batman. Oldman, who believes he was originally eyed for Scarecrow, had a particularly hectic shooting schedule on Batman Begins, but this ended up aiding his performance as Gordon.

While being interviewed on Happy Sad Confused, Oldman first noted to interviewer Josh Horowitz about how there’s a “world-weariness” to Jim Gordon in Batman Begins because he’s surrounded by corrupt cops and, despite his best efforts, “can’t corral the chaos.” The actor then recollected how he was frequently flying between Los Angeles, where he lived, and London, where Batman Begins was shooting, so he wouldn’t be away from his children for too long. As he remembers it:

Yeah, just reading about that amount of plane travel is stressing me out. For Gary Oldman, however, it was a necessity so that he wouldn’t have to go for months without being in his kids’ lives. He also made it clear to director Christopher Nolan he would turn back around on his way to the airport if there ended up being “anything wrong with the dailies” that required him to reshoot one of more of his scenes.

Now spending this much time going back and forth between continents probably would be detrimental to an actor who’s playing a more upbeat role. In Gary Oldman’s case, however, it proved beneficial for him as he was bringing Jim Gordon to life in Batman Begins. As he put it:

When we meet Lieutenant Gordon in Batman Begins, he seems resigned to being one of the few incorruptible police officers in the GCPD and barely tolerates being around his bent partner Arnold Flass. But when Bruce Wayne, who remembered Gordon’s kindness from when he was a child, approached the mustachioed man in his vigilante persona, a beacon of hope was lit. By the end of Batman Begins, Scarecrow and Ra’s al Ghul were defeated, and with all the “bent cops running scared,” the now-sergeant Gordon embraced his new partnership with Gotham City’s caped protector.

Like Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Cillian Murphy, Gary Oldman stuck around for the entirety of the Dark Knight trilogy, and he remains my favorite depiction of James Gordon. These days, Oldman can be seen playing Jackson Lamb in the British spy thriller series Slow Horses, available to stream with an Apple TV+ subscription.

Nothing has been confirmed at this point, but judging by the big tease during the Back in Action ending, there's certainly potential for a sequel, especially with the tease at the ending. And while I could go on a long spiel about what I think will happen in the follow-up to the remarkably popular Netflix movie, I instead want to focus on who I think could play Cameron Diaz’s on-screen dad (remember, his existence was teased just before the credits rolled?).

Considering the information provided throughout the movie about Diaz’s character, the fact that Glenn Close played her, and decades of watching all kinds of action and spy franchises, I’ve come up with a list of what I think are the best options. Here are my top picks for Back in Action 2 if the 2025 Netflix movie gets the teased sequel.

Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman is probably the most obvious choice to play Emily’s dad in Back in Action 2, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad option. With plenty of experience in the world of spies – Slow Horses is one of the best Apple TV+ originals, and his performance in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is underrated – and the ability to balance humor, drama, and action, this Academy Award winner would be tremendous.

I’m just over here imagining not only Oldman’s character and Emily having some kind of reunion after decades apart, but also the potential awkwardness of Matt meeting a father-in-law he never knew existed. Hell, just give me those two on some adventure and I’ll be happy.

Michael Douglas

Even though Emily’s mom, Ginny Curtis, played by Glenn Close, is British in Back in Action, it’s never mentioned if her father is a Brit or an American. That leaves the door open for all kinds of possibilities. One American actor I’d love to see enter the picture is Michael Douglas, who would be absolutely incredible as a long-lost father who probably has more tricks up his sleeves than years away from his daughter.

I'm not saying Back in Action 2 has to be some "what if" sequel to Fatal Attraction, in which Dan Gallagher and Alex Forrest had a daughter, but it would be great to see Douglas and Close share the screen again.

Pierce Brosnan

Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond used some ridiculous gadgets during his tenure as cinema’s most famous spy, and some of us have been waiting more than 20 years to see the beloved actor get back into the spy game. I would love to see Brosnan show up as Emily’s dad in a possible Back in Action sequel because there are just so many places the spy comedy could go.

Imagine this… Back in Action 2: Dads in Action, which would involve Brosnan and Jamie Foxx’s Matt having to team up to save Emily and/or their kids (I’m over here just laughing at a former spy loosely based on 007 coming to terms with being a grandfather). It probably won’t happen, but maybe I can manifest it.

Kevin Kline

Kevin Kline and Glenn Close were amazing together in The Big Chill. While a Back in Action sequel probably isn’t the best way for the two to share the screen again after 40-plus years, it could be a lot of fun, albeit a little absurd. Kevin Kline is one of those actors who can be great in just about anything, even when a movie is a honker like Wild Wild West, and generally seems to have a good time no matter the project.

After watching Kline’s work on Disclaimer, one of my favorite TV thrillers of 2024, I’m convinced he could pull off a British accent if they made the character from across the pond like Emily’s mom; they could also make him more dramatic and deranged like his small-screen character.

Kurt Russell

There are a lot of badass Kurt Russell characters from the actor’s decades-long career, and I think he’d be perfect for a silly spy-action comedy like Back in Action. If a sequel is made, it would be wild to see the man who brought Snake Plisken and R.J. MacReady to life play a spy who has been doing God knows what for the past 30 or so years.

He’s got the action chops, he has great comedic timing, and he’s charming as all hell, which makes Russell one of my top choices for the role of Emily’s dad. I would love to see him trading barbs with Cameron Diaz on screen, flirting with Glenn Close’s Ginny, or having awkward conversations with Nigel (Jamie Demetriou) about who’s the real “granddad.”

Michael Keaton

The list of great Michael Keaton quotes could get a little bit longer if the former Batman actor were brought in for Back in Action 2 (Bat in Action, anyone? No?). The prolific actor has a dynamic range and a mystique that you don’t see all that much, and he has long shown that he can be as crazy as can be whenever needed. That kind of energy would be perfect for a movie like this.

With roles like Beetlejuice, Keaton has proven he can be funny and lovable even when being a little evil and condescending, and all of those traits would mesh well with the characters who have already been introduced so far.

Antonio Banderas

I’m not just including Antonio Banderas as an option because I think it would make for a great Shrek reunion with Cameron Diaz, but I’m not saying that’s not one of the reasons, either. It would be hilarious to see Princess Fiona and Puss in Boots channel some of that energy for a live-action movie ahead of the release of Shrek 5, and I think they could make a funny father-daughter pairing.

Banderas, who has been great in action movies, comedies, dramas, thrillers, and pretty much every genre (yes, even musicals), could add a lot to the cast of the Netflix movie and give audiences a hilarious new character.

Jonathan Pryce

And then there is Jonathan Pryce, who has the acting chops to hold his own when sharing the screen with Glenn Close (as he showed in The Wife). Like Gary Oldman, Pryce has experience in the spy world, with his most recent offering also being Slow Horses. If he could channel that energy and make it a little bit more comedic, it could be hilarious. But on second thought, having Pryce be the straight guy in the mix could be even funnier.

Regardless of the direction the character would take, Back in Action 2 would be a lot better with someone like Pryce being a part of the cast.

Who knows when we’ll see the Back in Action sequel, or who’ll play Cameron Diaz’s on-screen dad? While we wait, there are plenty of great 2025 movies streaming for anyone with a Netflix subscription, with more on the way.

Stream Back in Action on Netflix.

The Academy Award for Best Actor has been handed out every year since 1929 — fun fact, it was awarded to German actor Emil Jannings for not one but two acclaimed roles, in The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh — and in the near-century since, it's been presented 97 times to 86 actors. But while taking home that coveted statuette is definitely a career highlight for any performer, the honor does add a little extra pressure on the actor's next project. Will it be as beloved and acclaimed as the role that won them the gold? Here are 32 films that Oscar-winning actors did after taking home the Academy Award, and how they were received.

Cillian Murphy

After the enormity of portraying famed physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's billion-dollar blockbuster Oppenheimer, and taking home the 2024 Oscar for Best Actor in the process, Cillian Murphy went small for his next film — literally. In the 2024 adaptation of Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These, Murphy returned to his native Ireland to play Bill, a quiet coal merchant and father of five internally struggling with the harsh realities of the infamous Magdalene Laundries. While Murphy didn't replicate the awards dominance of Oppenheimer with SMTLT, his internal and affecting performance was widely praised by critics.

Joaquin Phoenix

After four nominations throughout his decades-spanning career, Joaquin Phoenix finally took home that Best Actor statue in 2020 for his engrossing portrayal of the nihilistic clown Arthur Fleck in Todd Phillips' Joker. Following that iconic role, Phoenix next appeared in the 2021 Mike Mills dramedy C'mon C'mon, an improv-heavy performance that saw the actor play a middle-aged radio journalist tasked with babysitting his nephew (Woody Norman) while on the road for work. Phoenix was nominated for Outstanding Lead Performance at the Gotham Awards, and the film was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the Top 10 Independent Films of the year.

Will Smith

Will Smith had quite an, um, eventful evening when he took home the Oscar for Best Actor in 2022 for King Richard after two prior nominations (Ali, The Pursuit of Happyness). Winning an Oscar means that a spotlight is already bright on an actor, but the added publicity from the ceremony means his post-slap comeback would be even more scrutinized than usual. His follow-up was 2022's Emancipation, in which he played a runaway slave in 1860s Louisiana. Though the drama received mixed reviews overall, Smith won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for his performance.

Anthony Hopkins

Though he's garnered six Oscar nominations across his illustrious acting career — with his most recent win being for 2021's The Father — Anthony Hopkins' first Academy Award was for that scene-stealing villain, psychiatrist turned serial killer Hannibal Lector in 1991's The Silence of the Lambs. Following up such an iconic performance is no small task and unfortunately, Hopkins' next film, 1992's Freejack opposite Emilio Estevez and Mick Jagger, was a sci-fi dud, bombing both with critics and audiences. During an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, Hopkins himself called the film "terrible."

Leonardo DiCaprio

Five-time nominee Leonardo DiCaprio had a bit of "always the bridesmaid" syndrome where the Academy Awards were concerned, until he finally took home the Best Actor Oscar for his emotionally raw and physically punishing performance in Alejandro G. Iñárritu's 2019 Western epic The Revenant. His next big-screen role was, graciously, a bit less cold and blustery, trading the frosty American Midwest for starry Los Angeles in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The latter received 10 Oscar nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards, including a nod for DiCaprio's individual work.

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington had already taken home a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing a Civil War soldier in the 1989 war drama Glory, but he got his first big Best Actor win for portraying corrupt LAPD officer Alonzo Harris in the 2001 crime thriller Training Day. His next performance was another memorable Denzel role: as the title character in the 2002 Nick Cassavetes-directed drama John Q, which saw Washington play a desperate father who takes a hospital emergency room hostage in order for his son to receive a heart transplant. Alas, despite some praise for Denzel's performance, the film itself boasts only a 26% critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Robert De Niro

Six years after taking home the Best Supporting Actor statue for The Godfather Part II, Robert De Niro got his Best Actor win for his iconic and intense work as boxing champion Jake LaMotta in Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull. A year later, De Niro put away the boxing gloves and picked up the Bible to play a Roman Catholic monsignor in 1981's True Confessions, opposite fellow The Godfather great Robert Duvall. Though reviews for the neo-noir were largely positive, the National Review's William F. Buckley, Jr. panned it: "Robert De Niro is badly miscast. He is never entirely convincing."

Matthew McConaughey

After acclaimed turns in 2011's Lincoln Lawyer and 2012's Magic Mike, the so-called "McConaissance" was officially solidified a year later with Matthew McConaughey's Oscar-winning portrayal of Ron Woodroof, a cowboy diagnosed with AIDS, in the biopic Dallas Buyers Club. Despite not having nearly as much screentime, the actor's next performance was just as memorable: a chest-thumping, meme-inducing extended cameo as Mark Hanna in Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street.

Tom Hanks

Beyond being one of the most beloved actors of all time, Tom Hanks also holds a piece of cinema history: he's one of only two actors to win back-to-back Academy Awards for acting. Yes, that means after taking home the Best Actor Oscar for his heart-wrenching performance as HIV-positive lawyer Andrew Beckett in 1994's Philadelphia, Hanks struck Oscar gold yet again with his very next performance, as the titular lead of 1995's Forrest Gump.

Rami Malek

Rami Malek belted his way to an Oscar as legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the glossy 2019 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. His first post-award performance also revolved around his voice — voice acting, that is, as Malek portrayed a mountain gorilla named Chee-Chee in the 2020 fantasy-adventure film Dolittle, with his future Oppenheimer co-star Robert Downey Jr. as the titular doc. The family-friendly flick received abysmal reviews from critics, with Courtney Howard of Variety writing: "What should have been an awe-filled adventure quickly curdles into an awful one, thanks to a pedestrian formula and the filmmakers' fixation on fart jokes."

Adrien Brody

In 2003, Adrien Brody made Oscar history when he won the Academy Award for Best Actor at age 29 for his portrayal of Władysław Szpilman in Roman Polanski's war drama The Pianist, becoming the youngest actor ever to win in that category. Later that year, he followed up his historic win with the musical crime comedy The Singing Detective, about a mystery writer (Robert Downey Jr.) who relives his detective stories through his imagination and hallucinations. The film scored a 39% "Rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx had one hell of a 2004, serving up not one but two award-worthy performances: He took home the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as soul great Ray Charles in the 2004 biopic Ray and also received a Best Supporting Actor nod that same year for his work in the crime film Collateral. It would be near-impossible for any performer to hit that kind of stratospheric high again, especially with Foxx's follow-up Stealth — the 2005 military action flick co-starring Josh Lucas and Jessica Biel was dubbed a "stink-bomb" by Roger Ebert.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Acting legend Daniel Day-Lewis deservedly holds the record for the most Best Actor awards ever, with three wins out of six nominations, but his first was for playing Christy Brown, a writer-artist born with cerebral palsy, in the 1989 drama My Left Foot. And though he would later follow that iconic role up by playing famous figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Bill the Butcher, his immediate next performance was as an Irish-American dentist traveling around Argentina in the forgettable 1989 dramedy Eversmile, New Jersey.

Jack Nicholson

The first of three Academy Awards for the legendary movie star, Jack Nicholson's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest performance as Randle McMurphy nabbed him the Oscar in 1976. Later that year, he would star as cattle rustler Tom Logan opposite Marlon Brandon in the Arthur Penn-helmed Western The Missouri Breaks. Coming hot on the heels of not only his own Oscar win but also Brando's for The Godfather, the film was highly anticipated — however, it failed to live up to those expectations and became a notorious critical and commercial flop.

Marlon Brando

One of the most iconic cinema stars of all time, Marlon Brando was nominated for eight Oscars across his decades-spanning career. He won two, the first being for his electrifying role as prizefighter turned longshoreman Terry Malloy in the 1954 crime drama On the Waterfront, widely considered one of the greatest acting performances of all time. His next role as Napoleon Bonaparte in the historical romance Désirée didn't win him any awards, but Variety reportedly called his performance "a masterful exhibition of thesping" at the time.

Philip Seymour Hoffman

The late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman had already solidified himself as a vibrant and vital supporting actor with films like The Talented Mr. Ripley, Almost Famous, Magnolia and 25th Hour, but his Oscar-winning portrayal of author Truman Capote in 2005's Capote officially upped him to leading man status. He would receive another three Oscar nominations in the years to follow, but his very next role was more of a crowd-pleaser than an awards grab: as arms dealer Owen Davian in Mission: Impossible III.

Russell Crowe

Audiences and critics alike were very much entertained by Russell Crowe's performance as Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 Rome-set epic Gladiator, which earned the New Zealand-born star the Best Actor Oscar at the 73rd Academy Awards. Crowe would go up for the same award only a year later, for his portrayal of American mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr. in the biographical drama A Beautiful Mind, but he lost to Training Day lead Denzel Washington.

Jean Dujardin

Jean Dujardin rose to international fame with his performance as George Valentin in the 2011 silent movie The Artist — his Oscar win was a historic one, as he was the first French performer to ever take home the Best Actor statue. Despite his newfound Hollywood status, however, the actor-comedian returned to his native France for his next film credit: The Players, a 2012 comedy anthology co-starring Gilles Lellouche, with each man also directing and writing a segment.

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage's filmography is a wild ride, from critically acclaimed fare like Raising Arizona, Moonstruck and Adaptation to straight-to-video shlock. Thankfully, his 1995 drama Leaving Las Vegas falls into the former category, winning Cage the Best Actor Oscar for his role as alcoholic screenwriter Ben Sanderson. (Funnily enough, it's not one of Nic Cage's favorite Nic Cage movies.) His next movie was the 1996 action thriller The Rock, which also won Cage an award: the Best On-Screen Duo statue at the MTV Movie Awards alongside co-star Sean Connery.

Eddie Redmayne

British star Eddie Redmayne won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of famed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking in the 2014 biographical drama The Theory of Everything. But that career high was immediately followed by a career-low: a Golden Raspberry Award — a parody award honoring cinematic failures — for Worst Supporting Actor for his work in the galactically goofy 2015 space opera Jupiter Ascending. Even he admitted his performance was bad!

Sidney Poitier

A movie icon through and through, Bahamian-American actor Sidney Poitier made history in 1964 as the first Black performer to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Lilies of the Field. A year later, he moved on from that seminal role with the 1965 Cold War thriller The Bedford Incident, as a civilian photojournalist aboard a U.S. Navy ship that gets into some messy business with a Soviet submarine. Though Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote that "the whole thing transcends plausibility," other critics clearly disagreed — the movie has an 86% Certified Fresh rating.

Sean Penn

After a trio of Best Actor nominations, Sean Penn's haunting performance as a grieving, vengeful father of a murdered Boston girl in the Clint Eastwood-directed neo-noir Mystic River finally got him the Academy Award in 2004. Later that year, Penn starred in yet another crime thriller, The Assassination of Richard Nixon, based on the story of the POTUS's would-be assassin Samuel Byck in the mid-1970s. The latter film didn't share the award-worthy gravitas of Mystic River, though, per Rotten Tomatoes, critical consensus said: "A fascinating true story and compelling Sean Penn performance are worthy compensations."

Roberto Benigni

Few Oscar wins were as memorable as Roberto Benigni's, what with presenter Sofia Loren's passionate declaration of "Roberto!" to Benigni's literal victory lap up to the stage. The Italian actor-director took the Best Actor trophy in 1998 for the Holocaust tragicomedy Life is Beautiful, making him the first honoree for a non-English language performance. A year later, he would appear in a very different movie: French-Italian-German comedy adventure flick Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar opposite Gérard Depardieu and Christian Clavier, which was a box office success.

Al Pacino

One of the most influential actors in modern cinema, Al Pacino was nominated for eight Academy Awards — including for The Godfather films, Serpico and the crime drama classic Dog Day Afternoon — before finally taking home the Best Actor statue for playing Frank Slade in 1992's Scent of a Woman. That Oscar win gave viewers an extra critical eye on his next role, as Nuyorican criminal Carlito Brigante in the De Palma crime drama Carlito's Way, however, reviews were largely positive.

Ben Kingsley

It's a daunting thing playing any famous figure in movies based on true stories, especially when the subject is so famous, that they need only one name. Case in point: Gandhi, the 1982 bio epic about the Indian political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi, directed by Richard Attenborough and performed by English actor Sir Ben Kingsley. Luckily for them, the film won Best Picture and Kingsley took home the Best Actor award. Though his next project, the 1983 film adaptation of Harold Pinter's play Betrayal, didn't get Oscar acclaim, it was well-received by critics.

Humphrey Bogart

It seems surprising that Humphrey Bogart didn't win the Oscar for a role as iconic as Rick Blaine in the 1942 classic Casablanca. No, it would actually be another eight years until ol' Bogie won Best Actor for The African Queen, starring as Canadian mechanic Charlie Allnut opposite Katharine Hepburn's Methodist missionary Rose Sayer. His post-Oscar follow-up was the 1952 noir Deadline – U.S.A.: Variety said "Bogart gives a convincing performance all the way" as a big-city newspaper editor who exposes a gangster's crimes.

Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker was ferocious and formidable as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 historical drama The Last King of Scotland, one of his best performances that got the performer a Best Actor Oscar in '07. Later that year, the actor appeared in the ensemble crime drama The Air I Breathe alongside Kevin Bacon, Julie Delpy and Brendan Fraser. Though reviews for the film were overwhelmingly negative, several singled out Whitaker's performance. Annabelle Robertson at Crosswalk wrote: "Whitaker, in particular, is extremely sympathetic in his role—a feat that is all the more outstanding after his turn as the evil dictator in The Last King of Scotland."

Dustin Hoffman

After three Best Actor nods, New Hollywood icon Dustin Hoffman received his first Academy Award for playing half of a couple going through a devastating divorce (alongside an equally great Meryl Streep) in Kramer vs. Kramer in 1980. His next movie role is just as much of a classic: as Michael Dorsey-slash-Dorothy Michaels in the beloved 1982 comedy Tootsie, which nabbed the star yet another Best Actor nomination.

Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman was nearly unrecognizable in his prosthetics-heavy performance as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the 2017 historical drama Darkest Hour. The Academy Awards honored the quintessential Oldman role with a Best Actor award, his second nomination after Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. His next role was just as transformative, if not nearly as acclaimed: Oldman voiced an artificial intelligence in the 2018 sci-fi thriller Tau, which holds a woeful critical rating of 27% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Laurence Olivier

One of the most celebrated Shakespearean actors in film history, cinema icon Laurence Olivier starred in and directed adaptations of three of the Bard's best-known words, Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1948) and Richard III (1955), and earned a Best Actor Oscar for playing the Prince of Denmark. After portraying one of the most famous characters of all time, Olivier switched it up by cameoing as a no-name policeman in the 1951 drama The Magic Box, a "distinguished" bit of stunt casting that The New York Times praised as a delightful "extravagance."

Casey Affleck

Casey Affleck's devastating performance as a father grieving the loss of his three children in Kenneth Lonergan's gut-wrenching Manchester by the Sea clearly broke the collective hearts of the Academy, which voted to give the Boston-bred performer the Best Actor award in 2017. That year, he would tackle another exploration of love and loss with the supernatural drama A Ghost Story, which was a hit with critics — Richard Brody of The New Yorker included the title on his list of the decade's best films.

Brendan Fraser

Brendan Fraser experienced quite the career comeback when he took the Best Actor Oscar for his acclaimed performance as a morbidly obese, housebound English teacher in the 2022 Darren Aronofsky-directed melodrama The Whale. He kept those high-profile projects going with his next film credit, as attorney W. S. Hamilton in Martin Scorsese's stunning American crime drama Killers of the Flower Moon, which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Great actors don't need a lot of makeup or total body transformations to improve their performance, but when you get the combination of a great and those things, the effect can be amazing. Sometimes the effect is so good the actors become completely unrecognizable, like the examples in this list where actors like Jared Leto and Gary Oldman were completely transformed for roles.

Jared Leto - House Of Gucci

It's fair to say that House Of Gucci was, at best, an uneven movie. It was a daunting challenge for everyone involved and none more so than Jared Leto. Leto played the legendary Paolo Gucci, and while his accent was a little shaky, his look and his mannerisms were completely on point. It's one heck of a transformation.

Charlize Theron - Monster

There is no more intense transformation for a role than Charlize Theron's performance as real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster. Theron completely embodies the monster that Wuoronos was, while also subtly allowing the audience to understand how the killer became the way she was. Theron rightfully won an Academy Award for her portrayal of the brutal murderer.

Christian Bale - Vice

Christian Bale is one of the best actors of his generation and he's never been afraid to alter his look for a performance. The Machinist is one excellent example, but even that transformation pales in comparison to the way he completely became Dick Cheney in Vice. Not only does he look just like the former vice president, but he nails his speech pattern and mannerisms as well. It's remarkable.

Lily James - Pam & Tommy

When Lily James was cast as Pamela Anderson in Pam & Tommy it raised a few eyebrows. The actress seemed like a complete opposite in every way, especially her looks, as the blonde bombshell. Yet, when the movie came out, people were amazed at how well James pulled it off. No, it's not the best movie, but James was the spitting image of Anderson.

Gary Oldman - True Romance

One actor who is truly a master of disguise is Gary Oldman. He seemingly looks completely different in almost every role he plays. One of the most astounding transformations was early in his career when he played a pimp in True Romance. He literally looks and sounds nothing like himself in the film, to the point where if you didn't know it was him, you'd never guess.

Jessica Chastain - The Eyes of Tammy Faye

You know when a film wins the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Best Actress, the role is going to be special. Such is the case for Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Chastain is completely unrecognizable in the role of the wife of the infamous Jim Bakker and is simply incredible in the movie.

Margot Robbie - I, Tonya

Turning Margot Robbie into a street tough figure skater like Tonya Harding is no easy feet. Through a combination of incredible makeup work and even better acting, Robbie completely disappears into the notorious skater made famous for her part in attacking her rival Nancy Kerrigan before the 1994 Olympics.

Glenn Close - Hook

Steven Spielberg's 1991 Hook isn't generally remembered as the legendary director's best work, but it is chock full of fun cameos and one of the hardest to spot is Glenn Close. The actress plays one of the pirates on Captain Hook's ship and if you don't look closely, you'll never notice the multiple Oscar nominee under the beard and makeup turning her into a male pirate.

Tilda Swinton - Trainwreck

The most remarkable thing about Tilda Swinton's transformation in the rom-com Trainwreck is just how conventional she looks. Swinton has one of the most unique looks in Hollywood and most of the time that look is enhanced by the roles she plays, it's part of what makes her so great. Her "normal" look in Trainwreck is made remarkable by that,

Mike Myers - Bohemian Rhapsody

Mike Myers took a long hiatus from acting in the 2010s and when he returned in Bohemian Rhapsody, audiences had to do a triple-check to make sure it was him in the role of a record executive arguing with Queen about the song that the movie is named after. With sunglasses and a full blonde beard, Myers looked nothing like his normal sense and his performance was excellent.

Colin Farrell - The Batman/The Penguin

When the trailer first dropped for The Batman, people were astounded at how Colin Farrell looked as Penguin. When the movie came out and we all watched his performance, it was even more shocking (in a great way). When he took the role to HBO for the TV show named after the character, we were all completely lost in it, because he was just so great. Though he says the suit and makeup aren't worth it, we have a feeling he'll be back as the Gotham-based villain.

50 Cent - All Things Fall Apart

50 Cent has proven to be quite the actor. The rapper has branched out into producing, even. Perhaps his best performance was as the fallen football star in All Things Fall Apart. His body transformation to play a pro athlete in peak physical condition who falls victim to cancer is incredible

Sarah Paulson - Impeachment: American Crime Story

Sarah Paulson knows how to completely disappear into a role. She was as incredible as Marsha Clark in The People Vs. OJ Simpson and she was even more remarkable as Linda Tripp in Impeachment: American Crime Story. Seriously, if you didn't know it was her, you'd never guess. She looks more like Tripp than Paulson in every way.

Billy Bob Thornton In U-Turn

Billy Bob Thorton is one of the most fun actors to watch in everything he is in. Take, for example, his role in Sling Blade, in which he looks completely different from himself. Another fine example is as the mechanic in U-Turn with Sean Penn. If it wasn't for his distinctive voice, you'd never know it was him.

Eddie Murphy - Coming To America

For a while there, Eddie Murphy made it his job to look completely different in his movies like The Nutty Professor, but at no point in any of those movies did he transform quite like he did to play the Jewish guy who hung out in the barbershop in Coming To America. Even his role as the barber in the movie was more recognizable. We also have to give props to Arsenio Hall for his various roles in the movie as well.

Mia Goth - X

Mia Goth playing the elderly Pearl in X is fantastic. Though you can tell it's her as Maxine, if you just walked in on the movie as those scenes of her as the older Pearl was playing, you'd never know who it is.

Tom Hardy - Bronson

Tom Hardy has never been shy about taking on challenging roles that require him to transform completely. He changes so much, that you almost feel like you don't know what he actually looks like in real life. Bronson is one of his finest transformations as he looks way more like the notorious British prisoner than like himself in the movie. It's so much more than just a mustache, that's for sure.

Donnie Wahlberg - The Sixth Sense

Mark Wahlberg may be the more famous brother, but Donnie Wahlberg also has some incredible acting chops and his performance comes in his minor-ish role in The Sixth Sense. It's clear that the former (and current) New Kid On The Block lost a ton of weight for his haunting performance in the movie.

Steve Carell - Foxcatcher

Murderer John du Pont of the famous du Pont family was a unique-looking guy. In Foxcatcher, Steve Carell completely embodies that uniqueness, It's almost unsettling how much Carell looks like du Pont and not like himself in the disturbing movie about the murder the scion of the wealthy family committed in 1997.

Cate Blanchett — I’m Not There

The legendary Bob Dylan has been played on screen a few times and remarkably the actor that pulled off his look and mannerism best is the amazing Cate Blanchett in I’m Not There. Of all the actors who play a version of the folk singer, Blancett is the most convincing and she looks nothing like herself in the movie.

Zac Efron - The Iron Claw

Early in his career Zac Efron was kind of typecast as the goofy good-looking guy. In 2023's The Iron Claw he completely upends that as he embodied the late Kerry Von Erich in the fantastic biopic about wrestling's first family, the Von Erichs

Renée Zellweger - The Thing About Pam

After a little bit of a career lull that included a four-year break from acting, Renée Zellweger returned in a big way in the late 2010s, culminating in an Oscar-winning performance as Judy Garland in 2019's Judy, which completely revived her career. Her best was yet to come because despite not getting the same accolades in the press, her performance as murderer Pam Hupp in The Thing About Pam was a complete transformation

Jared Leto - Chapter 27

Turning someone as good-looking as Jared Leto into someone as despised as the man who killed John Lennon is no easy feat. Leto's performance as Mark David Chapman is incredible and even though the movie has flown under the radar for years, it's worth seeking out just to see how different Leto can look from himself.

Missi Pyle - Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

How do you take a beautiful woman like Missi Pyle and make her look like a deranged Eastern European dodgeball player? Ask the makeup department for Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. The work they did, along with Pyle's acting, was amazing. There's no way to know it was her in any way unless you double-check the credits.

Sebastian Stan - A Different Man

A Different Man tells the hilarious and heartwarming tale of a struggling actor with a condition known as neurofibromatosis. Sebastian Stan plays the actor under a whole ton of wonderful makeup and despite the obvious limitation that makeup puts on the actor, Stan puts in a career-defining performance.

Chris Hemsworth - Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

While it isn't the most extreme example on this list, Chris Hemsworth's look in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is amazing. The only reason you really know it's him is that he uses his natural Aussie accent in the movie, which he doesn't do all that much these days. He's even won awards for the performance!

Ryan Reynolds - Blade: Trinity

Okay, we'll admit this isn't the biggest transformation on this list, but you can't deny that Ryan Reynolds has a completely different, more sinister look in Blade: Trinity. It's way different from what you expect from a standard Reynolds performance.

Nicole Kidman - Birth

Nicole Kidman is an amazing actress, but she's not one of those actors you expect to completely change her look for a role. Her part in Birth shows that she certainly can do that, and do it in spectacular ways.

Robert De Niro - Raging Bull

Robert De Niro famously put on a ton of weight for his role as Al Capone in The Untouchables. He also got completely jacked for Cape Fear. He did both for his incredible performance in Raging Bull. As a young Jake LaMotta he was cut and fit and as an older version of the boxer, he was flabby and overweight. Either way, De Niro looks less like himself and more like the real-life boxer. He certainly deserved the Oscar he won for the role.

Margot Robbie - Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary, Queen of Scots had a unique look that was only enhanced by the odd style of 16th Century Scotland. Still, Margot Robbie nails the look of the queen in a way that leaves the audience squinted to see if it's really the Australian actress.

Gary Oldman - The Darkest Hour

No one transforms quite like Gary Oldman. He's completely different in every role he plays and in The Darkest Hour, he completely embodies his role as Winston Churchill. It's not just the makeup, though that is perfect, it's also the voice and mannerisms he brings to the role that makes you believe you're actually watching the legendary prime minister.

Charlize Theron - Bombshell

Bombshell is one of those movies where you might think you're watching the real-life characters that the cast of Bombshell are playing. Charlize Theron's portrayal of former Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly tops the performances. It's pitch-perfect in every way.

Fans of Slow Horses, one of the best Apple TV+ original series, will be happy to hear that the popular spy series about a ragtag group of misfits in the United Kingdom’s intelligence community is coming back for a fifth season. No need for any security clearances, flash boxes, or hidden microphones, because I’ve gotten hold of quite a bit of information about one of the best spy shows in recent memory.

And while it is true that it feels like it was just yesterday that we last visited Slough House, I’ve got a whole dossier of information on the show’s premiere date, cast, and its future that longtime fans and new recruits will love. That said, come along as I break down everything we know about Slow Horses Season 5, which will be available with an Apple TV+ subscription very, very soon.

What Is The Slow Horses Season 5 Premiere Date?

So, when is the Slow Horses Season 5 premiere date? Well, Apple TV+ has announced that the show will debut well before the end of the 2025 TV schedule when it pops up on the streaming service on September 24, 2025. This continues a trend of having new episodes drop in the fall months each year of release since Season 2. It should be noted that the series debuted in April 2022, the first and only spring premiere.

How Many Episodes Will There Be In Slow Horses Season 5?

As has been the case since the very beginning, Slow Horses Season 5 will consist of six episodes, Apple TV+ has announced. However, it hasn’t been revealed if the show

The Slow Horses Season 5 Cast

When Slow Horses returns this fall, it will see the return of the major players we’ve all come to know and love (and hate) over the past couple of years. Here’s everyone Apple TV+ has announced so far.

Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb

Gary Oldman will be back as Jackson Lamb, the rude yet loyal leader and chronic farter of Slough House.

Kristin Scott Thomas as Diana Taverner

Kristin Scott Thomas has played Diana Taverner since the beginning, and she’ll once again be back as the MI5 Deputy Director-General when Slow Horses returns.

Jack Lowden as River Cartwright

Jack Lowden’s River Cartwright has been one of the best characters on the show since the beginning, and that won’t end anytime soon, as he’ll be back again when Slow Horses returns.

Saskia Reeves as Catherine Standish

Catherine Standish, played by Saskia Reeves, has been a staple of Slough House since the very first episode. That’ll continue to be the case when Season 5 premieres.

Rosalind Eleazar as Louisa Guy

Louisa Guy, played by Rosalind Eleazar, has been a part of the show’s biggest moments from day one. The spy seeking redemption will potentially add a few more when she returns to the fold.

Christopher Chung as Roddy Ho

With Slow Horses Season 5 putting a heavy focus on Roddy Ho, it’s no surprise that Christopher Chung is back as the Slough House hacker.

Tom Brooke as J.K. Coe

The newest member of Slough House, J.K. Coe will once again be portrayed by Tom Brooke in the upcoming season of Slow Horses.

Jonathan Pryce as David Cartwright

Jonathan Pryce has been a tour de force as David Cartwright since the early days of Slow Horses, so it’ll be exciting to see how his story continues when the show returns.

Hugo Weaving as Frank Harkness

Hugo Weaving joined the fray in Slow Horses Season 4 when he took on the role of Frank Harkness, the mercenary with a connection to River. That story will continue in the show’s next chapter.

Nick Mohammed

Slow Horses Season 5 will also see a new addition to the cast, as Apple TV+ has announced that Nick Mohammed, the star of the streamer’s Ted Lasso, has signed on in an undisclosed role. Oh, the mystery.

What Is Slow Horses Season 5 About?

When Apple TV+ first announced Slow Horses Season 5 back in January 2024, the streamer teased what’s to come in the next stage of Slough House's gritty espionage story. The upcoming season will center around Roddy Ho and his new glamorous girlfriend, who raises the suspicions of everyone in the group. But when bizarre events start going down all around London, the team has to figure out how it’s all connected and what it all means.

Season 5 Is Based on Mick Herron’s London Rules Novel

Like the first four seasons in the show, the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation draws from Mick Herron’s Slough House series of novels, specifically the fifth entry, London Rules. Those familiar with the show know all too well what “London Rules” means.

The Slow Horses Season 5 Teaser

Though Apple TV+ has yet to release a full trailer for the Slow Horses Season 5, a brief teaser has been released. In the 36-second clip, Jackson Lamb and Roddy Ho stand in silence in the elevator of a skyscraper as it ascends to the top of the building. Surely, it’s building towards something…

But this wasn’t the first teaser Apple TV+ released. As is the case with every season of Slow Horses, the latest finale gave us a taste of what’s to come when the show returns in September. This 47-second teaser, which is only available at the tail end of the Season 4 finale, does a great job of making fans of the show excited. With gunfire, espionage, and yet another plot that’ll see Slough House risking life and limb for king and country, it looks like we’re about to start another great adventure into the world of espionage.

A Sixth Season Of Slow Horses Is Already In The Can, A Seventh Starts Production In Fall 2025

Remember back in October 2024 when Apple TV+ announced that Slow Horses Season 6 had been picked up? Well, I’ve got some good news for you, as the streamer announced in June 2025 that the season has already wrapped filming (I guess this means we’ll get a teaser at the end of the show’s fifth season). This time around, two of Mick Herron’s books – Joe Country and Slough House – will be getting the adaptation treatment, but the episode count will remain at six.

But that isn’t all, as Apple has already announced that production on the show’s seventh season will pick up at some point this fall. Talk about getting ahead of the curve with this one.

Slow Horses Books In Order

If you want to catch up on Mick Herron’s Slough House novels before the latest adaptation of his spy books premieres on one of the best streaming services, here’s a full breakdown of the series in order.

How To Watch Slow Horses Seasons 1 - 4

If you want to revisit all the previous chapters before Slow Horses Season 5 premieres or watch the show for the first time, you’re in luck because the entire series is streaming on Apple TV+. All you have to do is check out the link below, select your season of choice, and start binge-watching your way through this unforgettable spy saga.

Stream Slow Horses on Apple TV+.

Though there are only a few months until Slow Horses Season 5 premieres, expect to hear much more about its return. But in the meantime, it’s not a bad idea to check out all the other upcoming Apple TV+ series coming our way

Gary Oldman is generally considered, correctly, to be one of our greatest living actors. Some of Oldman's best roles are some of the best performances in recent memory. Christopher Nolan is known, also correctly, as one of our greatest current directors. Together, the pair have made four movies, with Oldman playing James Gordon in Nolan’s Batman trilogy as well as appearing in the cast of Oppenheimer. One of the reasons the two have worked together so often may be that Nolan doesn’t have to do much when directing Oldman.

A story that Oldman told on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that is currently going viral on Instagram reveals that over the seven years that Oldman has been directed by Christopher Nolan, the director has only ever given him a couple of notes. One of those came during one of the Batman movies, and even the note was simple. Oldman said…

Oldman doesn’t specify which scene, or even which Batman movie, the note came from, but it was clearly important if it was one of only a couple of times that Nolan even gave him a note at all. Oldman has spoken about the importance of trusting his director, and part of that may be trusting him to focus on what's important.

The actor loved the direction and its simplicity because, for him, that was all he needed to hear. He understood what the problem with the first take was, and knew what he needed to do to get it right. He continued…

One gets the impression that other directors might be spending a lot of time telling Gary Oldman things about the character or the scene that he doesn’t feel are necessary. Perhaps if the actor was really off base with a performance, he might get a longer note. In this case though, it seems clear that Oldman was almost there, and Nolan simply gave him the missing piece. Oldman doesn’t mind getting the note, and he appreciates that it gives him what he needs and nothing more. Check out the full comments in the post below.

Nolan and Oldman work well together. Christopher Nolan is one director who likes working with the same people frequently. Little is known about Nolan’s next movie beyond the fact that it will star Matt Damon and Tom Holland. While Gary Oldman has been focused on his Slow Horses series for Apple TV+ of late, it seems likely if there’s a role that’s right for the actor, these two will work together again.

With the recent buzz surrounding HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series adaptation, many fans wonder who will be cast to take on the beloved characters from J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World. The original Harry Potter films, produced by Warner Bros., famously featured a stellar ensemble cast of elite British actors, including Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, and Gary Oldman as the fan-favorite Sirius Black. The Dark Knight star recently shared his love for the role, but he has one complaint about his time in the series, which, I have to be honest: I totally agree.

Recently, while on the red carpet at the 76th Primetime Emmys, Gary was asked by IndieWire whether he’d consider reprising his role as Sirius Black for the new adaptation. Although the Darkest Hour actor admitted that “no one’s approached me,” he revealed that he still holds a deep affection for the character, even though he has one lingering regret:

The London-born A-lister's comment refers to Sirius Black’s untimely death in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, a moment that shocked both fans and characters alike. Sirius, Harry’s godfather and one of the few remaining ties to his parents, had only just begun to reconnect with Harry before his life was cut short. Despite his crucial role in one of the best movies of the 2000s, being its emotional core, Sirius didn’t get the screen time some—including Oldman—felt he deserved.

For The Fifth Element alum, Sirius’s limited presence in the films was a bit of a disappointment, especially given the rich material in the books that could have been further explored. Of course, The Bram Stoker’s Dracula veteran star isn’t under any illusions or expecting a call, but he does have a kind of cool idea for a role he could play in the future. He continued:

Okay, this will probably not happen, but I gotta admit–I’d love to see it.

Even though Potter’s godfather may not have gotten as much screen time as the Oppenheimer actor or fans would have liked, Gary’s performance left a lasting impression. His portrayal of the fiercely loyal and deeply complex Sirius Black became a standout in the film series, cementing him as a fan-favorite character. It's so wonderful to see how much the role still means to Oldman.

While Harry Potter remains a beloved chapter in Oldman’s career, he continues to thrive in new projects. At the Emmys, he was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Jackson Lamb in the British espionage series Slow Horses, available to anyone with an Apple TV+ subscription.

Though a return to Hogwarts seems unlikely, Oldman’s career shows no signs of slowing down. For Harry Potter fans, however, his portrayal of Sirius Black remains one of his most iconic performances. If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can revisit his magical journey—and all eight films—now streaming for anyone with a Max subscription.

Gary Oldman is an incredible actor who has played a laundry list of equally incredible roles throughout his career. He’s been in great films, been nominated for Oscars and taken part of some major franchises. While his most high-profile role to date is likely that of Sirius Black in the Harry Potter cast, some kids are apparently much bigger fans of his participation in the Batman franchise.

Appearing on the The Jess Cagle Show on SiriusXM Gary Oldman was asked about what roles he tends to be recognized for when he meets fans. Oldman says that when it comes to his younger fans, it’s usually Harry Potter that they know him from, but then told a story about introducing himself to a young Harry Potter fan, only to be confronted by somebody who knew him from Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Oldmany explained…

Thinking about it, it’s maybe not that surprising that a kid would recognize Gary Oldman as James Gordon and not Sirius Black. Oldman is one of those actors who is capable of transforming himself quite significantly. Even Tom Felton didn't recognize Oldman on the set of the film. Many of Oldman's best roles don’t look that much like the guy you see giving interviews. Jim Gordon is one who probably looks more like Gary Oldman looks off the set than others he has played.

Gary Oldman probably doesn't mind. The actor has praised both the Harry Potter and Batman films for coming a long at a key moment in his career. Either way, we can guess that the group of kids was pretty stoked to be meeting either Sirius Black or James Gordon. Meanwhile, their parents were probably equally impressed. They got to meet Winston Churchill, Dracula and Agent Stansfield from The Professional.

Most of those kids probably aren't watching Gary Oldman’s current project, the excellent Apple TV+ series Slow Horses, which just debuted Season 4. Still, every time they do find a new Gary Oldman role they can remember the time they met Sirius Black… or James Gordon.

Whenever we talk about the best ‘90s movies, it doesn’t take long before the conversation turns to the most iconic actors of the final decade of the 20th century and their most beloved performances. But what are Will Smith’s, Julia Roberts’, or Keanu Reeves’ best movies for the unforgettable and transformative 10-year stretch? 

We’re being totally subjective here (Because why not?), but here are the best ‘90s movies for these 32 actors. Best Picture winners, a handful of the best action movies of all time, and other films that turned up-and-comers into overnight megastars can all be found below.

Will Smith (Independence Day)

Will Smith was already a household name by the time Independence Day was released and became the biggest movie of 1996, but this massive sci-fi flick took him to new heights. Electric, magnetic, and charismatic beyond belief, the Fresh Prince became the King of the summer blockbuster with his portrayal of Captain Steven Hiller.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic)

Is there a bigger ‘90s movie than Titanic, both in terms of financial returns and cultural prominence? Yeah, James Cameron’s story of the ill-fated ship, his special effects, and the rest of the cast made this 1997 disaster movie a must-see, but Leonardo DiCaprio, with his “King of the World” moment, made this an all-timer. 

Tom Cruise (Jerry Maguire)

Picking the best ‘90s movie for Tom Cruise is no easy task, considering some of the actor’s best performances took place that decade. However, despite Magnolia and Mission: Impossible being great in their own ways, this has to go to Cruise’s dynamic portrayal of the struggling sports agent in Jerry Maguire. “Show me the money,” is a quote we keep in our repertoire nearly 30 years later. 

Sandra Bullock (Speed)

Sandra Bullock put herself on the map with her performance in Speed, one of the most iconic 1994 movies. Though she was great in Demolition Man the year before, Bullock’s take on Annie Porter made her an overnight sensation and quickly became one of her best roles to date, even outside the ‘90s.

Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption)

How Morgan Freeman didn’t win an Oscar for his performance in The Shawshank Redemption is one of the biggest mysteries, and travesties, in Hollywood history. His portrayal of Ellis "Red" Redding in this spectacular Stephen King adaptation is so strong and so believable that you don’t see him as an actor playing an inmate, but more like an aging prisoner trying to “get busy living or get busy dying.”

Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction)

As much as we would have loved to argue for Jurassic Park being Samuel L. Jackson’s best ‘90s movie, Ray Arnold has nothing on the bad mother [redacted] that was Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction. Easily Quentin Tarantino’s best movie, this 1994 classic is essentially a master class in dialogue and non-linear storytelling.

Meg Ryan (Sleepless In Seattle)

A few years after leading the best romantic comedy of all time with When Harry Met Sally, Meg Ryan teamed up with Nora Ephron (who was directing this time around) for Sleepless in Seattle in 1993. The chemistry between Ryan and Tom Hanks as Annie Reed and Sam Baldwin, is incredible, even if they only share a couple minutes of screentime.

Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman)

It’s hard to imagine what Julia Roberts’ career and Hollywood in general would be like if the actress didn’t play Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman. Sure, Roberts already had some hits and would have gone on to land big roles, but this 1990 rom-com instantly made her one of the brightest stars on the planet and showed off her dynamic range and impeccable comedic timing.

Angela Bassett (What's Love Got To Do With It)

Angela Bassett’s best movie, What’s Love Got to Do with It saw the celebrated actress take on the role of the legendary Tina Turner in this 1993 biopic about the late singer’s life, career, and toxic relationship with husband and music partner Ike Turner. Bassett had some pretty iconic ‘90s roles throughout the decade, but this is at the tippy top of the mountain.

Keanu Reeves (The Matrix)

Picking Keanu Reeves’ best movie of the 1990s is more difficult than you’d think. Point Break, My Private Idaho, and Speed are all contenders, but none come close to the heights of The Matrix and his performance as Neo, aka, the One. Watching Reeves’ character develop throughout this great ‘90s sci-fi film never gets old.

Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting)

Robin Williams had SO many good movies in the ‘90s, but Good Will Hunting was in a league of its own, at least in terms of performances by the late comedian. The richness, range, and emotion found in his portrayal of Sean Maguire is something to behold. No wonder he took home an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Bruce Willis (The Sixth Sense)

The ‘90s saw Bruce Willis play everything from his most iconic character in the second and third Die Hard movies to the leads in multiple blockbusters. However, none of those compare to his work in The Sixth Sense. There is just something so warm and refreshing about his portrayal of a child psychiatrist trying to help a young boy make sense of life and his strange gift.

Harrison Ford (The Fugitive)

Have you gone back and watched The Fugitive lately? If not, do so now. If you have, you’re all too familiar with Harrison Ford’s performance as Richard Kimble, the Chicago doctor trying to clear his name after being wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife. Air Force One and Clear and Present Danger are great, but this 1993 thriller is one of Ford’s career-best.

Frances McDormand (Fargo)

Frances McDormand’s portrayal of Marge Gunderson in the Coen Brothers' Fargo earned the actress the first of her three Academy Awards, and for good reason: she’s the heart and soul of the 1996 crime comedy.  

Gary Oldman (The Fifth Element)

Gary Oldman played some of the meanest ‘90s villains in movies like Air Force One, Leon: The Professional, and The Fifth Element, the latter of which features his best work of the decade. Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg is one of those characters that you love to hate and enjoy watching as much as the 1997 sci-fi film’s hero, which is saying something.

Wesley Snipes (White Men Can't Jump)

In the years following his breakout performance in Major League, Wesley Snipes became one of the dependable faces in Hollywood thanks to unforgettable turns in New Jack City, Demolition Man, and Jungle Fever. But let’s be real, Snipes’ take on Syd Deane is one of the most iconic ‘90s characters and essentially carries this all-time great basketball movie.

Tom Hanks (Saving Private Ryan)

Tom Hanks dominated the ‘90s with Oscar-winning performances in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump as well as other decade-defining films like Toy Story and A League of Their Own. But in terms of the BEST movie, that has to go to Saving Private Ryan, Steven Spielberg’s harrowing World War II epic about heroism, survival, and the hope of a better tomorrow.

Robert De Niro (Cape Fear)

We could have listed Goodfellas, Heat, or even A Bronx Tale as Robert De Niro’s best movie from the ‘90s, but his performance as Max Cady in Cape Fear is on a whole other level. Easily one of the Oscar winner’s most menacing characters, the psychopathic ex-con with a bone to pick is a force of pure evil here.

Al Pacino (Heat)

After playing all-time great gangsters in the ‘70s and ‘80s, Al Pacino was on the other side of the law in Michael Mann’s 1995 crime epic, Heat. Sure, Scent of a Woman earned him that elusive Oscar for Best Actor, but his take on Lieutenant Vincent Hanna is the stuff of legend. Plus, we also got to see Pacino and Robert De Niro share a scene for the first time.

Anthony Hopkins (The Silence Of The Lambs)

Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs is one of the greatest performances of all time. That said, it should be no surprise that this great horror film gets the call here. Though there was some stiff competition.

Philip Seymour Hoffman (Boogie Nights)

As much as we would love to break down all the awesome ways Philip Seymour Hoffman stole the show in Twister and My Boyfriend’s Back, the late actor really came into his own in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1997 drama, Boogie Nights. Hoffman’s sympathetic take on Scotty J. was nothing short of brilliant and showed what was to come.

Jodie Foster (The Silence Of The Lambs)

If you were to break down Jodie Foster’s best performances, her portrayal of Clarice Starling would be at or near the top of that list. A movie that has been quoted or referenced countless times over the years, this 1991 thriller remains one of the best ever made.

Brad Pitt (Seven)

David Fincher’s Seven is Brad Pitt’s best movie from the ‘90s for a variety of reasons: 1) the movie about a serial killer taking lives based on the seven deadly sins is violently unique, 2) it was the start of a partnership between actor and director, and 3) Pitt showed he was more than a pretty face and really had what it took.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (T2: Judgment Day)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is not only a decade-defining action movie or a landmark achievement in visual effects, it’s also Arnold Schwarzenegger’s best movie of the ‘90s and perhaps all time. James Cameron’s sequel is bigger and louder than its predecessor and epic beyond compare.

Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act)

Whoopi Goldberg won her first Academy Award for her role as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost, a film that kicked off an impressive decade for the comedian and actor. Her spiritual guide for Patrick Swayze’s ghostly Sam Wheat in this supernatural thriller helped anchor the film and turn it into the biggest movie of 1990.

Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting)

Matt Damon went from a relatively unknown actor to one of the brightest faces (and voices) in Hollywood thanks to Good Will Hunting. His tortured performance as a young math prodigy in South Boston is still captivating more than 25 years later.

Eddie Murphy (The Nutty Professor)

Eddie Murphy did a little bit of everything in the ‘90s, but The Nutty Professor shows off some of the comedian’s best work. Playing multiple characters (heroes, villains, and in between) really showed off Murphy’s dynamic range and varied comedic styles.

Adam Sandler (Happy Gilmore)

Though Big Daddy proved that Adam Sandler could handle slightly more dramatic roles, there’s no denying the fact that Happy Gilmore is the former SNL star’s best ‘90s movie. His take on a failed hockey player finding new purpose (and fortune) in the world of golf was a game-changer and created one of the best sports characters of all time.

Denzel Washington (Malcolm X)

Denzel Washington is another actor who had more great roles in the ‘90s than we can count, but at the top of his “best” list is Spike Lee’s 1992 biopic, Malcolm X. The movie about the controversial civil rights icon was eye-opening, enchanting, and epic.

Joe Pesci (Goodfellas)

We could have talked about My Cousin Vinny, we could have talked about Home Alone, and we could have even made a case for Casino, but none of that is possible without Goodfellas. The movie, which introduced the world to Joe Pesci’s Tommy DeVito, is one of the greatest gangster movies of all time and an influential piece of cinema we still rave about 30-plus years later.

Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise)

Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise, a movie featuring one of the best female friendships with Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis’ titular characters, helped kickstart the decade back in 1990. Easily Sarandon’s best movie of the ‘90s, this crime drama about two friends on the run from the law is just so dang great.

Jim Carrey (Dumb & Dumber)

Jim Carrey absolutely dominated the ‘90s comedy scene, and the box office in general back in 1994. While Ace Ventura Pet Detective and The Mask both have their moments, we have to be real for a second and admit that Dumb and Dumber is some of Carrey’s best work.

Movie fans had lots to love in the '90s and these actors and their best movies of the decade will never be forgotten.

Actor Harrison Ford has had a long and wildly successful career, including playing roles in iconic franchises like Star Wars and Indiana Jones (which are both streaming with a Disney+ subscription). He's worked with a ton of talented co-stars during that time, including the great Gary Oldman. An amused Oldman recalled Ford flaunting the rules on the set of Air Force One, and it totally checks out.

Air Force One is a quintessential Gary Oldman role, where the plays a villainous terrorist who hijacks the titular plane. The Harry Potter icon recently reminisced about that film with Outstanding Screenplays, revealing a hilariously on-brand memory with Harrison Ford. As he put it:

I mean, how funny is that? There are certain perks that come with being the first name on the call sheet, and for Harrison Ford that included breaking all the rules of the Air Force One set. And it's a story that Gary Oldman remembers fondly, laughing as he shared the hi-jinx of the 82 year-old Han Solo icon.

In the years since its release, there has been much debate about which movie was superioer: Air Force One or Con Air. I personally think Harrison Ford's movie is excellent, and it's one I watched over and over again on VHS as a young person. And that's partly thanks to the tense, excellent performances given by both Ford and Oldman.

Harrison Ford's personality is just one reason why he's been an A-list movie star for so long. He's known for shutting down Star Wars debates like who shot first, as well as being far less invested in his genre work than fans. Case in point: he recently referred to his roles in upcoming Marvel movies as "being an idiot for money." So it should come as no surprise that his swagger extended to the set of Air Force One, where he purposefully broke rules in front of Gary Oldman.

It shoud be interesting to see if Oldman and Ford ever get to do another movie together, and what shenanigans might occur. They both remain super busy, and have done work in beloved franchises. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Whether it's in biopics or in other historical movies, playing an important person often leads to some of the most amazing performances put on film. There are far too many to count, much less list here, but we do think you'll agree that this list of 32 actors playing famous people rank among the best. 

Ben Kingsley - Gandhi

The 1982 epic Gandhi starring Ben Kingsley as the revered leader of India and icon to peaceful protestors all over the world is an amazing movie. At the heart is Kingsley's amazing, transformative performance. He looks and sounds just like Gandhi, it's almost uncanny. 

Margot Robbie - Tonya Harding

When the news first broke that Australian Margot Robbie was cast to play controversial US Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding in I, Tonya, it's safe to say that many were skeptical. It took the actor all of about 30 seconds of screen time in the movie to prove those skeptics very wrong. Robbie is fantastic as the troubled skater with a family life that you wouldn't wish on anyone. 

Paul Dano - Brian Wilson

The Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy seems to have been overlooked by many, but if you're a fan of The Beach Boys, you need to see it. John Cusack plays the older Wilson in the 1980s and it is fantastic. Paul Dano, who plays the Pet Sounds-era Wilson, is simply amazing. He completely disappears into the role. 

Reese Witherspoon - June Carter Cash

Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix are both amazing in Walk the Line as June and Johnny Cash. Really both deserve to be on this list, but we've the honor to Witherspoon if only because she won Best Actress at the Oscars in 2006. 

Robert Downey, Jr - Charlie Chaplin

It took a long time for Robert Downey to win an Oscar, which he finally did for Oppenheimer. More than 30 years before that win, he earned his first nomination for 1992's Chaplin for playing the legendary actor and Hollywood trailblazer. It's a movie that doesn't get talked about much these days, but it's still great. Especially Downey's performance. 

Natalie Portman - Jackie Kennedy

Jackie Kennedy has to be a tricky person to play. She is so iconic and so well known to so many people that the scrutiny would be stressful. Luckily for all of us, Natalie Portman hit it out of the park when she played the former First Lady in Jackie. 

Meryl Streep - Margaret Thatcher

It's hardly surprising to see Meryl Streep's name on any list of great performances. She has been arguably the best actor in Hollywood for 50 years. One of her finest performances came in 2011's The Iron Lady where she played the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher. 

Rami Malek - Freddy Mercury

You knew we couldn't have this list without including Rami Malek's incredible performance as Freddie Mercury in the biopic about the late Queen singer, Bohemian Rhapsody. It's not all about the prosthetic teeth, as Malek nailed so many nuances and mannerisms of the icon rock star. Just as in real life, the performance at Live Aid at the end of the movie brings down the house. 

Val Kilmer - Jim Morrison

If you grew up in the '90s, The Doors was probably a seminal film for you. Val Kilmer blew audiences away as the late Jim Morrison. It was so good you'd swear you were watching the real Morrison as he rose to fame and then burned out quickly before tragically becoming a member of the "27 Club" in 1971.

Denzel Washington - Malcolm X

A powerful personality takes an actor with equal strength to pull off and in Malcolm X, Denzel Washington is more than up for the task. Playing the combative, controversial civil rights leader could not have been easy, yet Washington brings him back to life in every way. It's the reason everyone should see this biopic. 

Faye Dunaway - Joan Crawford

Faye Dunaway gives the performance of a lifetime in Mommie Dearest. It's scary and mesmerizing. Joan Crawford was one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood in the Golden Age in Hollywood, but this movie changed the public's opinion of her forever - and not for the better. 

Jennifer Lopez - Selena

Before played the murdered superstar Selena in the movie of the same name, Jennifer Lopez had had a few roles in movies, but after Selena, she was the legend we all know today. It's a groundbreaking performance. 

David Oyelowo - Dr, Martin Luther King, Jr.

Everyone in America has heard the powerful voice of Martin Luther King, Jr. hundreds of times. His speeches are part of everyone's education. That makes David Oyelowo's turn as the civil rights leader that much harder - and that much more impressive. It's just fantastic. 

Cate Blanchett - Bob Dylan

Okay, we admit, technically Cate Blanchett is playing a character named "Jude Quinn" in I'm Not There, but c'mon, let's be real, she's playing Bob Dylan. It's an uncanny performance as well. There is actual footage of Dylan from that time in his career in the excellent D.A. Pennebaker-directed Dont Look Back. Compare that to Blanchett and you'll realize just how great she was. 

Daniel Day-Lewis - Abraham Lincoln

Of all the amazing performances on this list, Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln just may be the best. It frankly could be the greatest acting performance of all time. There's an argument for it, at least. He's simply incredible and brings the tragic president to life like no one else has before or since, and likely never will. 

Cillian Murphy - J. Robert Oppenheimer

Cillian Murphy won a well-deserved Best Actor Award for playing J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer. It's a subtle, smoldering performance, just like the personality of the real Oppenheimer. Playing the scientist in his greatest moments in life and his lowest, it's a fantastic showing by the Irish actor. 

Cynthia Erivo - Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman is one of the most important people in US history, but one that hasn't been explored on film nearly as much as you might expect. Luckily, when someone did decide to finally tell her full story on the big screen in 2019's Harriet, they had the good sense to cast Cynthia Erivo as the former slave-turned-freedom fighter. She's amazing. 

Forest Whitaker - Idi Amin

Forest Whitaker is pretty great in everything he's in. He cranks his talent up to another level in The Last King Of Scotland as the brutal dictator of Uganda, Idi Amin. He's so good there are even moments where viewers might feel compassion for the man, despite his worst tendencies as the leader of the country. 

Jessica Chastain - Tammy Faye Bakker

If you were around in the 1980s, you remember all the insanity around Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. Jim Bakker crying on TV with Tammy Faye right next to him is something no one will forget. Jessica Chastain's turn as the evangelical preacher's wife is just as memorable. 

Philip Seymour Hoffman - Truman Capote

it's hard to imagine anyone will ever play Truman Capote as well as the late Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote. The role completely takes control of the actor in the best way. It might as well been the writer himself. You completely forget there is even an actor behind the role. 

Daniel Kaluuya - Fred Hampton

Fred Hampton was a controversial and complicated leader in the Black Panther Party in the 1960s. Casting a Brit like Daniel Kaluuya in the role was a daring choice by the filmmakers of Judas and the Black Messiah, but it paid off brilliantly as Kaluuya nails the role. 

Gary Oldman - Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill has been played on the big and small screen by plenty of great actors. John Lithgow (The Crown), Brendan Gleeson (Into the Storm), and Albert Finney (The Gathering Storm) have all garnered praise for playing the legendary prime minister. Gary Oldman, who won an Oscar for playing Churchill in 2017's The Darkest Hour may just be the best. His reading of those famous speeches is just mesmerizing. 

Angela Bassett - Tina Tuner

Tina Turner was a fierce woman, who deserved a fierce performance and she got one with Angela Bassett in What's Love Got To Do With It. Bassett's performance is transcendent and certainly deserved the Oscar nomination she received. She should've won it! 

Austin Butler - Elvis Presley

Austin Butler got so caught up in his performance as Elvis Presley in Elvis that critics of the actor complained that even months later he was still talking like the King of Rock and Roll. he wasn't, but that does say something about how good he was in the Baz Luhrmann-directed bio flick. 

Jesse Eisenberg - Mark Zuckerberg

When The Social Network was first announced, many were confused as to how someone could make an interesting movie about the founding of Facebook. It turns out, that if you get a great writer like Aaron Sorkin, a great director like David Fincher, and someone like Jesse Eisenberg to play the Mark Zuckerberg, you can make it look easy. The movie is great, and Eisenberg's performance is pitch-perfect. 

Leonardo DiCaprio - Howard Hughes

Howard Hughes is one of the most mercurial and odd celebrities in US history. In The Aviator, Leonardo DiCaprio fully embodies everything about the director and businessman. He takes on his greatest triumphs and sinks to the depths of Hughes' despair in the lowest points of his mental illness with the same gusto. 

Charlize Theron - Aileen Wuornos

Serial killer Aileen Wuornos was a terrifying person. A true monster, as the name of the movie about her is called. That's not to say a viewer can't have some sympathy for the circumstances that brought her to the point of murder, but you can't excuse her. Charlize Theron does an incredible job bringing all of that to the role in Monster. 

Sean Penn - Harvey Milk

Milk is one of the great political movies of the last few decades and the biggest reason why, besides the inspiring story, is Sean Penn's performance as Harvey Milk. Like Penn has done so often in his career, he completely disappears into the character. It is Harvey Milk.  

George C. Scott - George Patton

George S. Patton was a great, and complicated leader in World War II. He was responsible for some of the greatest military gains in the war, and he couldn't keep himself out of trouble with his controversy. George C. Scott's portrayal of the general in Patton is amazing. Even though the opening scene of him making a speech in front of the flag is fictional, it sets the tone perfectly and the movie never lets up. 

Cate Blanchett - Katharine Hepburn

Leonardo DiCaprio is fantastic in The Aviator as Howard Hughes, but he's not the only great performance in the movie. Cate Blanchett as the iconic Katharine Hepburn is, well, iconic. There's just no better word for either. It's not only a spot-on impression, the portrayal nails everything that was great about Hepburn. 

Robert De Niro - Jake LaMotta

Jake LaMotta was one of the toughest prizefighters of all time. His incredible story and Robert De Niro's performance are the two things that make Raging Bull legendary. Scorsese's direction is pretty great too. 

Helen Mirren - Queen Elizabeth II

it's really hard to play a person who has been on television screens all over the world for decades. Helen Mirren takes on that difficult task in Queen Elizabeth II. The late Queen was an icon in every sense of the word and playing her could not have been easy, yet, when you have the talent of Helen Mirren, it looks easy. It surely wasn't. 

Some of our best horror movies have been centered around characters who just so happen to be legendary creatures of the night: vampires. And, because of the enduring popularity of these mythological bloodsuckers, not only do we also have a number of TV vamps, but many famous actors who’ve portrayed some version of the famed, usually-human-looking beasts. Here for you now are 32 actors who’ve played a vampire.

Eddie Murphy (Vampire In Brooklyn)

So many vamps have been seen on screen that even a comedy and action movie legend like Eddie Murphy has played one. The 1995 horror comedy, Vampire in Brooklyn, saw the star play the last member of a group of Caribbean vampires, who hits New York to find a mate so that he can continue his family line.

Tom Cruise (Interview With The Vampire)

Who could forget the 1994 film that gave us Tom Cruise as the captivating and cruel (And blond!) bloodthirsty fiend, Lestat de Lioncourt, from author Anne Rice’s legendary novel series, The Vampire Chronicles? Of course, it also gave us Brad Pitt’s tortured vamp, Louis, and made a star out of young Kirsten Dunst.

Dakota Fanning (The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse)

While there are some obvious stars to add to this list, let us not forget that the cast of famous (and soon-to-be-famous) vampires in The Twilight Saga films was quite stacked. That roster included noted child star Dakota Fanning, who portrayed the villainous Volturi guard member, Jane, who was able to mentally create sensations of pain in those who she deemed worthy of punishment.

Evan Rachel Wood (True Blood)

Several vampire-focused TV shows have hit the airwaves over the past 20 or so years, so we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the HBO hit, True Blood. Many of its stars portrayed members of vamp-kind for most or all of the series’ seven seasons, but Evan Rachel Wood made an equally impressive (bloody) splash as the Vampire Queen of Louisiana, Sophie-Anne Leclerq, during her recurring guest appearances in Seasons 2-4.

Robert Pattinson (Twilight)

Back to Twilight! It’s not worth mentioning this franchise without bringing up lead romantic vamp Edward Cullen, as well as the man who brought him to life in five movies, eventuall live action Batman actor Robert Pattinson. Despite the fact that his love interest’s portrayer, Kristen Stewart, would have dumped Edward “immediately”!

Chloë Grace Moretz (Let Me In)

It’s possible that we don’t get creepier than kid vampires in movies and television shows, and that’s what we got with Chloë Grace Moretz’s Abby in the 2010 film, Let Me In. She befriends a young loner after moving into his apartment complex, but is (you guessed it) hiding nefarious purposes he could have never guessed, which end up taking his life in a most unexpected direction.

Salma Hayek (From Dusk Till Dawn)

This might be the shortest movie vampire appearance on the list, as 1996’s From Dusk Til Dawn saw Salma Hayek play the fanged exotic dancer, Santanico Pandemonium, only for about five memorable minutes that simply cannot be forgotten once witnessed.

Taika Waititi (What We Do In The Shadows)

Undead life isn’t always filled with glamorous globe-hopping adventure, gorgeous mates who can’t resist you and other perks, at least according to 2014’s What We Do in the Shadows, which concerns the rather mundane day-to-day lives of vampire roommates, of whom Taika Waititi’s uptight and nearly 400-year-old vamp, Viago, is among.

Theo James (Underworld: Awakening, Underworld: Blood Wars)

Another big screen franchise that depended on heaps of stars to populate its supernatural world is that of Underworld. Two sequels saw Theo James play the heroic vampire, David, heir to one of the main vamp covens, and lead Selene’s one steadfast ally during an important time in her journey.

Willem Dafoe (Shadow Of The Vampire)

Not many cinematic vampires are said to be based on a real person, but the one played by Willem Dafoe in 2000’s Shadow of the Vampire is. He portrayed a fictionalized version of the real Nosferatu lead actor, Max Schreck, whom the crew begins to suspect is an actual vampire because of his behavior and the strange goings-on surrounding filming.

Gerard Butler (Dracula 2000)

Speaking of vampires who are based on real people…Author Bram Stoker based his Dracula on Vlad the Impaler, and Gerard Butler played yet another version of the ever-popular character in a film from, yes, 2000. This tale sees the ancient vamp accidentally awoken by a group of thieves who find and steal his highly protected coffin, which had been watched over by generations of the Van Helsing family.

Wesley Snipes (Blade)

A Marvel character that will soon have another portrayer when the upcoming Blade reboot finally begins filming, the original action/horror trilogy famously saw Wesley Snipes take on the vampire/human hybrid titular lead, who’s a nearly unstoppable vamp hunter bent on taking down all members of the species who bit his mother and infected him with their supernatural blood while he was still in utero.

Colin Farrell (Fright Night)

If a scary and suave undead night stalker is your type, look no further than Colin Farrell’s Jerry Dandrige in 2011’s remake of the 1985 cult classic, Fright Night. He may have to eventually do battle with a couple of teenagers, but he sure looks darn good doing it.

Ethan Hawke (Daybreakers)

A movie that takes a more science-fiction approach to a world overrun by vampires is the 2009 film Daybreakers, which sees Ethan Hawke play a vamp hematologist who refuses to drink human blood and is looking for a synthetic option to their usual meal of choice that will stop humanity from being wiped out by his more brutal peers.

Luke Evans (Dracula Untold)

Again with Dracula? Why, yes! This time, Luke Evans plays a Vlad the Impaler who only becomes a vampire to have the strength, speed and ferocity to turn back an invading army in an attempt to save the people of his kingdom. Does it work out for him? Well, yes…and no.

Kate Beckinsale (Underworld)

There’s no mentioning the Underworld franchise without giving respect to the main heroine, Kate Beckinsale’s Selene. In the first film she’s a vampire looking to destroy the werewolves that killed her family, but she ends up uncovering a major secret about the two sets of creatures and falling in love with a human, instead.

Alicia Silverstone (Vamps)

This 2012 horror comedy sees Alicia Silverstone play Goody, an old vampire who tries to stay young and hip while helping her much younger bloodsucking buddy, Stacy (Krysten Ritter), get used to her powers as they try to abstain from the red stuff during their immortal and unholy (sorta) lives.

Pedro Pascal (Bloodsucking Bastards)

Ever wondered what working in an office that was slowly being overrun by vampires who care as much about the bottom line as they do about drinking blood would be like? Just watch Bloodsucking Bastards, where beloved The Last of Us cast member Pedro Pascal begins turning his employees into the titular immortals.

Jim Carrey (Once Bitten)

Jim Carrey’s first leading role came in this 1985 comedy, where he played a teen virgin turned into a vampire by an alluring, 400-year-old creature of the night, who seduced him so she could use his blood to keep her youthful appearance.

Paul Reubens (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

In the 1992 horror comedy that eventually led to the long-running series of the same name, the late Paul Reubens starred as Amilyn, a vamp doing the bidding of a much more powerful bloodsucker who’s ruling his kind in Los Angeles.

Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood)

While HBO’s True Blood was positively filled with the undead, few of them made as much of an impact on audiences (and the lead, Sookie) as Alexander Skarsgård’s cunning and alluring (but sorta evil) 1,000-year-old Eric Northman. This also happens to be the role that really made Skarsgård famous.

David Boreanaz (Buffy, Angel)

When it comes to popular TV vampires, no one can discount the reign of David Boreanaz as evil vamp turned heroic vamp (and then sometimes evil vamp again) Angel, whom he played on Buffy the Vampire Slayer beginning with the first episode in 1997, through wrapping his run on the fifth season series finale of his own show, Angel, in 2004.

Sterling K. Brown (Supernatural)

Sterling K. Brown may best be known now for delivering heartfelt emotions as Randall Pearson on This Is Us, but for four episodes across Seasons 2 and 3 of the CW mega-hit, Supernatural, he played Hunter and dedicated vamp-hater-turned-vampire, Gordon Walker, to astounding, understandably cold-blooded effect.

Kiefer Sutherland (The Lost Boys)

Even though Kiefer Sutherland was certainly a star on the rise by the time he starred in The Lost Boys in 1987, his part as apparent vampire motorcycle gang leader David cemented his leading man qualities and turned him into a household name.

Rami Malek (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II)

Sure, Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the best Rami Malek movies to watch, but let’s not discount his turn as the powerful (and ancient) Egyptian vampire, Benjamin, in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II, one of the few creatures of the night in the franchise who can directly manipulate things, with his specialty being controlling fire, water, air and earth.

Bryce Dallas Howard (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse)

Yet another actor you may have forgotten was fanged in the expansive Twilight franchise is Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard. She took over the role of evil, vengeful vamp Victoria (who’s looking to kill Bella in retaliation for Edward killing her love, James) from Rachelle Lefevre, for the third movie, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Tilda Swinton (Only Lovers Left Alive)

As one half of the very old vampire couple at the center of the 2013 dramedy, Only Lovers Left Alive, Tilda Swinton is a wife forced to visit the husband (played by Tom Hiddleston) she’s long been separated from once she realizes his lengthy undead existence has begun to bring him down, as she tries to force him to reevaluate the value of living forever.

Bill Nighy (Underworld, Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans)

Every good vampire needs a parental figure to show them the ropes, and for Underworld’s Selene, that role was filled by Viktor, who was portrayed by Love, Actually star Bill Nighy. His Vampire Elder turned out to be more of a threat than the heroine ever expected, though, leading to some tense moments between Selene and her mentor.

Gary Oldman (Bram Stoker's Dracula) 

Back to Drac! One of the most popular films about the character is still 1992’s Bram Stoker's Dracula, which saw eventual Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban star Gary Oldman play Vlad Dracula.

Christopher Meloni (True Blood)

Where there is one vampire there are generally enough to have a whole hierarchy among their brethren, and as with the series True Blood, sometimes we get to see what that could look like. In Season 5, Law & Order: SVU and Organized Crime star Christopher Meloni portrayed the Guardian, Roman Zimojic, who led the Vampire Authority and (ostensibly) set the rules for all vamps. Many, however, didn’t agree with his desire to have his kind fit in with human society, which caused a lot of problems for the calm, determined and deadly when challenged leader.

Nicolas Cage (Renfield)

If you guessed that this is yet another Dracula story, well, you’re sort of correct. 2023’s horror comedy, Renfield, stars Nicholas Hoult as the count’s titular long-time familiar, who’s tired of helping him kill innocent people and all the abuse he’s taken from the being who gifted him with immortality, as well as super strength and speed (when he eats bugs) 90 years prior. So, he gets help from a support group for people in codependent relationships in order to be able to live his own life again. Nicolas Cage is our Dracula here, and he’s a perfectly winking one, who still manages to be creepy and deadly.

Johnny Depp (Dark Shadows)

Johnny Depp has become known for his outrageous characters, and his Barnabas Collins is no different. The 2012 Dark Shadows film (which was based on the 1966-1971 gothic daytime drama of the same name) follows Barnabas after he’s cursed with vampirism in 1760, buried alive in a coffin, and then accidentally freed in the early 1970s. He rejoins the Collins family at the estate they still hold, while trying to keep his true nature a secret, but hijinks ensue as his past comes back to haunt them. 

This, of course, is just a small sampling of the famous actors who've portrayed vampires over the years, but if you decide to do a vamp movie/TV show marathon, you can start right here and have hours of entertainment.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been around for more than a decade-and-a-half, and after 30-plus movies, TV shows, and specials, we’ve seen a ton of great actors play fan-favorite comic book heroes and villains. There are even actors who have played more than one character in the expansive franchise. But at the same time, there’s an even larger group of talented big-screen stars who haven’t donned a cape, mask, or spandex in the best Marvel movies. Here are 32 actors we still want to see in the MCU…

Ryan Gosling

For one reason or another, Ryan Gosling has yet to play a character in the MCU. One of the most talented and beloved actors of his time, the Barbie star would be perfect to play several characters ranging from Nova to Mr. Fantastic to even Earth-616’s Norman Osbourne if they wanted to have a younger actor take on the role of the famous Spider-Man villain. 

John David Washington

John David Washington has previously said he’d be open for an MCU role, and it’s probably going to happen sooner or later, considering the son of Oscar winner Denzel Washington is an incredibly talented and versatile actor. The Tenet and The Creator star has the range to handle just about everything thrown his way, be it as a villain or the next great Marvel hero.

Margot Robbie

It wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Margot Robbie join the list of actors to appear in the MCU at some point down the line, it’s just a matter of finding the right character for the beloved actress to play. There have been rumors about a Sue Storm role over the years, but Robbie would also be great playing villains like Lady Deathstrike.

Dev Patel

Dev Patel has established himself as one of the most interesting actors in Hollywood thanks to outstanding performances in movies like The Green Knight, Slumdog Millionaire, and his 2023 work with Wes Anderson. Watching the Lion star take on someone like Reed Richards or even Doctor Doom would be awesome, and he could honestly handle both.

Keanu Reeves

Throughout his career, Keanu Reeves has played iconic action characters like Johnny Utah, Neo, and John Wick. How cool would it be to see the eternally young actor join the MCU as someone like Dracula, Ghost Rider, or even Silver Surfer? We would even settle for a small voice role as a random one-off character.

Cillian Murphy

Cillian Murphy showing up in the MCU would be a massive get for the cinematic universe as it works towards the two upcoming Avengers projects, especially if he were to play Doctor Doom. While other actors would probably be better suited for the physicality of the iconic Marvel villain, Murphy would be perfect for the psychological aspects of the character. Add in his experience from playing Scarecrow in the Dark Knight trilogy and you have a perfect fit.

Vanessa Kirby

Vanessa Kirby has said in the past that it would be an honor to play Sue Storm, but the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning actress could also handle a more sinister role if given the chance. Just imagine Kirby playing someone like Lady Death or even Black Cat if we get another Spider-Man movie.

Cynthia Erivo

How Cynthia Erivo hasn’t landed a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is somewhere between a travesty and a mystery, because the multi-talented actor has everything you want in an actress to play your next comic book star. Just imagine the Harriet and Bad Times at the El Royale actress showing up as Storm whenever the X-Men are eventually introduced to the franchise. That would be electric to say the very least.

Antonio Banderas

Though Ant-tonio Banderas, Scott Lang’s ant in Ant-Man and the Wasp is already a thing in the MCU, the actor on which the flying arthropods was based has not had a chance to appear just yet. This needs to change and we need to see Antonio Banderas show up at some point down the road. He’s got the skills and intangibles to pull off someone as big as Galactus, a character comic book fans have been dying to see for years now.

LaKeith Stanfield

LaKeith Stanfield has been one of the more interesting actors of the past decade thanks to unforgettable roles in movies like Get Out, Judas and the Black Messiah, and The Book of Clarence, and the MCU would be better off if he joined the fray. There was talk in early 2024 of Stanfield replacing Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, which could work, but he could also bring to life X-Men staples like Cyclopes or even Gambit.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise flirted with the idea of playing Tony Stark way before Robert Downey Jr. rejuvenated his career in the MCU-launching Iron Man, but we never got to see the Top Gun: Maverick star play the iconic billionaire playboy philanthropist. Though it never came to fruition, we’d still love to see the Hollywood legend show up in the MCU, even if he only briefly played an alternate version of Iron Man.

Christoph Waltz

Christoph Waltz has played great villains in everything from the James Bond movies to Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, but he’s never played a big bad in the MCU. That should change, sooner rather than later, and he could be a great fit for someone like Norman Osborn or Doc Ock if we get more Spidey movies. He has the charisma, skill, and look for either of those roles.

Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain showed up in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, but since that’s outside of the MCU (for now, anyway), she’s fair game. There’s been the Sue Storm talk over the years, but the Interstellar star could also take on someone like Jean Grey and try her luck with the Dark Phoenix character.

Alan Ritchson

Okay, imagine Alan Ritchson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom. In addition to having a ridiculous physique, the Jack Reacher star can also be cerebral and mysterious, kind of like his character from Fast X. He would be a formidable foe, that’s for sure. And if not, we’d love to see Ritchson take on someone like Rhino or Juggernaut and breathe new life into those characters.

Pedro Pascal

There’s been a lot of talk about Pedro Pascal being the frontrunner for Reed Richards in the Fantastic Four’s eventual MCU debut, and that would be awesome. The star of The Mandalorian and The Last of Us has shown over the years that he has what it takes to lead a successful franchise, and he has enough talent and charisma to pay one of Marvel’s most iconic heroes.

Amber Midthunder

Amber Midthunder became a star-in-the-making after the 2022 release of Prey, and the star of the Predator spinoff prequel could very well make an impact in the MCU if given the opportunity. Lady Hellbender, Lyja, and Silver Fox are just three of the Marvel characters she would be well-suited to play.

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington has long stayed out of the superhero realm, though he has made a career out of playing characters who are pretty much comic book characters. That being said, we’d love to see the two-time Oscar winner take on a role like Magento or Bahsenga, the warrior shaman who was the first to adopt the Black Panther mantel.

Emily Blunt

Her husband, John Krasinksi, has already appeared in the MCU, albeit briefly, as Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so it wouldn’t be crazy to see Emily Blunt show up at some point, either for a similar-sized role or in a larger capacity. According to Deadline, the Oppenheimer star turned down a chance to play Black Widow in Iron Man 2 and was reportedly approached to play other famous characters in the years following. 

Gary Oldman

We’ve seen Gary Oldman play Jim Gordon masterfully in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, but the Academy Award-winning actor has yet to show up in the MCU. It would be so cool to see the legendary actor enter the fold as Dr. Xavier in the eventual X-Men movie, and it would be just as awesome to see him play a more villainous role like Mephisto or even Dracula, with the latter being a throwback to his turn in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Jesse Plemons

Jesse Plemons has been everywhere for the past few years. Well, everywhere besides the MCU. The Breaking Bad and Killers of the Flower Moon star has shared the screen with Marvel actors like Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Christian Bale over the years, and it’s only a matter of time before he follows suit and shows up as a comic book character. This guy has Sabretooth written all over him…

Paul Giamatti

Paul Giamatti has already been in Sony’s Marvel movies thanks to his portrayal of Rhino in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but we’d love to see more of the beloved actor. It doesn’t have to be anything over-the-top like a mech suit, but instead something like a government official who tries to get in the Avengers’ way or is tempted by a big bad.

Glen Powell

Glen Powell has "superhero" written all over him. The Physique, the charm, the million-dollar smile, he has it all. It’s only a matter of time before someone swoops him up and makes him the next great comic book hero, and that someone could be Marvel. Nova, Cyclops, or even a young Magneto would be great fits for the Anyone But You star.

Tati Gabrielle

Since making her acting debut a decade ago, Tati Gabrielle has given commanding performances on shows like You, Kaleidoscope, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, to name a few. The actress, who also has experience in video game adaptations like Uncharted and the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2, would be perfect for the MCU in the coming years, especially if she could land a role like Storm, Black Cat, or other fan-favorite characters.

Javier Bardem

Javier Bardem is an actor with an incredible skillset and the ability to play both nuanced and over-the-top characters, which would make him perfect for something in the MCU. The No Country For Old Men star would be a great fit for the iconic Galactus whenever the villain is introduced in the future.

Rosamund Pike

Rosamund Pike has played all manner of characters over the years, and that makes her a perfect fit for the MCU moving forward. Her dynamic range and ability to play both good and evil roles masterfully would be perfect for comic book staples like Emma Frost and Liandra Nermani, both of whom are tied to the X-Men franchise.

Lily Gladstone

Lily Gladstone became an overnight sensation upon the release of Killers of the Flower Moon, and rightfully so. We’re not saying it’s going to happen, but the Golden Globe-winning actress would be perfect in the MCU. Imagine Gladstone playing Indigenous characters like Silver Fox or Kushala.  

Iwan Rheon

Iwan Rheon technically appeared on Inhumans back in 2017, but this doesn’t mean we don’t want to see him show up in an MCU movie at some point in the future. The Game of Thrones actor, who didn’t appear in as many episodes as you’d think, played Maximus on the short-lived ABC series, so he could reprise his role or he could take on something new. However, it wouldn’t be nearly as intense as Ramsay Bolton.

Viola Davis

Viola Davis has already made her mark in the comic book world with her portrayal of Amanda Waller over in the DCEU, but this doesn’t mean she can’t jump over to the MCU and play an equally menacing character. The Oscar winner has already led a blockbuster with The Woman King, so she is more than capable of doing the same in a Marvel movie.

Naomie Harris

Naomie Harris has already shown up in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe with her portrayal of Shriek in Venom: Let There Be Carnage where she was crushed by a falling cathedral, but there’s no reason she couldn’t just play another version of the character in the MCU or take on a completely different role entirely.

Brendan Gleeson

Brendan Gleeson is appearing in Joker 2, and it would be really cool if the legendary actor also landed a role in the MCU somewhere down the road. The Harry Potter and The Banshees of Inisherin star would be perfect for a role if the Thor franchise is to continue, even if it meant voicing someone like Beta Ray Bill. 

Iko Uwais

Iko Uwais, star of the phenomenal Raid movies, has the acting ability and fighting skills to be a big hit in the MCU if given the chance. In the event this does happen, we’d hate for Uwais’ talents to be wasted like they were with his extremely small role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis retired after 2017’s Phantom Thread, but we’d love to see him step in front of the camera again in an MCU movie. The There Will Be Blood and Gangs of New York star would be a killer option for a character like Galactus and drink up all the planets like a big milkshake.

Who knows if we’ll see any of these actors show up in any of the upcoming Marvel movies, but with the way the MCU has shown us over the years, don’t count anyone out.

Gary Oldman is one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation, with a filmography spanning multiple genres and decades. Notably, Oldman has passed up some high-profile roles over his decades-long career. One of those roles happened to be one of Johnny Depp’s best Tim Burton collaborations - Edward Scissorhands. Decades after the cult classic’s release, the actor revealed why he wasn’t interested in the role and recalled his reaction to seeing the movie for the first time.

The Oscar winner had already proven himself in Hollywood with roles in Sid and Nancy and The Firm. Tim Burton had a successful record with quirky hits like Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and Beetlejuice. So a team-up with the two forces seemed inevitable. For years, it’s been rumored that Oldman was Burton’s original choice for the title character. However, the JFK star cleared the air during a Q&A session on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, saying:

Given how surreal and fantastical Burton’s work can be, it’s understandable that Oldman didn’t get the set-up or message behind the comedy. He didn’t understand the director’s vision, but Johnny Depp did. However, given the Dark Knight actor’s acting skills and film choices, the Beetlejuice director felt the acclaimed actor might be the right fit for the mute and bizarre character.

After passing on the meeting with Burton, the Hollywood A-lister caught the cult classic in the theaters like many moviegoers. He remembered his first reaction to seeing the Johnny Depp-led film a year later, commenting:

Like many Tim Burton films, Oldman had to see the idea realized to get Burton’s intentions. Luckily, things worked out for Gary Oldman and Johnny Depp, as 1990 proved to be a breakout year for both actors. Not only did Depp score with Edward Scissorhands, but also the cult classic Cry-Baby, in which both films showed him as a leading Hollywood man and character actor. Oldman fared just as well as he starred in the acclaimed neo-noir State of Grace. He followed the film with 1991’s JFK and 1992’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Oldman had a momentous 2023 after receiving acclaim for playing President Harry S. Truman in the blockbuster biopic Oppenheimer. You can catch the awards-season darling through an Amazon Prime Video subscription or on DVD and Blu-Ray. Right now, the Sid and Nancy star doesn’t have any projects lined up, but there are multiple upcoming movies hitting theaters and streaming in 2024.

There have been many great depictions of Batman’s closest ally, Jim Gordon. Still, one could easily argue that Gary Oldman's portrayal in Christopher Nolan's acclaimed The Dark Knight trilogy is the definitive cinematic take on Commissioner Gordon. Nolan's trilogy breathed new life into the then-dormant Batman franchise, offering a more thorough exploration of well-known characters like Gordon than previous projects. Surprisingly, the Oppenheimer director initially didn't envision The Darkest Hour actor as the straight-laced cop we eventually saw on screen. Instead, the director initially considered him for the role of The Scarecrow. Honestly, I think the Harry Potter alum would have crushed it in the part.

In a recent Happy, Sad, Confused interview, Gary Oldman disclosed that he was considered for an iconic Caped Crusader villain before landing the role of Gordon. Contrary to the rumor linking him to Ra's al Ghul, a character portrayed by Liam Neeson (open about his dislike for the genre) in Batman Begins, the Dracula veteran clarified that he believes he was initially approached for the role of Scarecrow. Eventually, the part was impeccably executed by Cillian Murphy, a longtime collaborator with Nolan. The actor responded to the question of whether he was offered Ra's al Ghul, saying:

The Scarecrow debuted in DC Comics in 1941 as a villainous character in Batman's rogues gallery. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, originally, Jonathan Crane was a brilliant psychology professor, but he later turned to a life of crime due to his dark past of abuse and bullying. He is known for his use of the "fear toxin," which exploits the phobias of the people of Gotham City, causing both its residents and Batman to suffer. He calls himself the "Master of Fear." In Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy, Scarecrow is portrayed by Cillian Murphy, who gives him a distinct look with a burlap sack and rebreather, highlighting his expertise in mental manipulation rather than physical intimidation.

There are still some unanswered questions regarding The Dark Knight trilogy, but one thing is certain -- Gary Oldman was perfectly cast as Commissioner Gordon. Although he could have done justice to the role of Scarecrow, that character only had a few scenes to shine in the movies, and it would have been unfair to such a talented actor. I am glad we witnessed one of the most definitive takes on Gordon in one of the best movies of the 2000s. However, if you are looking for a better interpretation of the villain, I recommend checking out The Batman Animated series version of Crane, which, for my money, is one of the best villains of the series.

You can stream all the Batman movies with a Max (formerly HBO Max) subscription to compare Oldman’s Gordon to other big-screen adaptations or imagine him in other villainous roles. 

If I had to guess the hardest scenes for Gary Oldman to shoot in the Harry Potter movies as Sirus Black, I would have said his death or the showdown in the Shrieking Shack, not necessarily the scene where Harry Potter casts his patronus at the frozen lake to save the Prisoner of Azkaban. However, despite not having to do much in the scene, that one was the hardest for the Oscar winner to shoot, and his explanation as to why is both hilarious and understandable. 

Gary Oldman joined the Harry Potter cast during Prisoner of Azkaban as fan-favorite Sirus Black, and during that movie, he almost dies at the hands of the dementors who are trying to catch him. Harry saves him by casting a patronus charm while they’re on a frozen lake, and Sirus is so injured he’s simply lying on the lake. While on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, Oldman explained that this seemingly simple scene to film for him was actually the hardest to shoot. He said:

Now, you’d think playing Winston Churchill in The Darkest Hour or Gordon in The Dark Knight or even Sirus in Order of the Phoenix would be harder than this one scene in Prisoner of Azkaban. However, Oldman explained that this was a long shoot, and lying on a frozen lake can be quite uncomfortable. He said:

I totally get where he’s coming from. When all you have to do is sit still and not move for days, that actually sounds quite hard. Then, you add that he was on a man-made frozen lake, and it becomes even tougher. Continuing to explain what it was like shooting this pivotal moment in one of the best movies of the 2000s, the actor said:

Well, even though it was cold and odd work, at least Gary Oldman was being treated well on set. Ultimately, he got a good laugh out of this story, and he was seemingly also baffled by the fact that that scene was the hardest one for him to film. However, while I’d never expect this moment to be the toughest one for him, I now get why.

Obviously, being cold and still on a fake frozen lake for days paid off, because Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is regarded as one of the best films in the franchise, and Sirius Black is one of Gary Oldman’s quintessential roles and one that he’s still praised for to this day. 

So, when you re-watch the Harry Potter movies with a Max subscription, make sure to take note of that pivotal scene in Prisoner of Azkaban where Harry is working so hard to save Sirus, and Gary Oldman is working really hard to simply lie still on a frozen lake. It was a tough one for him to film, and we should all take a moment to appreciate his hard work and hilarious story. 

Harry Potter has been entertaining audiences for decades, starting with the books and expanding to plays, theme parks and (of course) the movie franchise. Plenty of fans re-watch the Potter movies annually, which are available with a Max subscription. The cast of Harry Potter was outstanding, especially the adult cast who played professors and authority figures at Hogwarts. That includes Sirius Black actor Gary Oldman, who recently explained how Harry Potter (and Batman) "saved" him at a key point in his career. Let's break it all down.

Oldman has had a long and wildly successful career, and spent a number of years pivoting between Harry Potter and Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, playing Sirius Black and James Gordon respectively. He recently appeared on Drew Barrymore, explaining why the timing of those franchises was so key. He offered context about his personal life, saying:

Points were made. While being a movie star seems like nothing but glamor and jet setting, the reality of the job can be a bit more grueling. Ad when Gary Oldman got divorced and had custody over his kids, it meant he couldn't take jobs that would have required him to leave the country. Luckily he'd end up getting involved in two major film franchises at around this time.

The Harry Potter movies would end up being wildly successful, so Gary Oldman lucked out when he landed the role of Harry's godfather Sirius Black. He debuted in Prisoner of Azkaban, and reprised his role a number of times before Black's death. While speaking with Drew Barrymore, he explained why Potter and The Dark Knight were dream gigs, offering: 

Points were made. Joining these two major productions allowed for multiple high-paying jobs, one that kept him working in either the states or across the pond, rather than going to a more exotic location. And as he put it, he got to do "the least amount of work" as he wasn't the star of either Harry Potter or The Dark Knight. Although he did appear in all three installments of the latter property.

Not only was his performance as Sirius Black killer, but Gary Oldman also developed a strong bond with Daniel Radcliffe while filming his role in the fantasy series. He ended up being one of Radcliffe's many mentors who he met while starring as the Boy who Live, and Oldman and Radcliffe still have a special bond today. 

It's currently unclear when Harry Potter will return to theaters, or when the developing live-action show will begin. But Oldman has been keeping busy including a role in the cast of Oppenheimer. In the meantime, check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Anyone who knows me knows I love Harry Potter. If you give me time, I'll rewatch all the Harry Potter movies. I'll tell you the best characters, arcs, and everything you could think of because I am just that much of a Potterhead. And as I've gotten older, I've realized that several Harry Potter characters from the movies and the books deserved far more screen time. Today, we'll be going over them. 

Luna Lovegood

First up on this list has to be Luna Lovegood, played by Evanna Lynch in the Harry Potter franchise. When she first appeared in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Luna captured viewers' hearts with her quirky nature, and she became a great friend to Harry. 

She was a great addition to the franchise and deserved far more screen time. Interestingly, Lynch was intimidated by her co-stars when she first joined the movies, but she became a great part of the ensemble. 

Neville Longbottom

Neville Longbottom, portrayed by Matthew Lewis, was what I would call the "nerd" of Hogwarts, as everyone picked on him from day one. However, in the books, a prophecy also revealed that he could have been a Chosen One, and at the end of both the books and the Harry Potter film franchise, he saved the day and killed Nagini. If you can believe it, as much of an impact he had, he didn't have that much screen time in the movies. 

Molly Weasley

Molly Weasley, played by Julie Walters, was the mother that everyone wanted in Harry Potter, and she was such an essential part of Harry's life in the book. I would have loved to see her character get played out way more, especially her last fight with Bellatrix Lestrange. Nothing can quite beat a mother's wrath. 

Sirius Black

Gary Oldman has been in some incredible movies, and I've always considered him a shapeshifter when it comes to his roles. Sirius Black is one of those where he perfectly portrays the character. But Black had a much more significant role in the Harry Potter books, making his unfortunate death much sadder. It would have been great to see him more with the Boy Who Lived in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Kingsley Shacklebolt

There aren't many ministry people from the Ministry of Magic that I wanted to see more since most of them were the worst people imaginable. But one individual that I did love was Kingsley Shacklebolt, played by George Harris. While he had minimal screen time, the auror left a lasting impression on the Harry Potter fandom, and he was a great addition. I wish we had just one more scene of him. 

Fleur Delacour

I never thought I would want to see Fleur Delacour more, but when she married into the Weasley family, I was dying to see how that happened. We know that she winds up marrying Bill Weasley, and their story is explained far better in the books, but it happens out of nowhere in the movies. I wish we had seen more of that – honestly, I just wish we had more of the Weasley family. 

It's nice to know that the actress who played Fleur, Clémence Poésy, has been successful since then, with a recent stint in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon cast, but I really wanted to see more of her in these movies. 

Kreacher  

The house elves of Harry Potter in the films were downgraded so much it's sad. Kreacher, the house elf for 12 Grimmauld Place, the Black's home, was an essential part of the Harry Potter novels, but he was relegated to a barely memorable side character in the movie. Just sad. 

Bellatrix Lestrange 

Bellatrix Lestrange in the movies was one of those memorable characters on her own, almost more than Voldemort. Helena Bonham Carter has done some great films, but her portrayal of Bellatrix will always be my favorite because she can somehow show how insane this character is. 

However, Bellatrix was way worse in the books, and I would have loved to see her unhinged-ness way more. 

Fred And George Weasley

It may initially seem shocking for me to request Fred and George, of all people, to have more screen time, but like many others on this list, they were much more significant in the novels. The Harry Potter movies forgot that Harry gave the twins all his winnings from the Triwizard Tournament. Instead, they randomly started a joke shop without any explanation in the sixth film. I would have loved to see them more. 

Dobby 

Plenty of characters in Harry Potter were given a decent amount of screen time but were relegated to more minor characters. Dobby was one of those, where he did have significant roles in two of the films, specifically Chamber of Secrets, but he had a much more substantial part in the books – especially in the fourth. 

Peeves 

Peeves, a poltergeist who played tricks on the Hogwarts students, was one of the most prominent side characters of the novels, and yet he never made it into the movie. There is a reason why he wasn’t there, so you should check that out, but it would have been great to see him in the movies. 

Teddy 

The seventh movie glossed over something else: Remus and Tonks, who were revealed as a couple. In the books, this is a much bigger deal – and aside from that, they have a son named Teddy, who winds up becoming an orphan after the Battle of Hogwarts. 

Colin Creevey 

Colin Creevey is one of those characters we have only seen once in the whole franchise, maybe twice, when he was a more significant part of the books. While he wasn't the most fun character, he had his moments of aid towards the Golden Trio in the novels. However, in the movies, he felt like a background character that was never mentioned aside from his part in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. 

Draco Malfoy 

I know Draco Malfoy did have a decent amount of screen time in the movies, and considering Tom Felton is the biggest fan of the Wizarding World, everyone knows it. But Malfoy is another case where he played a far more prominent role in the books than in the movies. You almost feel bad for Malfoy in the novels because you get a deeper look into his psyche. 

Tom Felton has done some great movies and shows since the franchise ended. Still, I think Harry Potter is his most outstanding achievement – and he certainly shows it whenever he visits Radcliffe's star in L.A., showing his support for his friends and former castmates.

Cedric Diggory 

Cedric is another example of a significant character who was played down. While he is killed in Goblet of Fire, Diggory feels more fleshed out in the books, and he could have been played up more for the film as Harry's competitor and ally in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Also, Robert Pattinson's portrayal of him was fantastic in the pre-Twilight movies era. It's one of Pattinson's best movies, and I stand by that. 

Winky 

Do you know who Winky is? No? You're not alone because no one who just watched the movies does. Winky was a house elf in the fourth novel that Hermione fought to give proper rights to, and that plotline was completely cut. I'm not sure why, considering I recall it being decently big, but I would have liked a cameo. 

Ginny Weasley 

Ginny is another example where she got a decent amount of screen time, but I probably would have liked her character if she had been given more. Ginny, in the books, is great, but I'm not a massive fan of her character in the movies. Even Bonnie Wright, the actress behind Ginny, said the character was "disappointing." We could have done so much more. 

Remus Lupin 

Remus Lupin was my favorite professor at Hogwarts, and David Thewlis was the best person to play him, but did you know that Lupin had a much more significant role in the books than in the movies? He was a huge part of Harry's life, and we saw his interactions with Sirius, a former friend, far more often. I would have given anything to see more of his character – and maybe even more on the Marauders since he was one of them. 

Blaise Zabini

Blaise is one of those characters in the movies where it’s a “blink and you’ll miss it” moment, but as someone who actually liked seeing the other students of Hogwarts besides the Golden Trio, Blaise was one of them. He seemed so calm and collected in comparison to Malfoy’s other Slytherin friends, and I think he would have been a great addition to the main group of students that we get to know. 

Professor McGonagall 

Not only is Dame Maggie Smith an absolute delight, but Professor Minerva McGonagall was the teacher we all wanted and needed, and she did everything in her power to protect her students. It would have been awesome to see more, especially since she plays such an essential role down the line in the books. 

Narcissa Malfoy 

This is the first example where I think Narcissa Malfoy, played by the incredible Helen McCrory in the films, wasn't seen as much in the novels either. But God, I would have given anything to see more of her in the movies after she saved Harry from Voldemort by saying he was dead when he wasn't. You can count it up to a mother's love, but ugh, such a great moment from a great character that, in the end, didn't get much screen time. 

Lucius Malfoy 

Lucius Malfoy reminds me a lot of his son Draco in a way that people remember him plenty from the movies, but the books dove a little deeper into his character. And if we were given more time with the Malfoys in general, I think we could have been given a much better understanding of why they do what they do, especially Lucius. Plus, Jason Isaacs is always a win. 

Charlie Weasley 

Do you love the dragons in House of the Dragon? We could have had that in the Harry Potter movies too if Charlie Weasley was even used. The second eldest Weasley brother didn't even show up once in the franchise and guess what – he was a dragon tamer. We could have gotten so many more dragons if we saw him. 

Nymphadora Tonks 

Tonks, a metamorphmagus and member of the Order of the Phoenix, is another excellent example of someone who was underused in the movies. We saw her for the first time in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and then she only appeared again in the seventh film, but we hear a lot more about her in the novels. She was great and had such a fun personality, and I would have loved seeing her more. 

Mad-Eye Moody  

Mad-Eye Moody was one of the best adults in this series because he was just so unhinged. While it wasn't really him in the fourth movie, Brendan Gleeson played the character so well, and then sadly we only see the real version of the auror a few other times, which is frustrating. He's such a great character, and he played such a big part, and movie lovers barely got to know who he was before he was killed off. So sad. 

Cho Chang 

Cho Chang is one of those characters you don't know how to feel about because other than her betrayal of Dumbledore's Army in the fifth film, she's pretty forgettable. The sad part is that she played a much more significant role in Harry's life in the books, but she wasn't in the films as much, aside from a measly love interest that vanishes as soon as it comes. 

Chang paved the way for Harry to wind up with Ginny down the line in the books, but since we don't get as much romance in the movies as we did in the novels, it almost feels forced. We could have been given so much more. 

Dean  

There were plenty of fun Gryffindors that people didn't get to see that much, and one was Dean, a friend of Harry, who had a more prominent role in the books, but we barely saw him that much in the movies. 

Seamus  

We saw Seamus a little more than Dean in the movies, namely when things were exploding in his face, but I can't get over how he appeared way more in the books. And you could believe that he and Harry were friends aside from the few times we saw them together in the movies. 

Rodolphus Lestrange 

Did you know that Bellatrix had a husband in the Harry Potter novels? His name was Rodolphus Lestrange, and they escaped Azkaban together. But he was cut out entirely from the movies. While I would have loved to see him in the films, a part of me is happy because it lets Bellatrix shine. Even so, that interaction would have been fun to see. 

Marietta Edgecombe 

Cho Chang wasn't even the person who revealed the location of Dumbledore's Army in the books. That, my friends, was Mariette Edgecombe, a character that did exactly that but was cut out from the movies because, well, for the drama, I suppose. We could have been given an accurate portrayal of Cho, but nope, she had to be the betrayer. 

Professor Binns 

Few professors were left out of the Harry Potter novels, and one of them was undoubtedly Professor Binns, the history professor of Hogwarts. Would it have been cool to see another ghost? Of course. And not only that, his classes usually offered some pretty funny moments in the books.

Crookshanks

Crookshanks is one of those characters that is way smarter than you would believe. That cat never trusted Scabbers and always chased him. That rat wound up being Peter Pettigrew, so who knows what else this cat could have hunted down. We don't know what happened to the cat after the fifth film, so hopefully, she's just living her life now. I would have loved to see more. 

We were deprived of so many great Harry Potter characters from the movies. The new Harry Potter adaptation is coming to Max, so maybe we'll get to see more of them or see them have more screen time, but until then, a girl can dream. 

When you look at the landscape of Hollywood A-List actors, it’s hard to believe how many haven’t been nominated for an Oscar. Even crazier is looking back on previous nominees like Meryl Streep and Gary Oldman’s careers and seeing where their first brush with golden glory came from. That’s what we’re gathered together to do today, as we look back on a who’s who of acting talent, and those first projects that put them on The Academy’s map! 

Meryl Streep - The Deer Hunter

Where does one begin when talking about Meryl Streep’s own personal golden dynasty? Well, if you want to start at the beginning, you’d take it all the way back to 1978. That’s when Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter put Ms. Streep on the Academy’s radar for the first time. At the time of publication, Streep is the most nominated person at the Academy Awards, thanks to a whopping 21 nods.

Daniel Day-Lewis - My Left Foot

The year 1990 marked an important moment for iconic actor, and three-time Academy Award winner, Daniel Day-Lewis. The now-retired thespian found himself winning on his first time out, with his nomination for the role of Irish writer and painter Christy Brown in My Left Foot. His portrayal of Brown, who created art while living with Cerebral Palsy, was only the beginning of a legacy involving method acting, which led to several more nominations and wins in the process.

Amy Adams - Junebug

Let’s put aside the fact that Amy Adams and Arrival were failed by awards boards in the 2016- 2017 season. Outside of that grudge that some still hold dear, Adams has a total of six Oscar nominations to her credit. That’s pretty amazing, with the first nod coming from her performance in 2005’s Junebug. With that noted, we can go back to grousing about how she deserves to be at seven nods, thanks to Denis Villeneuve’s brain-breaking masterpiece.

Leonardo DiCaprio - What’s Eating Gilbert Grape

While Leonardo DiCaprio could finally call himself a winner as part of 2016’s Academy Award nominees, the path to that victory for The Revenant kicked off in 1994. A hot young talent, DiCaprio’s first nomination was for his role alongside Johnny Depp in the drama What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? Turns out, when it was winning time for Leo, the answer to that question was, “A bear.”

Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side

One of America’s sweethearts, Sandra Bullock can be counted as a member of the First Timer's Club. Her first nomination was also the one that won her the trophy, as the 2010 Academy Awards yielded a golden win for her role in The Blind Side. Despite the recent controversies and lawsuit from Michael Oher that have hit that film’s story about the football player and the Tuohys, this is a hard-earned win, and the first of two nominations so far for Ms. Bullock. 

Tom Hanks - Big

We all know that Tom Hanks is Academy Award-winning royalty, as America’s Dad has six nominations and two wins under his belt. Looking back at the fact that his first competition for Oscar glory came from 1988’s Big, it’s an impressive feat for happening so early in Hanks’ career as an actor. It’s even more stunning when you take into account that it was for a comedy performance, which isn’t as prevalent at the Oscars as one would hope.

Viola Davis - Doubt

Despite the title of the film she was first nominated for, there was absolutely no Doubt when it came to Viola Davis’ status as an Oscar contender. Her first round came in 2008, through that very film mentioned; and she would eventually be nominated three more times, at the time of this publication. Her first win came in 2016 after she starred with fellow Oscar titan Denzel Washington in the film adaptation of Fences. (It's also worth mentioning that this actress is also in the elite club of EGOT winners.)

Peter O’Toole - Lawrence Of Arabia

Tied with Glenn Close for the most Oscar nominations without a win, the late great Peter O’Toole banked his first Academy Awards nod with the movie you’d most expect. Thanks to the director David Lean’s 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia, O’Toole began a dance with Academy voters that only saw him net a 2002 Honorary Academy Award. 

Jodie Foster - Taxi Driver

In the world of Disney actors turned Academy Award contenders, Jodie Foster will always be one of the most notable in that field. At the age of 15, Foster saw her first nomination through her only Best Supporting Actress nod to date. The eventual victor for films like The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs, Jodie first competed for Oscar glory through the role of child prostitute Iris Steensma in Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. 

Morgan Freeman - Street Smart

Even movies with Oscar buzz can become buried in the sands of time. Just ask Morgan Freeman, who first saw himself nominated at the Academy Awards in 1987 for Street Smart. A crime drama starring Christopher Reeve as an ambitious reporter profiling Freeman’s pimp character Leo “Fast Black” Smalls Jr., it’s a movie that most wouldn’t remember; especially when compared to the other films the prestigious actor would be nominated for.

Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth

Playing royalty almost feels like a shortcut to winning big-time gold. However, Cate Blanchett is one of those exceptions that sets the rules. While she would later win trophies for The Aviator and Blue Jasmine, Blanchett’s first bid for an Academy Award came in 1999, thanks to the titular role in director Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth. 

Anthony Hopkins - The Silence Of The Lambs

Horror is one of those genres that doesn’t seem to get much love on the awards circuit. However, when the results are something as chilling as director Jonathan Demme’s adaptation of The Silence of the Lambs, containing Anthony Hopkins’ equally unsettling performance as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, it’s hard not to take notice. Score another First Timer’s Club victory, as Hopkins took home the gold his first time up.

Charlize Theron - Monster

Portraying the criminal mind provides such an allure for actors and auteurs alike. A case proving that point was Charlize Theron’s portrayal of convicted killer Aileen Wuornos in Patty Jenkins’ film Monster, her first nomination out of three at the time of this writing. Theron won the Best Actress trophy on the first try in 2004, all thanks to this tale of true crime. 

Christian Bale - The Fighter

Able to disappear completely in any character he plays, Academy Award winner Christian Bale has four nominations to his name. Equally split between Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor accolades, his first roll of the dice in 2011 landed him a win in the former category; thanks to David O. Russell’s The Fighter. 

Kate Winslet - Sense And Sensibility

The works of Jane Austen are another one of those sources that seem to periodically score nominations at the Oscars. Kate Winslet’s first is part of the proof, as the first of her current total of seven Academy Award nominations (and one win) came from 1995’s Sense and Sensibility. Ms. Winslet’s heart would go on to win Best Actress…in 2009, for Stephen Daldry’s The Reader.

Denzel Washington - Cry Freedom

Let’s see if King Kong knows this piece of movie trivia. Actor Denzel Washington has had 10 Oscar nominations, with two wins coming from that pool. While most would be tempted to cite his win for Glory as the first time he was nominated, that is incorrect. Washington’s first Academy Awards ceremony happened two years earlier in 1988, for his part in the film Cry Freedom. 

Kathy Bates - Misery

Frightening characters can make for the most golden of dreams, as was proven with 1991’s Academy Awards. Kathy Bates took home her first award on her first nomination, through the role of Anne Wilkes in Rob Reiner’s Misery. A “brilliant” adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, this fan favorite is one of many that’s seen the famed horror author’s work turning in some of the most well-regarded films and performances of all time.

George Clooney - Good Night, And Good Luck/Syriana

Here’s a wild story: George Clooney’s first Oscar nominations came from not one, but two films he was involved with. 2006’s Academy Awards saw the ER veteran land and win Best Supporting Actor for his role in Syriana, while one of CinemaBlend’s 100 best movies of the 2000s, Good Night, And Good Luck., netted him a Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay nod in that same contest.

Helen Mirren - The Madness Of King George

Did you know that half of Helen Mirren’s four Oscar nominations came from playing royalty? Surely most know of Mirren’s win in 2007 as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen. But, dear readers, another queen marked the start of Dame Helen’s Academy Awards history. Her Best Supporting Actress nod in 1995 for The Madness of King George would be her initial foray into this circuit, playing Queen Charlotte to Nigel Hawthorne’s titular monarch.

Judi Dench - Mrs. Brown

Dame Judi Dench is another regal figure that practically screams “Oscar” when you see her. Another member of the club of actors winning as royalty, Dench would win in 1999 for her as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love. That was only on her second try, because in 1998 Dame Judi received her first nomination, playing Queen Victoria in the film Mrs. Brown.

Dustin Hoffman - The Graduate

And here’s to you, Mr. Hoffman; Oscar came a’calling very young. At 30 years old, Dustin Hoffman saw his first Academy Award nomination through starring in 1967’s The Graduate. What may be more surprising than the actual 6-year age gap between himself and co-star Anne Bancroft is that his first Oscar win would take place 12 years later, with 1980’s Kramer vs. Kramer.

Susan Sarandon - Atlantic City

Five nominations and one win are actor Susan Sarandon’s Academy Award legacy, at the time of this writing. But her first nomination was from an Oscar-buzzed title that most folks may not remember: 1981’s Atlantic City. With nominations in “The Big Five” categories, Sarandon and the film at large walked away empty-handed that year.

Russell Crowe - The Insider

Before his name was Maximus Decimus Meridius, Russell Crowe found himself heading to the Oscars under a different moniker: Jeffrey Wigand. Nominated for the first time in 2000, Crowe’s role in Michael Mann’s whistleblower drama The Insider gave the Australian actor his first golden thrill ride. One that he’d repeat in 2001, and win for through the strength and honor of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator.

Angela Bassett - What’s Love Got To Do With It

Surprisingly, Angela Bassett only received her second nomination as part of 2023's Academy Awards, thanks to Marvel Studio’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Bassett’s first nomination came from playing royalty of a different type, as her lead role in the Tina Turner biopic What’s Love Got To Do With It saw her walking the Oscar red carpet in 1994.

Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Count this as another shocker in Oscar nominations history: Gary Oldman only received his first Academy Awards nomination in 2012. You’d think the Bram Stoker’s Dracula actor would have had more than the three nods and one win he currently holds. However, his dreams of golden splendor only started after he played George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. 

Julia Roberts - Steel Magnolias

With three nominations and one win, Julia Roberts’ odds of firing you up or making you cry with her Academy Award-nominated projects are officially even. Her first time in the race came in 1990, in the dramedy classic Steel Magnolias. For those of you who haven’t seen the film, we’ll leave it to you to find out which bucket this particular nom falls into on your own time.

Al Pacino - The Godfather

Some roles are such an indelible part of an actor’s career, they just had to land an Oscar nomination for it. Al Pacino is certainly one of those cases, as he would turn his first Best Supporting Actor nomination for The Godfather into a Best Actor nod in The Godfather Part II. Both stem from his portrayal of Michael Corleone, the favorite son who descended into darkness and power.

Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married

“It came true.” Those three words marked the end of Anne Hathaway’s journey to Oscar gold, with her second nomination and first win for Best Supporting Actress in Les Miserables. But the beginning of Ms. Hathaway’s Academy Awards journey was in 2009, when she was nominated for Best Actress in Rachel Getting Married. 

Matt Damon - Good Will Hunting

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck both won their first Oscars for Best Original Screenplay, thanks to 1998’s Good Will Hunting. But much like other members of the First Timers Club in this list, Damon’s first victory was also his first time at the dance. How ‘bout dem apples indeed.

Jennifer Lawrence - Winter’s Bone

The second time was the charm for Jennifer Lawrence, as her role in Silver Linings Playbook made her a winner in 2013. That wasn’t too long after her initial foray into Oscar victory, which came in 2011 thanks to her lead role in the neo-noir gem Winter’s Bone. Who’d expect any less from the eventual "girl on fire" that would lead The Hunger Games to box office domination?

Ben Affleck - Good Will Hunting

Sailing on the same current as his writing partner and longtime buddy Matt Damon, Ben Affleck’s first Oscar nomination came from his co-authoring of Good Will Hunting. And to think, if Damon and Affleck’s hijinks involving the script hadn’t worked, we may never have seen either contributor go on to the storied careers they enjoy today.

Samuel L. Jackson - Pulp Fiction

Fans of Samuel L. Jackson are about to engage in some harsh language, as the current MCU star only has one Academy Award nomination. While it’s rightful for his Best Supporting Actor-worthy role in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, the man’s gone on to deliver several other powerhouse performances worth at least a nod or two. This is something that not even the tastiest beverage could wash away.

As an actor, you never know where that first win or nomination is going to come from. And when you're an A-lister as iconic as the people we've just discussed, those initial impressions are all the more interesting to look at as time goes on. Who knows where these blockbuster draws will find their next brush with golden glory, and how it will compare to these humble beginnings? 

The list of Best Picture winners is short, and exclusive, which means that even some of the most acclaimed, decorated, and generally well-liked actors of all time haven't taken home the grand prize at the Academy Awards. You might be surprised by the number of celebrities we have listed below — many of which have Oscars of their own — that have never starred in a Best Picture winner.

Denzel Washington

As one of a few actors who have two Oscars to their name, you might assume that some of the best Denzel Washington movies were also guaranteed a Best Picture win, right? Surprisingly, the star of Glory and Training Day has never made a movie that won the Academy's big prize, but at least he can say that King Kong still ain’t got nothing on him.

Heath Ledger

If what many consider to be one of the Academy’s greatest mistakes (awarding Crash Best Picture over Brokeback Mountain in 2006) had not happened, Heath Ledger’s name would not be on this list. However, the late Australian actor still left behind a stunning legacy only so many actors can dream of. Notably, he won a posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as the Joker in one of the best superhero movies, The Dark Knight.

Christian Bale

Five of Christian Bale’s best movies have been nominated for Best Picture (The Fighter, American Hustle, The Big Short, Vice, and Ford v. Ferrari), but to no avail. At least his performance in The Fighter — David O. Russell’s 2010 boxing biopic — earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

Robert Downey Jr.

It is already hard enough to believe that Robert Downey Jr. has only two Oscar nominations (for Chaplin and Tropic Thunder), and that none of his many great movies outside of the MCU have achieved the highest honor, either. However, things could change at the 2024 Oscars, given his stunning work in the Oppenheimer cast and the promising chances for Christopher Nolan’s glowing biopic.

Toni Collette

Toni Collette is an extraordinarily talented actor with the accolades to prove it, including an Oscar nomination for 1999’s The Sixth Sense. However, the classic M. Night Shyamalan movie is also one of a few Toni Collette movies to be nominated for Best Picture (also including 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine), but she hasn't been in a winner yet.

Will Smith

From TV sitcoms to sci-fi blockbusters to critically acclaimed biopics, Will Smith’s filmography is pretty extraordinary, but it does not include Best Picture winners. If that does change for him soon, he may be unable to celebrate the honor in person. This is because he has been banned from future ceremonies for the next decade after slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars — which also happened to be the night he won Best Actor for King Richard.

Harrison Ford

Two of Harrison Ford's most iconic characters were featured in two Best Picture Nominees -- the original Star Wars movie, where he played Han Solo, and the first Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark -- but neither of them won. At least Ford, who does have an Oscar nomination for fellow Best Picture nominee 1985’s Witness, can say those films, among others, made him one of the highest-grossing actors of all time.

Scarlett Johansson

Some of the most significant films of Scarlett Johansson’s career were Best Pictures nominees — such as her breakthrough role in one of the best movies of the 2000s, Lost in Translation, and her dual Oscar-nominated performances the same year for Jojo Rabbit and Marriage Story. Of course, none of these films took home the top prize.

Ryan Gosling

There was a time when it seemed like Ryan Gosling would not be eligible for a list like this when we thought La La Land won Best Picture in 2017. However, it turned out to be a case of mistaken envelopes and the real winner was Moonlight. The Barbie cast member was also in the nominated film The Big Short, and there are sure to be more Ryan Gosling movies getting Oscar consideration.

Glenn Close

Glenn Close is one of those actors whose longtime losing streak at the Academy Awards — eight nominations, zero wins — continues to baffle audiences. Add on the fact that none of her best movies have won Best Picture either and the notion becomes simply unspeakable.

Jennifer Lawrence

The Academy loves Jennifer Lawrence — nominating her four times and awarding her the Best Actress Oscar for 2012’s Silver Linings Playbook. However, they seem to like her just a bit more than Jennifer Lawrence’s best movies, none of which have received the Best Picture award.

Julia Roberts

I suppose Julia Roberts’ multiple nominations and one win — for Erin Brockovich — had me convinced that she had been in a Best Picture winner at some point. In truth, said biopic from 2000 is actually the only Best Picture nominee among Roberts’ filmography so far, and it lost to Gladiator.

Meg Ryan

Would you believe that Meg Ryan has never been nominated for an Academy Award? Well, what if I told you that none of her movies — which include some of the best romantic comedies of all time, like When Harry Met Sally — were considered for the top prize either? Some talents just do not get the recognition they deserve.

Laura Linney

Curiously, Laura Linney has been nominated for her performances in 2000’s You Can Count On Me, Kinsey from 2004, and 2007’s The Savages — none of which even received Best Picture nominations. She has been in a Best Picture nominee though — Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River — however, that did not win either.

George Clooney

For a while, George Clooney’s filmography seemed to consist primarily of Best Picture nominees, such as Syriana (for which he won Best Supporting Actor) and Good Night, and Good Luck (which also earned him nods for writing and directing). However, in terms of the Best Picture category, that’s all any of them ever amounted to being; nominee.

Samuel L. Jackson

With a resume as lengthy and renowned as his, you would think Samuel L. Jackson has been in at least one Best Picture winner but he has not… yet. He has starred in quite a few Best Pictures nominees — many of which are Quentin Tarantino movies like Pulp Fiction, for which he received his sole Oscar nomination.

Hugh Jackman

Tom Hooper’s 2012 adaptation of Les Miserables earned eight nominations including one for Best Picture and and another for Best Actor for Hugh Jackman, but those categories were not among the three it did win. At least the Australian X-Men movie star has had the honor of hosting an Oscar ceremony before.

Emily Blunt

Emily Blunt has won a Golden Globe for Gideon’s Daughters, a Screen Actors Guild Award for 2018’s A Quiet Place, and three BAFTA nominations for The Devil Wears Prada, a special “Rising Star Award” from the same year, and The Girl on the Train. However, never has the Academy given her a nod, nor have any of Emily Blunt’s movies even been nominated for Best Picture.

Jake Gyllenhaal

The fact that Jake Gyllenhaal has only been nominated for an Oscar once — for Best Supporting Actor in 2005’s Brokeback Mountain surprisingly enough -- is crazy. To learn that said LGBTQ+ romance movie is the only film of his to receive a Best Picture nomination is equally baffling.

Matthew McConaughey

Mathew McConaughey has starred in two films nominated for Best Picture — Dallas Buyer’s Club, for which he won his Best Actor Oscar, and The Wolf of Wall Street — which were both released in 2013. Even with favorable odds like that, neither acclaimed drama took home the gold that year.

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman has been nominated for three Oscars, and she took home one in 2011 for Black Swan. Darren Aronofsky’s twisted tale of ambition gone too far is also the actor’s only film to be nominated for Best Picture.

Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman is one of those actors who was overdue for his Oscar for a long time before he broke the streak with his transformative performance as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. Before (and after) his win, the British actor appeared in just a couple of Best Picture nominees — namely Oliver Stone’s JFK and David Fincher’s Mank.  

Amy Adams

The fact that none of Amy Adams’ movies have earned a Best Picture Oscar — despite six being nominated, including American Hustle and Arrival — is not particularly shocking. What is shocking is that the actor also has six nominations of her own and has never won any of them.

Angela Bassett

Years after she was nominated for an Academy Award as Tina Turner in What’s Love Got To Do With It, Angela Bassett made history as the first actor to receive an Oscar nomination for a Marvel movie performance (as Queen Ramona in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever). Yet, her first Marvel movie, 2018’s Black Panther, is her only Best Picture nominee. 

Jeff Bridges

In addition to taking home an Oscar for Crazy Heart, Jeff Bridges has many Best Picture nominees under his belt, from 1971’s The Last Picture Show to Hell or High Water from 2016. Not a single one of them took him the grand prize, but I think the Academy’s biggest misstep in regards to acting legend was not nominating him for playing The Dude in The Big Lebowski.

Michael Caine

Despite two Academy Award wins to his name (one for 1986’s, Hannah and Her Sisters, and the other for 1999’s The Cider House Rules) Michael Caine cannot say he has starred in a Best Picture. Unfortunately, since the 90-year-old actor told The Telegraph that he is “sort of retired now,” he may never receive that honor.

Robin Williams

The late Robin Williams led a tremendous, widely beloved career that really made us laugh, through movies like 1993’s Mrs. Doubtfire, as well as cry, like with his Academy Award-winning performance in Good Will Hunting. That 1997 favorite and 1989’s Dead Poets Society are the only two Best Picture nominees he starred in.

Halle Berry

Halle Berry gave a landmark performance in 2001's Monster's Ball which earned her a historic Best Actress Oscar win. However, that film was not nominated for Best Picture, and neither has anything else the actor has starred in.

Sean Penn

Sean Penn has won Best Actor twice -- first for 2003's Mystic River by director Clint Eastwood and second for the title character of the powerful 2008 biopic, Milk. Neither of those acclaimed dramas got a Best Picture win, leaving the Fast Times at Ridgemont High cast member empty-handed in that particular regard.

Sandra Oh

With 13 Emmy nominations to her name, former Grey's Anatomy cast member Sandra Oh is better known as one of the greatest modern actors from the small screen. That would explain why her otherwise impressive big screen career -- which includes Alexander Payne's Best Picture-nominated Sideways -- does not include any grand prize winners at the Oscars at the moment.

Bradley Cooper

The otherwise bewildering fact that none of Bradley Cooper's many Oscar-nominated performances -- such as in 2012's Silver Linings Playbook or 2014's American Sniper -- nor his many Best Picture-nominated films -- including the two aforementioned films -- have resulted in any wins is not particularly a concern of mine. What I am surprised, and concerned, about is the snub for directing A Star is Born, which hopefully gets made up for when the upcoming Netflix movie, Maestro, comes out.

Viola Davis

I am happy that we live in a world in which an actor of momentous talent such as Viola Davis has been recognized and rewarded by the Academy with her Oscar win for 2016's Fences. That alone makes me, at least, content with the fact that there are still no Best Picture winners on her resume as of today.

Perhaps there will come a day when the names on this list change drastically and many of the actors above can say they have been in a Best Picture Oscar winner. For now, just keep cross your fingers and keep your hopes up for the next ceremony.

Like the great directors who came before and several of his contemporaries, Christopher Nolan is a filmmaker who likes to reuse certain creative elements in each of his movies. From messing with time to structuring nonlinear narratives to focusing on paradoxes (all three are present in his latest box office success, Oppenheimer), he seems to have some favorite techniques and he knows when to use them. At the same time, Nolan also appears to like to work with the same actors time and time again.

Similar to what we did with Wes Anderson’s go-to stars following the release of Asteroid City, today we’re going to break down 12 actors who show up in the most Christopher Nolan movies. With easy guesses and surprises alike, there’s a lot to go over, so let’s break down the director’s most prolific on-screen collaborators. 

Michael Caine - 8 Movies

Though Michael Caine does not appear in Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan told CinemaBlend’s ReelBlend podcast that he was with the production in spirit before saying he and the two-time Academy Award winner have “had the most wonderful collaboration” over the years.

Together, Nolan and Caine have collaborated eight times over the course of the past 18 years. This started with the actor’s iconic portrayal of Alfred Pennyworth in Batman Begins (he would return for The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises), continued with The Prestige, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Tenet. 

Cillian Murphy - 6 Movies

Having first entered each other’s orbits when Cillian Murphy auditioned for Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, the actor-director duo have worked together a staggering six times, putting the versatile actor just two movies behind the legendary Michael Caine.

Prior to landing the lead role in Oppenheimer, some of Murphy’s best performances have been in Nolan’s movies like the Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, and Dunkirk, his take on a shell-shocked WWII soldier in the 2017 all-time great military drama being one of the most harrowing of his career. 

Russ Fega - 5 Movies 

The first pair of names on this list are two of the most well-known actors in Hollywood. Though Russ Fega might not be as recognizable as Caine or Murphy, the Hollywood location manager and occasional actor has more appearances in Christopher Nolan movies than just about anyone else.

Starting with his appearance in the Memento cast, Fega has popped up in five of Nolan’s movies, including The Prestige, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, and Interstellar. 

Christian Bale - 4 Movies

Christian Bale, who has worked with Christopher Nolan since first falling for the director’s vision for Batman Begins, has appeared in a total of four Christopher Nolan movies throughout his career.

After appearing in the 2005 superhero origin story, Bale gave an incredible performance in The Prestige, which he followed up with The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. Interestingly enough, Bale hasn’t appeared in a Nolan movie in more than a decade, but hopefully that changes whenever the auteur starts planning out his next film. 

John Nolan - 4 Movies

John Nolan, not to be confused with Christopher Nolan’s brother and collaborator Jonathan, has appeared in just as many of his nephew’s movies as actors like Christian Bale and Gary Oldman (more on him next).

After landing a small role as a police officer in Christopher Nolan’s directorial debut, Following, in 1998, John Nolan would go on to land the role of Wayne Enterprises board member Douglas Fredericks in Batman Begins (he would reprise the role in The Dark Knight Rises) and then later on as a blind man in Dunkirk. 

Gary Oldman - 4 Movies

One of the dozens of Hollywood stars in the Oppenheimer cast, Gary Oldman, who plays U.S. President Harry S. Truman in a heated scene with Cillian Murphy’s titular character, has worked with Christopher Nolan a total of four times over the course of his career.

Prior to landing the brief yet impactful role in the 2023 book-to-screen adaptation, Oldman famously played Jim Gordon as “a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a young boy’s shoulders to let him know that the world hadn’t ended” in Batman Begins, the Gotham PD commissioner in The Dark Knight Rises, and a guilt-stricken cop in The Dark Knight Rises. 

Kenneth Branagh - 3 Movies

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Kenneth Branagh is another actor that Christopher Nolan has brought in for his movies more than once, as the Belfast writer and director has appeared in all three of Nolan’s most recent films in varying capacities.

From his stoic portrayal of Commander Bolton in Dunkirk, to his time-jumping villain Andrei Sator in Tenet to physicist Niels Bohr in Oppenheimer, Branagh has become one of Nolan’s go-to actors, and hopefully that trend continues.

Morgan Freeman - 3 Movies

Morgan Freeman is another actor who’s appeared in three Christopher Nolan movies, and unlike the rest of the list, all three are in the same franchise. 

From 2005 to 2012, Freeman portrayed Wayne Enterprises Executive Vice President Lucius Fox, a.k.a., one of Bruce Wayne’s closest confidants in Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises. 

Tom Hardy - 3 Movies

If you were to look at the list of Tom Hardy’s must-watch movies, some of the titles near the top would all be collaborations with Christopher Nolan. In fact, one of the roles that started Hardy’s ascent was that of Eames in Inception.

Since then, he’s portrayed Bane in The Dark Knight Rises and Farrier in Dunkirk, bringing his total to three movies, even if his face was largely obscured throughout the latter two roles.

Larry Holden - 3 Movies

Larry Holden was a prominent player in some of Christopher Nolan’s earlier work and appeared in three movies in a row for the director in the early 2000s. From his portrayal of the drug dealer Jimmy in Memento to a cop named Farrell in Insomnia to Gotham City District Attorney Carl Finch in Batman Begins, he was one of Nolan’s go-to guys.

Sadly, Holden passed away at the age of 49 in 2011 after a battle with cancer, according to his obituary.  

Josh Stewart - 3 Movies

Josh Stewart has been a part of three Christopher Nolan movies throughout his career, but only physically appeared in one of those. You will probably recognize him from his portrayal of Bane’s right-hand man, Barsad, in The Dark Knight Rises, the first of three collaborations with the filmmaker.

Stewart provided the voice of CASE, one of the four robots that assisted Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) and his team in Interstellar, which he followed up with another vocal role in Tenet. 

Jeremy Theobald - 3 Movies

And then there is Jeremy Theobald, whose work with Christopher Nolan goes back to the director’s earliest productions. This includes the lead role in the director’s film debut, Following, a small part as a Gotham City worker in Batman Begins, and a brief appearance in Tenet.

It should also be noted that Theobald also appeared in Nolan’s first two short films – 1996’s Larceny and Doodlebug – prior to working with him on feature films. 

These are just the actors who have appeared in three or more of Christopher Nolan’s movies over the years, as Anne Hathaway, Tom Conti, Matthew Modine, Casey Affleck, David Dastmalchian, and multiple others have appeared in two of his previous efforts. If you want to go back and watch all of these actors’ performances, you can do that right now by checking our breakdown of how to watch Christopher Nolan’s movies streaming. 

While Daniel Radcliffe, Tom Felton, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and the other kids of the Harry Potter movies led the series, they were supported by some of the greatest actors of all time. From the late Robbie Coltrane to Ralph Fiennes, Maggie Smith and Helena Bonham Carter, the list of prestigious and phenomenal actors the young stars worked with is endless. However, one of the actors Radcliffe and the other younger stars really adored was Gary Oldman, who played Sirius Black, and Felton has revealed that he and some of the cast were jealous of the bond between Radcliffe and Oldman. 

In his new memoir, Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard, Felton dives into his life before, after and during the franchise that changed it. He gets candid about addiction and going to rehab, as well as his relationships with his costars. In an excerpt from his book (via Insider), he wrote about what it was like when Oldman came onto the set, and how he and the others were a bit “jealous” of the relationship between the Harry Potter and Sirius Black actors. He said: 

In the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary (which you can watch with an HBO Max subscription) Radcliffe discussed how nervous he was to meet Oldman. Watson also told a cute story about him being so nervous to meet the older actor that he told her they all had to act cool when he got to set. When I was watching the bit between Oldman and Radcliffe it seemed clear just how much he adores and looks up to the older actor. Due to the characters' close relationship in the third, fourth and fifth installments, it makes sense why the two became so close, and why Felton wrote about being a bit jealous of their relationship. 

While Felton explained that he was a bit envious of Radcliffe and Oldman, he has also noted that he loves the Harry Potter actor “dearly.” He said he would “consider him a brother.” The Draco actor also said that he really admires Radcliffe's work ethic and how he led the Potter films. 

As for Oldman, it seems like a lot of the younger stars really looked up to him, and that makes a lot of sense. While Felton mistook him for a cleaner on set one day, he noted that for such a successful actor he’s “unassuming and down-to-earth.”  Before and after Harry Potter, Oldman starred in some incredible films and has transformed himself for many of them, including Sirius Black. From Dracula to Darkest Hour to The Dark Knight, and then you add in that he’s just a nice guy, it makes sense why these actors were starstruck by Oldman and sought his mentorship. 

Radcliffe and Felton have gone on to have successful careers post-Potter, and it's cool to know how much they looked up to and were mentored by the stunning actors they worked alongside in the eight Harry Potter movies. 

Over the course of 10 years and eight movies the Harry Potter franchise found a role, big or small, for basically every living British actor. It’s a who’s who of the greats, but apparently, many of the biggest names to appear were so unassuming on the set that it would be easy to not realize they were massive stars. Tom Felton admits in his new book that’s exactly what happened when he first saw Gary Oldman on the set of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, when the young Draco thought the actor was a janitor.

In an excerpt from his new book Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard published by Insider, Tom Felton reveals that when he saw Gary Oldman on set, he apparently didn’t strike him as being one of the actors, and Felton assumed the fact he’d seen the man around frequently meant he was part of the cleaning staff. Felton explained…

Gary Oldman played Sirius Black in the third Harry Potter film, and returned for appearances in the next two films as well. Oldman was one of the bigger names to have appeared in the franchise. Daniel Radcliffe admitted that Oldman was the star he was most nervous about meeting while making the films.   

Felton had apparently been so sure the man was a cleaner that he made a passing comment to him about the cleanliness of the floors. He says Oldman looked at him confused and didn’t say anything. Needless to say, that when Tom Felton realized his mistake, he felt pretty silly, but he apparently did his best to play the whole thing off. He continues… 

To be fair to Tom Felton, not recognizing Gary Oldman in person probably isn’t that shocking. Oldman is one of those actors that tends to transform himself so much in a role that he can be literally unrecognizable. It would be easy to watch Gary Oldman in several of his most popular roles and not actually know what the man looks like when he’s not on screen. Still, pro tip for the future, unless you see somebody actually mopping the floor, maybe don’t assume they’re the janitor.  

There are long running movie franchises, and then there’s Star Wars. Generations of moviegoers grew up with the galaxy far, far away, and it’s a dream for even established actors to join a Star Wars movie. That includes the great Gary Oldman, but did he really voice a Star Wars character before George Lucas had to pull his performance?

There have been a few rumors about Gary Oldman’s possible roles in the Star Wars franchise, claiming he almost appeared in both the prequels and J.J. Abrams’ sequels. The acclaimed actor was recently asked by Josh Horowitz about these rumors on his podcast Happy Sad Confused, sharing the clip on Twitter. Oldman responded honestly saying:

Well, there you have it. It looks like we could have had Gary Oldman voicing the villainous General Grievous in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. What’s more, Oldman recorded the droid’s dialogue, but was ultimately removed from Episode II due to an issue with union rules. Talk about FOMO.

Gary Oldman’s comments confirmed a long standing rumor about his possible role in Star Wars. While he was indeed set to voice General Grievous was unable to do so since he was a union actor. Instead that role would end up going to sound editor Matthew Wood.

Not only did he record dialogue for General Grievous, but Gary Oldman actually worked with Star Wars visionary George Lucas to bring the character alive. During the same interview Oldman shared this tidbit of information, while also revealing that he was never up for a role in J.J. Abrams’ sequels. As he put it,

To be a fly on the wall during that recording session. Given Gary Oldmanm’s immense talents, he no doubt would have helped to make Grievous even more iconic. But in the end his performance never made it to the theatrical cut of either Episode II or Episode III. C’mon Lucas, release the unused audio!

The Star Wars franchise continues to expand on the small and silver screens, so perhaps Gary Oldman will get to finally have a role sometime in the future. Live-action shows are constantly being released on Disney+, while there are a few developing movie projects also in the works. Although we shouldn’t hold out hope of him ever stepping into the role of General Grievous; film voice actor Matthew Wood continues to voice him in projects like video games.

The next Star Wars movie expected to hit theaters is Taika Waitti’s project, although he’ll first be focusing on the release of Thor: Love and Thunder. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Slight spoilers ahead for the series premiere of Slow Horses.

Acting talent like Academy Award winner Gary Oldman is a good indication of a serious, grounded approach to anything thrown his way. Equally talented in understatement and bombast, the new series Slow Horses uses Oldman’s talents rather well, casting him as the “irascible” Jackson Lamb. Far from the usual air of authority his characters tend to contain, the latest title to join the library of Apple TV+ shows does allow Gary Oldman to subvert that notion in a fairly interesting way. Thanks to Jackson’s frequent usage of farts in his dealings with people, what would normally be a comedic beat is an important and frequent character trait. 

When we’re introduced to Slow Horses’ head of the dysfunctional spy group known as Slough House, Jackson Lamb is sleeping on his sofa. Awakening himself with a rather loud bout of flatulence, Gary Oldman’s character establishes his pattern for punctuating his world in foul nature. It's definitely a far cry from the stoic “sound detective” that Oldman played as Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, or even Oldman’s previous take on the world of espionage in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

That’s to be expected, as Slow Horses – adapted from author Mick Herron’s Slough House series of books – isn’t a super serious world of world-saving spies. Rather, executive producer and writer Will Smith’s cross between the intrigue of 24 and the deadpan/insult humor he helped make a hit on both The Thick Of It and Veep allows Jackson Lamb’s quirky trait to feel right at home. 

So much so that when I spoke with Gary Oldman and Jack Lowden on the press day for the Apple TV+ series, I had to ask how he approached moments like that. Ever game to answer, Oldman told CinemaBlend the following, with Lowden adding some fun color commentary to that response: 

Gary Olman: Well, you don’t…obviously you don’t physically conjure it up on cue. But, how do you play those scenes? Well, you kind of mime the, um…

Jack Lowden: …the little rise.

Oldman: The rise, you raise the cheek. 

Lowden: Like you’re on a boat.

Oldman: And then, of course, Kristen Scott Thomas will react, and do her thing of, ‘My God, you’re disgusting.’ And then I surrender it to the sound department.

Hitting the ground running is one of the series’ strong suits, as Apple TV+ subscribers were also introduced to Jack Lowden’s disgraced spy River Cartwright, just as he’s about to botch a huge training exercise. Thanks to personal contacts in the clandestine services, Cartwright manages to escape total expulsion at Slough House; though suffering under a gassy superior who prefers making people quit on their own isn’t exactly too much of an improvement.

One especially defiant act of flatulence comes in a scene where Oldman’s Jackson Lamb is having a clandestine meeting with his more elevated counterpart Diana Taverner (Kristen Scott Thomas), the “second desk” at MI5’s posh Regent’s Park headquarters. During a conversation in which Diana asks Jackson for some very specific favors, he purposely drops a disruptive cloud on the moment. 

In character, Diana’s reaction is one of intense disgust, just as Gary Oldman recalled above. However, one wouldn’t be mistaken for thinking that maybe this Slow Horses beat was a gut buster on set. Farts can be funny, especially when the process of acting one is as subtle but hilarious as previously described. 

Apparently, that wasn’t the case though, as Kristen Scott Thomas revealed she was able to soldier through the scene quite simply. Though what Thomas lacked in response to the farting pantomime of Gary Oldman, she made up for in actual knowledge of fartistry:

Twelve episodes in total are in the can for Slow Horses’ first season, and if the show’s picked up beyond Season 1, even more of Mick Herron’s Slough House saga will be brought to life. Whether or not the following chapters would be just as rotten in terms of Jackson Lamb’s respect towards authority is yet to be seen. However, that hasn’t stopped Jack Lowden and Gary Oldman from setting some lofty goals for the ever supportive sound department: 

Jack Lowden: If they don’t win an award for sound design…

Gary Oldman: BAFTA!

Lowden: And they can stand, because I want to see that team stood on stage, accepting an award for flatulence. Please can that happen!  

While audiences have no control over whether BAFTA voters honor Slow Horses or not, they do have the option to support the series. Currently, the first two episodes are available on Apple TV+, with subsequent episodes debuting every Friday for those spy fans looking for entertaining movies and TV shows in the genre of espionage. For the total rundown of upcoming premieres, that information is not classified and can be found rather handily with our 2022 TV schedule.

The Harry Potter franchise has been a key part of pop culture for years now, starting with J.K. Rowlings’ novels and growing into multiple movie properties. The stars of the eight-film adaptation grew up before the fandom’s eyes, especially the Boy Who Lived himself, Daniel Radcliffe. And now the Lost City actor has named the amazing Harry Potter actors he credits with influencing his acting career.

After wrapping his time in the Wizarding World, Daniel Radcliffe has stayed super active with unique projects on film, television, and the stage. The 32-year old actor has become a true renaissance man, rather than being typecast due to his years as Harry Potter. And it turns out that some of his magical co-stars influenced the way he approaches jobs. As he told People during a recent interview,

Actor Daniel Radcliffe went from a child actor to a grown performer throughout the Harry Potter movies, and he definitely learned a ton of lessons along the way. And on top of honing his craft as a storyteller, he also learned to not take himself too seriously on set. Because if the adult cast of the franchise was able to have fun, why shouldn’t he?

Daniel Radcliffe’s comments about his experience as Harry Potter come from a recent conversation with People about the new movie The Lost City. He cites a few of the stellar actors who played the adults in the Wizarding World throughout the eight-movie franchise. Specifically he mentions Dumbledore actor Michael Gambon, who apparently was super light hearted on the set. Radcliffe also name drops Gary Oldman, who he’s been open about having a strong relationship with throughout filming. Besides, who doesn’t want to emulate such an acclaimed performer?

In his same interview, Daniel Radcliffe also name-dropped a few more iconic talents who starred in the Harry Potter franchise. The great Imelda Staunton was a pitch perfect Dolores Umbrage, appearing a number of times throughout the series. Then there’s David Thewlis, who brought Remus Lupin to life starting with The Prisoner of Azkaban. Radcliffe previously revealed the crush he had on Helena Bonham Carter as a kid. The cast of the beloved franchise was truly outstanding, and the adults on set no doubt influenced other cast members besides Radcliffe.

Daniel Radcliffe recently reunited with the cast of the Wizarding World during Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, which broke the internet upon its release on HBO Max. Of course, some fans are hoping to see him and the rest of the cast back on the big screen in an adaptation of The Cursed Child. Although it’s unclear if that’ll ever happen.

The magical property returns to theaters with Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore on April 6th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Jeffrey Wright made history as soon as he joined The Batman cast as James “Jim” Gordon, becoming the first Black actor to ever play the trusted Gotham City cop (most commonly referred to in comics and DC movies as the city’s Police Commissioner). Of course, each of the previous portrayals of this unmasked ally of the Dark Knight from various comic book adaptations are special and important in their owns ways, but only a chosen few have stood out to true Batfans. 

As a Batfan myself, I thought I would share my picks for the all-time best James Gordon depictions in Batman movies and TV shows we have seen so far. So, let’s flip on the Batsignal and start things off with a portrayal that surely no list of this kind would be complete without.

Neil Hamilton (Batman, Batman: The Movie)

I will admit, I would call Neil Hamilton’s overly cheery, occasionally fourth wall-breaking performance as Commissioner Gordon in the 1960s Batman TV series and theatrical spin-off one of the cheesiest and least badass depictions of the character to ever grace the screen. However, not only does the portrayal perfectly match the fun, campy tone of the series, it also shows a winningly authentic reflection of the mutual trust and admiration between Jim and the Caped Crusader (Adam West), which is key to their dynamic.

Bob Hastings (Batman: The Animated Series)

One show that captures the relationship between Jim Gordon and Bruce Wayne’s alter ego perfectly is Batman: The Animated Series, in which Bob Hastings and Kevin Conroy voiced the respective roles, in addition to doing so in a few feature-length spin-offs. Amid the Emmy-winning cartoon’s earnest storylines, Hastings - who previously voiced Superboy in some 1960s animated DC TV shows - brought a certain optimistic charm to the character that remains refreshingly unique in any medium.

Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight Trilogy)

As far as I am concerned, no live-action Batman movies so far have ever nailed the Jim Gordon/Batman dynamic nearly as well as the Dark Knight Trilogy, which traces the incorruptible cop’s rise from Gotham City police detective to Commissioner as Bruce Wayne begins his own war on crime. The chemistry between future Academy Award winners Gary Oldman (as Gordon) and Christian Bale (as Batman) as they discreetly join forces amid criticisms of the vigilante's methods is key to the lasting impact of director Christopher Nolan’s grounded take on the comic.

Ben McKenzie (Gotham)

A flashback in 2005’s Batman Begins reveals how Jim Gordon came to know young Bruce Wayne years before unwittingly forming an alliance with his alter ego, which is also, essentially, the basis of Fox’s hit prequel series. Former The O.C. star Ben McKenzie does an excellent job leading the Gotham cast as a younger Gordon hoping to make a difference in the titular, crime-ridden metropolis after joining the police force around the same time as Thomas and Martha Wayne’s untimely murder.

Bryan Cranston (Batman: Year One)

Ben McKenzie is actually one of the few Jim Gordon actors who have also had the honor of playing another Gotham city character: Batman, whom he voiced in 2011’s brilliant animated DC movie, Batman: Year One - based on Frank Miller’s 1986 reinterpretation of the Dark Knight’s origin. However, the true star of this gritty noir is Emmy winner Bryan Cranston, who voices a version of Gordon that is traditionally good-natured and courageous, but willing to bend the rules to show his new, crooked GCPD colleagues that he is not one to be messed with.

Ray Wise (Batman: The Killing Joke)

Batman: Year One is also keen to show that Jim Gordon is still prone to vulnerability, but he has rarely been so vulnerable as in Alan Moore’s groundbreaking one-shot Batman: The Killing Joke. In 2016’s animated adaptation, Twin Peaks cast member Ray Wise voices the Commissioner, whom Joker (Mark Hamill) nearly drives to his breaking point with a torturous psychological experiment that involves shooting and paralyzing his daughter, Barbara (Tara Strong). Luckily, he is, at least, still strong enough by the end to urge Batman (Kevin Conroy) to defeat the Clown Prince of Crime “by the book.”

Christopher Meloni (Harley Quinn)

Very little about Christopher Meloni’s performance as Jim Gordon on HBO Max’s animated Harley Quinn series is “by the book,” but it is certainly a welcome and irresistibly hilarious departure at that. This commissioner is far past his breaking point and resorts to using the Batsignal just to vent his marital woes to Batman (Diedrich Bader), who must be the one to reiterate the importance of the rules to his ally this time around. In any other instance, I’d be offended by the idea of a Gordon who has grown numb to Gotham’s endless crimewave, but it is handled with such clever wit and empathy that I have nothing but praise for it.

J.K. Simmons (Zack Snyder’s Justice League)

Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons has the honor of starring in both Marvel movies (as a pitch-perfect J. Jonah Jameson) and (technically two) DC movies as Jim Gordon, who really does seem like old friends with Ben Affleck’s Batman in the sole scene they share. For a while, fans assumed that his appearance in Zack Snyder’s Justice League (the preferred version) would be the last we saw of him as the commissioner, until the exciting announcement that he will reprise the role in the upcoming Batgirl movie for HBO Max.

I would like to also give an honorable mention to Pat Hingle for his solid performance in Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher’s Batman movies as the version of Jim Gordon that I, and surely many others, first became associated with growing up. Yet, in retrospect, the character is not painted in the most flattering or accurate light in those films, which also portray him and Michael Keaton’s Batman as no more than workplace acquaintances, which is why I chose to leave him off this list. Of course, at the end of the day, each and every iteration of Gotham’s commissioner is still worth honoring as one of the many stages in his enduring legacy.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since the last of the Harry Potter movies was released. The franchise was such a part of our lives for a decade that it feels like it hasn’t been nearly that long. And yet, it’s been long enough that a reunion special is in order. And we know at least two of the names that will be involved, as Tom Felton is apparently sharing a trailer with Gary Oldman.

Draco Malfoy himself shared a picture to Instagram from behind the scenes of the upcoming Harry Potter reunion special that will air on HBO Max. It’s just a simply show of a pair of doors, but it shows that Felton will be neighbors with Gary Oldman for the duration of the shoot. 

Gary Oldman played Sirius Black in the Harry Potter movies, which means he and Draco Malfoy were largely on opposite sides for the majority of the franchise. I’m assuming they’ll be able to get along for this production. 

There have been few attempts in entertainment to do anything quite like what the Harry Potter movies did. Eight movies were filmed in such quick succession that we saw the cast grow up from kids into young adults before our eyes. Considering the epic undertaking that was the movies (and the popularity of the books that inspired them) it’s little shock people still have such an attachment to them. Specifically, the kind that makes a reunion special very exciting for fans.

The reunion special should be something that both the fans and the actors should really enjoy. While we know that many of the stars of the Harry Potter movies have kept in touch since the movies wrapped up, it has almost certainly been a long time since a large number of them have been in one place.

It will be interesting to see what the different members of the Harry Potter cast think about the movies and the work 10 years later. Tom Felton was there from the very beginning and grew up along the way just like Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. Actors like Gary Oldman didn’t come along until later, and were used only sparingly. Oldman's major role was in the third film, and he appeared in only a few cameos after that. They likely have very different perspectives that will be interesting to contrast.

The reunion special is filming now but the turnaround is going to be quick so fans won’t have to wait too long to see these stars together again. The special will hit HBO Max on New Year’s Day. This will certainly make 2022 a Happy New Year for a lot of Harry Potter fans.

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Ever since J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels arrived, the Wizarding World has remained tied to pop culture. The eight-film franchise also helped to cement this legacy, with actors like Daniel Radcliffe growing up before our eyes. Radcliffe recently confirmed which Harry Potter movie is his favorite, and it’s not what I would have guessed.

Daniel Radcliffe has grown into a respected grown-up actor, but obviously his name is synonymous with the Harry Potter films. Like much of the cast he doesn’t re-watch the blockbusters, but his favorite movie from the bunch might take some fans off guard. As he put it,

What a shocker. Because while Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix isn’t necessarily a fan favorite installment of the film franchise, Daniel Radcliffe loved working on it. Namely because he got more scenes with the legendary Gary Oldman as Sirius Black.

Daniel Radcliffe’s comments come from a video he shot for Wired. Obviously his tenure as Harry Potter was part of the conversation, with Radcliffe revealing his favorite installment from the beloved film adaptations. It turns out Order of the Phoenix was his favorite to shoot, while watching The Deathly Hallows - Part 2 was a fun theatrical experience.

The entire Harry Potter franchise is currently available on HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix featured the title character in one of his darkest places. In both the novel and film Harry is full of angst after the resurrection of Voldemort, and it's a stark juxtaposition to the fun of The Goblet of Fire’s Triwizard Tournament. But despite this, Daniel Radcliffe seems to have really enjoyed his time on set, particularly in sequences shared with Gary Oldman.

As for his favorite movie to watch, Daniel Radcliffe listed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2. J.K. Rowling’s final novel was split into two movies to properly cover the story, and the final chapter was largely set during the Battle of Hogwarts. It’s likely for all the action and closure that Radcliffe enjoyed watching the final installment in the franchise. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if he only saw the full theatrical cut once.

The Harry Potter franchise continues to expand thanks to the Fantastic Beasts movies. Be sure to check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Daniel Radcliffe is one of the most recognizable stars in all of Hollywood. The actor, of course, made a name for himself through his role as the titular wizard in the Harry Potter franchise. Given the massive fanbase he’s amassed, many would probably be starstruck by the mere sight of him. But as it so happens, Radcliffe once found himself somewhat flustered while working with one of his Potter co-stars and, honestly, I can’t blame him at all.

With the 20th anniversary of the first Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone coming later this year, Daniel Radcliffe has been reflecting on his time within the iconic franchise. The actor recently appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and discussed some of the incredible actors he was able to work with. While Radcliffe explained that he wasn’t really intimidated by his co-stars as a child, he did reveal the one Oscar winner that did amaze him:

Gary Oldman is an incredibly prolific actor and already had quite the resume when he joined the Wizarding World in 2004’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. So it’s totally understandable that a young Daniel Radcliffe would be somewhat in awe of the celebrated performer. The situation was probably even more tense at the start because Radcliffe shared some key scenes with Oldman.

In the Harry Potter film series, Gary Oldman played the role of Sirius Black, a longtime resident of Azkaban prison who was accused of selling out James (his best friend) and Lily Potter’s hiding place to Lord Voldemort. This was later proven to be false and Sirius eventually formed a close relationship with Harry, his godson. Though Black was killed off during the third actor of 2007’s Order of the Phoenix, he did return for a brief appearance in the franchise capper, Deathly Hallows - Part 2.

While Daniel Radcliffe may not have been intimidated by most of his co-stars, the same can’t be said for some of his fellow Harry Potter alums. Draco Malfoy actor Tom Felton, who never hesitates to share a sweet memory from the set, recalled being overwhelmed at the thought of working with the late, great Alan Rickman. And Evanna Lynch, who played fan-favorite Luna Lovegood, actually admitted to being nervous about acting with Radcliffe himself as well as Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.

In Daniel Radcliffe’s defense, he totally held his own acting opposite Gary Oldman in Prisoner of Azkaban, and their interactions honestly only improved as the series progressed. You’d expect nothing less from two talented stars and, hopefully, we’ll get to see the two team up again for another project in the near future.

Check out Daniel Radcliffe and Gary Oldman’s work by streaming all eight Harry Potter films on Peacock.

For people of a certain age, there are few ‘90s action movies that are as beloved as Wolfgang Petersen’s 1997 political action thriller Air Force One, which just so happened to feature one of the best Harrison Ford characters of the decade and his career. Outside of Ford, with his portrayal of United States President James Marshall, and Gary Oldman as Egor Korshunov, the leader of a Kazakh ultranationalist terrorist group, the rest of the Air Force One cast is a list that is long as it as is impressive.

From Glenn Close’s portrayal of Vice President Kathryn Bennett to William H. Macy’s Major Norman Caldwell, the list goes on and on, all the way down to smaller supporting characters with only a few brief moments of screen time. No matter how long they were on screen or what they did with the time they had, each of these members the cast played an important role, and for the most part, have continued to so since then. Here’s what the Air Force One cast has been up to all these years.

Harrison Ford (President James Marshall)

Even though Air Force One came out around the time Harrison Ford was celebrating his 30th year in Hollywood, the man known to some as Han Solo and Indiana Jones to others hasn’t really slowed down all that much and continues to give excellent performances in a variety of roles. In the 24 years since he portrayed President James Marshall, Ford has returned to his two most popular characters and franchises — Star Wars and Indiana Jones — with neither time nor injuries slowing him down one bit. Speaking of Ford’s iconic and dashing archeologist, he will return to the character once more in the upcoming Indiana Jones 5 in July 2022.

Gary Oldman (Egor Korshunov)

There are few actors who play a better villain than Gary Oldman, and one of the Academy Award winner’s best is Egor Korshunov from Air Force One. Since taking on the role of the ruthless leader of the band of terrorists who hijack the most heavily-fortified plane in the world, Oldman’s career has continued to be one of the most impressive (and versatile) in show business. With iconic performances as Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour (which won him an Oscar), and Herman J. Mankiewicz in Mank, Oldman has continued to be one of the best actors around.

Glenn Close (Vice President Kathryn Bennett)

Although she’s not on the plane in Air Force One, Glenn Close’s Vice President Kathryn Bennett plays a key role in action thriller, serving as the second-in-command and biggest supporter of President James Marshall. Since portraying the strong and resolute character that added a level of realism to a subplot involving the presidential line of succession, Close has gone to win three Golden Globes, two Primetime Emmys, and multiple Academy Award nominations, her most recent being for the 2020 Netflix drama Hillbilly Elegy.

William H. Macy (Major Norman Caldwell)

William H. Macy was on quite a tear when he joined the Air Force One cast as Major Norman Caldwell in the 1997 political thriller and his momentum just kept going after that with Boogie Nights and Wag the Dog both coming out by the end of that year. Since then, Macy has continued to be one of the most prolific actors in film and television with his most notable role being that of Frank Gallagher on the hit Showtime series Shameless which concluded its 11-season run in early 2021. Prior to the show’s conclusion, Macy was honored with three Screen Actors Guild Awards and received five consecutive Primetime Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nods.

Wendy Crewson (First Lady Grace Marshall)

Since playing First Lady Grace Marshall, a character who never loses her cool despite the circumstances, Wendy Crewson has gone on to become a staple in the world of television, having portrayed recurring characters on 24 and Revenge as well as dozens of made-for-TV movies. The actress, who some may remember from The Santa Clause and its sequels, most recently appeared on an episode of The CW’s Superman & Lois.

Liesel Matthews (First Daughter Grace Marshall)

Liesel Matthews (real name: Liesel Pritzker Simmons) only appeared in three movies in her brief acting career: A Little Princess in 1995, Air Force One in 1997, and Blast in 2000. Since leaving acting behind, the member of the wealthy Pritzker family has gone on to become a driving force in the world of impact investing (investments that have beneficial social and ecological impacts in addition to generating revenue) and even founded the Blue Haven Initiative in 2012.

Philip Baker Hall (Attorney General Andrew Ward)

Philip Baker Hall is briefly featured in Air Force One as Attorney General Andrew Ward, but he makes the most of his time, especially when settling a dispute between the Marshall Administration. Since being the voice of reason in the political thriller, Hall has gone on to be in some of the most important films of the final years of the 20th Century and early 21st Century, including The Truman Show, Magnolia, Zodiac, and Argo, as well TV shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Modern Family, and BoJack Horseman. His most recent performance was on the Netflix series Messiah, which lasted only one season on the streamer.

Paul Guilfoyle (White House Chief Of Staff Lloyd Shepherd)

In addition to playing White House Chief of Staff Lloyd Shepherd in Air Force One, Paul Guilfoyle was in two other memorable 1997 movies: L.A. Confidential and Amistad. Guilfoyle would go on to appear in several other late ‘90s gems including Primary Colors and Random Hearts. The dawn of the 21st Century led to Guilfoyle’s most notable role, that of Captain James Brass on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation from 2000 to 2014. Guilfoyle is set to reprise his role on the upcoming CSI: Vegas. He will also appear in the Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up.

Dean Stockwell (Defense Secretary Walter Dean)

Dean Stockwell, who appeared in everything from Paris, Texas to Dune before joining the Air Force One cast as Defense Secretary Walter Dean, retired from acting following a 2015 stroke, but finished his 70-year career with appearances on multiple shows throughout the early 2000s including Battlestar Galactica, CSI: New Orleans (where he reunited with his Quantum Leap co-star Scott Bakula, and Stargate SG-1.

Xander Berkeley (Secret Service Special Agent Gibbs)

Secret Service Special Agent Gibbs, aka the mole, aka the man who goes down with the plane in Air Force One, is played by Xander Berkeley. In the years following the release of the 1997 summer blockbuster, Berkeley has gone on to appear in everything from Taken to Kick-Ass and Transcendence to Solace. Over on the television side of things, Berkeley has recently appeared in small one-off roles on shows like FBI: Most Wanted, Bull, and Supergirl, as well as a 13-episode run as Gregory on The Walking Dead.

Elya Baskin (Andrei Kolchak)

Elya Baskin played Andrei Kolchak, the hijacker who actually knew how to fly the plane in Air Force One, and has gone on to have a rather successful career in film and television. In addition to notable film roles like Peter Parker’s landlord Mr. Ditkovich in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3, Anatoly Dobrynin in Thirteen Days, and Cosmonaut Dimitri in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Baskin has also appeared on shows like The West Wing, Criminal Minds, and the upcoming Stranger Things Season 4.

Andrew Divoff (Boris Bazylev)

Andrew Divoff takes on the role of Boris Bazylev, one of the hijackers in Air Force One. Already an established actor with a track record of villainous roles in Another 48 Hours and Toy Soldiers, Divoff followed up the 1997 thriller with a performance in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Lockdown, and most recently Vault. Divoff has also appeared on a number of TV shows over the years, including Lost, The Blacklist, and Perry Mason.

Tom Everett (National Security Advisor Jack Doherty)

One of the members of the Air Force One cast who also a member of the xXx cast, Tom Everett took on the role National Security Advisor Jack Doherty, who stood up to the hijackers even if it guaranteed he wouldn’t get off the plane alive. In addition to the aforementioned xXx, Everett also went on to appear in Thirteen Days, Pearl Harbor, and The Alamo in the years following the release of the 1997 summer action flick. In recent years, Everett has transitioned to television with appearances on Helstrom, Criminal Minds, 24, and several other programs.

Jürgen Prochnow (General Ivan Radek)

Jürgen Prochnow portrays General Ivan Radek, the man responsible for the events of Air Force One. In the past 24 years, Prochnow has appeared in movies like Wing Commander and House of the Dead as well as shows like 24, Luck, and NCIS: Los Angeles.

J.A. Preston (Major General Samuel Greely)

J.A. Preston shows up in Air Force One as Major General Samuel Greely, one of the few military officers who isn’t willing to count President James Marshall out. Following the film’s release, Preston only appeared in a handful of movies and TV shows with his final on-screen appearance being in 2006’s Sweet Deadly Dreams. Preston’s earlier movies include A Few Good Men, Body Heat, and Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins.

This is just a small portion of the insanely deep Air Force One cast. If we included every single actor who appeared in the 1997 summer blockbuster, we would be here until all the upcoming 2022 movies were already out on Blu-ray.

There are many different philosophies in the movie world when it comes to the number of takes that are generally taken for a scene. Some directors, like Clint Eastwood, typically never ask for more than one or two; but others, like Stanley Kubrick, will get into the triple digits if they feel its necessary. David Fincher is a filmmaker who is famously in the latter camp, and apparently it created a bit of tension on the set of his latest feature, Mank.

Charles Dance, who plays notorious media mogul William Randolph Hearst in the Netflix film, recently spoke to Total Film about his experience working with David Fincher on the project, and he recalled a particular day when there was some friction created between the director and star Gary Oldman. The cast and crew were shooting a scene that is crucial to the climax of the story, with Oldman's Herman J. Mankiewicz crashing a dinner party hosted by Hearst, and at one point the Oscar winner seemed to hit a point of exhaustion. Said Dance,

The scene in question here is a big one for Gary Oldman, as Mankiewicz drunkenly stumbles around a room while pitching an idea for what is essentially a rough draft of Citizen Kane. It must have been a ridiculous challenge for the actor, as it can be hard to do normal things ad nauseam let alone something as incredibly hard as delivering a pages-long monologue.

Of course, the other side of the coin is that David Fincher is a perfectionist who demands the most out of the details of his movies, and getting what he wants means asking for a lot out of his performers. This also wasn't a methodology special to the making of Mank, as Fincher has a long-standing reputation of massive take counts on his projects.

Amanda Seyfried, who plays actress Marion Davies in Mank, has previously spoken about doing takes upwards of 200 times in the making of the movie, and she reiterated her sentiments to Total Film expressing how difficult hte production was. Said Seyfried,

Doing all of the hard work only to discover that the movie is bad surely would have seriously stung, but fortunately that is not the case. Instead, Mank is actually one of the best films that David Fincher has ever made, and truly every contribution to the movie is phenomenal. And the aforementioned dinner party scene? It's arguably the greatest in the whole piece.

Mank is arriving in theaters for a limited release starting this weekend, and in a few weeks it will be launching exclusively on Netflix (on December 4 to be specific). Given that it's one of the best movies of 2020, you can expect us here at CinemaBlend to be discussing it quite a lot in the coming weeks and months, so get excited!

Citizen Kane is far more than just the story about the rise and vast emptiness of fictional tycoon Charles Foster Kane. Like any film considered one of the greatest of all time, its legend goes far beyond what’s projected on the screen, with the efforts leading to its creation and its immense pop culture impact both adding to its magnitude. In totality, it’s a remarkable work of courage and rebellion from its creators, who put everything on the line to make it a reality. But while the name that immediately conjures in the mind in this discussion is Orson Welles, not to be ever forgotten or dismissed is the contribution of Herman J. Mankiewicz.

David Fincher’s Mank is an exercise in ensuring that never happens, and it’s a phenomenal success. The film is equal parts biopic and cinematic homage, and while both those approaches come respectively with the risk of getting lost in love for the subject, the needle is threaded in such a way that makes it both a fantastic original and key supplemental material. It only enhances one’s appreciation of the genius 1941 movie at the center of its plot, while also unfolding a tremendous tale about one of old Hollywood’s unique characters.

In meta fashion, there is a history to Mank’s script, which was first written in the 1990s and penned by David Fincher’s father Jack Fincher – who passed away in 2003. Rather than being in any way dated, however, the film is arguably even more relevant today, which is both a tribute to the timelessness of Citizen Kane, and because of its subject’s bold politics.

We’re introduced to Herman Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) in the middle of the action, with the Hollywood veteran having agreed to use his recuperation time following a car accident to take on a new project for writer/director/producer Orson Welles (Tom Burke). The young upstart filmmaker has been given the unprecedented opportunity to make his feature debut with zero restrictions or limitations to his vision, and Mank, who is recognized by the industry as a washed-up drunk, has been tasked with producing a first draft of the screenplay in 60 days – though only being hired as a script doctor, he knows he won’t see get an official credit.

He spends his bedridden days scribbling and reciting pages to hired typist Rita Alexander (Lily Collins) while both struggling through his vices and against a hard deadline. As Citizen Kane – originally titled American – is born, flashbacks take us back in time to the 1930s and divulge personal experience that motivates what he puts on the page, particularly his relationships with MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer (Arliss Howard), actress Marion Davies (Amanda Seyfried), and notorious newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst (Charles Dance).

Mank’s homage runs deep, including both aesthetics and story structure.

David Fincher’s insistence on shooting in black-and-white was the sticking point that stopped Mank from originally being made twenty-plus years ago, and in retrospect the director was absolutely right to stick to his guns. The style opens the doors to all varieties of callbacks to the specific and memorable aesthetics of Citizen Kane, instantly making you fall back into the time period. Some shots are overt references – such as a passed-out Mank dropping a bottle recalling Charles Foster Kane dropping his snow globe – but mostly it’s about hints and dashes, including an abundant use of deep focus in the cinematography, and composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross building the score with only era-specific instruments. And while he shot the movie in digital, Fincher also takes the step to bring cigarette burns to the Netflix experience, with blips in the top right corner suggesting employees of the streaming service are swapping film reels as you watch.

An extension of the protagonist’s profession in the visuals, Mank sets up each of its flashbacks with a timestamp in the form of a typed scene heading identifying the year and location – which in turn highlights another smart way the film brings back the style of Citizen Kane: through the storytelling. It’s not a direct comparison, but Fincher’s film explores the life and times of Herman Mankiewicz with the exact same kind of non-linear narrative that the screenwriter used to tell the story of Charles Foster Kane, and does so with the same efficiency and enthrallment. Altogether, it paints a fascinating portrait of a fascinating man.

The story provides an in-depth glimpse into 1930s/1940s Hollywood, but Mank’s scope far greater than that.

On that note, to simply say that Mank is about old Hollywood and the making of Citizen Kane is reductive and inaccurate. It would be the equivalent of saying that the 1941 classic is solely about how Charles Foster Kane built a business empire. It certainly isn’t shy about identifying the 1941 movie as Mankiewicz’s greatest work, but what David and Jack Fincher have really made is a film about a remarkable individual. At first blush there is the impression that he is a fool – a damaged alcoholic who flirts too much and makes ridiculous, irresponsible bets – but that’s counterbalanced with the revelations that he is always the smartest man in the room, and never willing to keep a controversial thought to himself, regardless of the company he’s keeping.

During a time in America when the ruling class was content to turn a blind eye to the rise of Adolph Hitler in Germany, Mank confronts and castigates the likes of Louis B. Mayer and William Randolph Hearst in public with zero fear of repercussion. When writer Upton Sinclair makes a go at bringing progressive values to California by running for governor, the protagonist doesn’t blink in his support, and actively rebels against MGM support of incumbent Frank Merriam. Ultimately his independent streak threatens his livelihood, but, of course, it’s because of the man that he is and the incredible morals he possesses that he can help create of the greatest films ever made.

Gary Oldman is phenomenal, and David Fincher surrounds him with a stellar ensemble.

Jack Fincher’s script is brilliant, both in structure and detail (the wit is sharp enough at times to bring down a redwood), and a perfect cast has been brought together to bring it to life, with Gary Oldman in particular delivering one of the greatest performances of his career – which is a statement that should be taken with extreme weight given that he is just three years removed from his remarkable, Oscar-winning transformation into Winston Churchill for Joe Wright's Darkest Hour. Beyond his ability to vanish into the role, Oldman hits all of the notes of the character at the right pitch to make them sing and have Mankiewicz come across as the engaging, complicated man he was. From hurt to boisterous, his touch is perfect.

With David Fincher opting not to go the A-list ensemble route, Gary Oldman is surrounded in the film by primarily character actor talent, and not only does that serve to make the world of the movie all the more immersive, but also creates the opportunity for surprises. Anyone who has ever seen him act knows that Charles Dance can effortlessly project a sinister and foreboding energy (and he certainly makes William Randolph Hearst an intimidating figure), but smart use of Tom Burke’s Orson Welles is made, as he becomes an intense, shadowy figure; Arliss Howard makes an audacious, loathsome Louis B. Mayer; and Amanda Seyfried is a wonderful scene-stealer. Her Brooklyn-tinged charm is effortless, and a wonderful complexity is provided in the realization that Marion Davies, who was Hearst’s mistress, was partial inspiration for the tragic Susan Alexander Kane in Citizen Kane.

Mank deliberately puts itself in the footsteps of a pop culture giant and at every turn invites comparison to Citizen Kane – and that boldness is executed with a stunning vision that through-and-through makes it a joyful cinematic experience. It’s as smart as it is beautiful, and as captivating as it is enlightening. It’s one of David Fincher’s finest works, and unquestionably one of the best of 2020.

Long before it showed off a single frame of footage, David Fincher’s Mank was my most anticipated of the year. Because it’s David Fincher, for starters. And because he’s tackling the myth of the making of Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane. Sign me up. Wait, he’s casting Gary Oldman as Herman Mankiewicz, the screenwriter who teamed with Welles to harpoon media giant William Randolph Hearst? Where do I begin? Start here, with the full trailer for Mank, which just dropped. Check it out above.

Currently, I am halfway through a rewatch on Citizen Kane (it’s on HBO Max, if you want to do the same), and it’s all in preparation for David Fincher’s Mank. Long considered one of the greatest – if not THE greatest – movie ever made, Citizen Kane cast director Orson Welles as a fictional mogul Charles Foster Kane, who was really just publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst in broad caricature.

Primarily known for his successes in newspaper publishing, Hearst also was a budding politician with skeletons in his closet that made for juicy exploration on the screen. However, William Randolph Hearst also wielded a lot of power, and provoking him with a movie like Citizen Kane seemed like an ill-fated decision for Orson Welles and his collaborators.

Enter David Fincher, stylized storyteller behind such masterpieces as Zodiac, Seven and The Social Network. He takes a screenplay credited to his late father, and casts it with heavy hitters who can hold their own in a period drama about the drama behind Citizen Kane. Gary Oldman agrees to play screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz opposite Tom Burke’s Orson Welles (and damn if the man doesn’t sound EXACTLY like Welles in that new trailer. Lily Collins and Amanda Seyfried join the production, each looking like they stepped off of the screen in the 1930s.

And Game of Thrones icon Charles Dance plays William Randolph Hearst. Hello, Academy? Call off the show this year, and hand everything to Mank.

Now the challenge falls to Netflix. The streaming giant has been trying to break through the awards barrier during the most recent cycles with prestige pictures such as Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma, or Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman. Based on the reaction of Film Twitter, Mank is highly anticipated by the expected film snobs (myself, included) who dream of a Fincher tell-all about Citizen Kane. But can the streaming company get regular customers excited about Mank? Can they convince Hubie Halloween supporters to give it a try?

The new poster for the movie, shared above, has a December 4 release date. The film will be in select theaters, but also available on the Netflix platform. We can only hope that positive word of mouth keeps the buzz swirling on Mank until the Oscars roll around in… April? Sheesh, that’s a long way away.

It remains one of the greatest films ever produced. Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, a movie about media mogul William Randolph Hurst that introduced the film industry to a revolutionary new storyteller and redefined how movies were shot for decades. You wouldn’t trust the story behind Citizen Kane to just any old director, which is why it brings me immense pleasure to report that genius David Fincher and Gary Freaking Oldman are teaming up for Mank, a movie about screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz and his battles against Welles over Citizen Kane credits. Studio intrigue from Hollywood’s Golden Age? Sign us up!

First off, David Fincher doesn’t direct nearly enough films. In an ideal world, the skilled visual storyteller would be delivering a new movie every other year. Instead, it’s been six years since his adaptation of Gone Girl hit theaters, and while the moody television series Mindhunters held us over on Netflix, I am more than ready to sit down to a sumptuous Fincher mean, and Mank looks like it’s about to deliver.

Hollywood loves movies about movies. Mank, as mentioned, looks like it’s going to get into Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles’s brash decision to make a movie about William Randolph Hurst, a dominant media mogul at the time. But Mank also plans to dig deep onto a controversial Film Community debate over how much credit the young Orson Welles deserved for the Citizen Kane screenplay. Legendary film critic Pauline Kael stirred the pot back in the 1970s claiming that Welles contributed very little to the script, though that theory has been heavily discussed by many over the years. Expect Mank to tug at the curtain hanging over to debate.

More than anything, though, on the surface, Mank has me most excited with seeing David Fincher collaborating with Gary Oldman on the story of an influential film like Citizen Kane. The Old Hollywood aesthetic is gravy on top of what I expect to be an outstanding screenplay (one that is credited to Fincher’s late father, Jack Fincher). Fincher’s usual collaborators are back in the fold – including Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, doing a score using only period-accurate instruments.

But the cast also looks like they were lifted off a page from Hollywood’s history books. Mank will co-star Charles Dance (Game of Thrones) as mogul William Randolph Hurst, Lily Collins as Rita Alexander, Amanda Seyfried as Marion Davies, Arliss Howard as Louis B. Mayer, and Tom Burke as Orson Welles. If played right, we expect this to be a major awards player for Netflix, so let’s hope the streaming service plays its cards right and starts to get Mank in front of the right eyeballs. Meaning mine. I need to see this, immediately.

As his eclectic filmography and widely diverse history of characters has provided more than enough evidence to support, Gary Oldman could play pretty much any type of person you could throw at him. The 62-year-old actor possesses the kind of talent most people in his profession spend their entire lives struggling to perfect. Not to mention, someone of his incomparable range would be of great benefit to the Marvel movies, especially given his previous experience with comic book characters.

Years after playing Gotham City detective turned lieutenant turned commissioner Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, the Academy Award-winning Brit once expressed interest in having a tase what life what is like in another other comic book movie universe. However, to this day, Gary Oldman still has yet to receive a call from Marvel, which is surprising when you consider, not only the number of characters the Marvel Cinematic Universe has yet to introduce, but also how many of those very names the actor could totally nail on screen.

Of course, there is only so much time we can dedicate to imagining the best potential comic book movie roles for any single actor. Therefore, in the special case for Gary Oldman, we have narrowed down our selection of perfectly suited Marvel characters to just the top seven, starting with one whose best known ability is one that the actor has been praised for possessing as well.

Chameleon

From Drexl Spivey in True Romance to Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, Gary Oldman has been hiding from audiences in plain sight for decades by completely becoming a new person onscreen, much like Dmitri Smerdyakov (better known as the Chameleon) does to blend in when committing crimes. Oldman would probably not need much more than a little makeup to pull off the Spider-Man villain, or his various disguises, before taking care of the rest himself. Besides, we already know from Air Force One that he can fake a flawless Russian accent.

Green Goblin

However, if there is one villain fans are dying to see Tom Holland face off against in the near future, it is more likely Green Goblin - a fearsome creaturesque terrorist who emerges from the demented split personality of vengeful industrialist Norman Osborn, whose son Harry is a good friend of Peter Parker. The key to playing Gobby is to make a distinct switch from “mild mannered gentleman” to “sadistic psychopath” at the turn of a dime (as Willem Dafoe managed quite exquisitely in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man) and I think we have made it clear enough already that Gary Oldman is the reigning master of that particular art.

Union Jack

On the other hand, you do have to wonder if there is ever a moment when Gary Oldman would like to break from these drastic character transformations and just play another Englishmen for once. He could actually have that slice of cake and eat it too with a few notable U.K.-based Marvel characters, such as Union Jack - a superb athlete of peak human strength, speed, and endurance who fights evil in his homeland in the United Kingdom. In the instance that the MCU would be more interested in casting someone younger as Joseph Chapman (the man under the mask), Oldman would at least be a great choice to play his predecessor, James Montgomery Falsworth.

Doctor Druid

Fortunately, that brings to mind another British Marvel character who is traditionally depicted as an older man, but whose expertise in ancient magic ritual makes him a force to be reckoned with. Harvard psychology graduate Anthony Ludgate’s commitment to learning the mystical practices of the occult eventually put him on the path to becoming a supernatural monster hunter who goes Doctor Druid, who just recently teamed up with Doctor Strange in a long-awaited comic book crossover. That pairing sounds like a perfect opportunity for Gary Oldman and his Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy co-star Benedict Cumberbatch to reunite.

Charles Xavier

One character whom the casual comic book movie audience member may assume to be British is Charles Xavier, which is understandable considering previous cinematic portrayals by UK actors Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy. Yet, in the comics, the telepathic X-Men founder was born in New York, which, in addition to playing mentor to a team of young crimefighters, would be of no issue for Gary Oldman. In fact, he might especially get a kick out of going bald for the role, whenever Marvel Studios chooses to bring Professor X and the rest of his mutant crew into their universe, that is.

Mephisto

Still, it is a challenge when thinking of suitable Marvel characters for Gary Oldman and not imagining all the great villains he could be. Not to mention, he might get an especially big kick out of the makeup that it would require to turn him into Mephisto, an extra-dimensional demon who is often thought of as the Satan of the Marvel Universe for how dangerously powerful and mischievous he is. It is the kind of role that any actor who relishes in playing a baddie would kill for and someone like Oldman might just have to casually suggest in order to land, but there is another one who would be a special treat for the audience if he played it.

Dracula

With the casting of Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali in the MCU’s Blade reboot and Jared Leto in the anti-heroic title role of Sony’s upcoming Morbius, vampires are starting to become a hotly trending topic in the comic book movie genre (and movies and TV in general) again. Thus, we have here a wonderful opportunity to bring back into the mix the most famous bloodsucker in history, Count Dracula, whom Gary Oldman once portrayed beautifully in director Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 adaptation of Bram Stoker’s timeless horror novel. 

I cannot even begin to imagine how cool it would be to see Oldman reprise the character (which has, actually, been a prominent presence in Marvel comics) in a future superhero movie, which is why I believe either Kevin Feige should buck up and make it a reality.

What do you think? Would Gary Oldman sinking his teeth into his most sinister role once again be the ultimate way to finally bring him into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or do you believe that Warner Bros. actually missed any opportunity by not asking him to be their Jim Gordon again for the DCEU? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the highly acclaimed and widely beloved chameleonic actor, as well as even more hypothetical comic book movie casting calls, here on CinemaBlend.

In 2017, Gary Oldman impressed audiences with his performance as United Kingdom prime minister Winston Churchill in the Joe Wright-directed Darkest Hour. Oldman brought home numerous accolades from that movie, including the Academy Award for Best Actor, but almost three full years later, he’s now the subject of a lawsuit concerning Darkest Hour.

As reported by Variety, Ben Kaplan, a teacher and writer for several History Channel series, filed a suit in Los Angeles Superior Court last Friday. Kaplan wrote his own script about Winston Churchill that Gary Oldman allegedly signed on for, but later dropped off of in March 2015. That by itself isn’t lawsuit-worthy, but Kaplan alleges that Darkest Hour’s script borrows certain scenes and elements from his own script.

For instance, there’s a scene in Darkest Hour where Gary Oldman’s Winston Churchill tries to coax a cat out from under a bed, and Ben Kaplan claims this same scene in the script he wrote. The lawsuit also notes that Kaplan’s script (which he allegedly began writing in 1999 and registered with the Writers Guild of America in 2002) includes the ahistorical feature of Churchill coming up with the idea of the British civilian armada helping evacuate Dunkirk during World War II, as well as that both scripts share a similar story arc that ends with Churchill delivering his “We shall fight on the beaches” speech.

Due to Gary Oldman’s prior involvement with Ben Kaplan’s Winston Churchill project, as well as the actor and his team supposedly having access to three versions of Caplan’s script, the lawsuit alleges that there’s been “false designation of origin” under federal trademark law, as well as “breach of implied contract, unfair business practices and interference with contract.” Along with Oldman, the lawsuit names Oldman’s agent and manager, along with NBCUniversal, Working Title and Focus Features, as defendants. Oddly enough, Darkest Hour writer Anthony McCarten is not named.

Lawsuits around Hollywood are nothing new, but we’ll have to wait and see how this Darkest Hour legal drama unfolds. Melissa McCarthy was recently hit with a similar lawsuit over her 2018 movie Life of the Party, which didn’t make a splash at the box office, but now has a $10 million target on it. The Shape of Water and Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl were also the subject of lawsuits that claimed certain concepts or ideas were taken without credit.

Oftentimes these kinds of lawsuits don’t work out for those filing since it’s difficult to prove that one idea inspired the other. However, if Ben Kaplan has indeed been working on his Winston Churchill project for over two decades and has documentation that Gary Oldman was once involved with it, that may give him an edge should this progress further through the legal system.

Along with Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour’s cast included Kristen Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane, Ben Mendelsohn, Ronald Pickup and Samuel West, among others. In addition to Oldman’s aforementioned Oscar, the movie also won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling and was nominated in four other categories.

Should there be any major developments with this Darkest Hour lawsuit, we here at CinemaBlend will let you know. For now, you can plan what movies you’d like to see on the big screen soon with our 2020 release schedule and 2021 release schedule.

Having directed acclaimed films like Zodiac, The Social Network and Gone Girl, David Fincher has solidified himself as one of the most skilled filmmakers in all of Hollywood. So it’s easy to understand why cinephiles are eagerly awaiting the release of his latest film, Mank. While we’re still holding out for a trailer for the Netflix film (which essentially delayed a new season of Mindhunter), we now have a few sweet images from the Citizen Kane-centric biopic.

The first images from David Fincher’s Mank are truly a sight to behold. The shots from the period piece reveal a number of the film’s stars, such as Gary Oldman’s Herman Mankiewicz, Amanda Seyfried’s Marion Davies and Lilly Collins’ Rita Alexander. Seyfried shared the photos on Instagram, and you can check them out below:

When looking at these images, words like “gorgeous” and “perfect” come to mind. It looks like David Fincher went all in on the 1940s aesthetic, and the final product is a sight to behold. Given Fincher’s track record, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that he committed so heavily to the time period.

Mank tells the story of celebrated screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz’s work on the screenplay for Citizen Kane. The film chronicles the issues between Mankiewicz and director Orson Welles, specifically their dispute over screenwriting credit.

David Fincher is directing the film from a screenplay written by his late father, Jack Fincher. Fincher is also producing alongside Ceán Chaffin, Eric Roth and Douglas Urbanski. And for the film’s score, Fincher will once again be joining forces with Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor.

Of course, while fans rejoice over the first look at David Fincher’s new movie, they may be equally anxious when it comes to the future of Mindhunter, on which he serves as a producer. The show received critical acclaim during its first two seasons but has since been indefinitely put on hold in large part due to Fincher’s work on Mank.

Although its future appears uncertain at the moment, it sounds like David Fincher isn’t quite done with the true crime series. He’s previously claimed that he actually has a five-season plan in mind for the show, so it’s entirely possible that he could return to work on the show after he’s completed Mank. And if this is indeed the case, fans will be more than happy to see it happen.

But until we have Mindhunter back on our screens, we can absolutely look forward to his work on Mank. Based on what we’ve seen so far, it would appear that David Fincher has a clear vision for the film, and it’s going to be fun to see the dramatic story play out on screen.

As of right now, Netflix has not announced an official release date for Mank.

It’s been almost 20 years since the first movie adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World hit the big screen in the form of 2001’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Since then, the fantasy franchise has spun seven sequels, a completely new film series called Fantastic Beasts, and a highly popular land in Universal Studios.

The phenomenon has been around for nearly a generation, and while the main cast of the classic series have had close to a decade to grow apart from with their iconic roles, it’s always magical to look back at what’s changed between their first trip to Hogwarts to today. There’s been a mix of glo ups, sad passings and exciting projects between the Harry Potter film family between then and now. Let’s take a look:

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter)

Look how far little Harry has come since his humble beginnings living in the Cupboard Under the Stairs! The star wizard of the series scored his famous role when he was just eleven years old and he will always be best remembered as the boy who lived. His first Harry Potter follow-up was the 2012 horror flick The Woman in Black, but he’s also starred in the indie rom-com What If, the box office flop Victor Frankenstein alongside James McAvoy, the critically-acclaimed indie Swiss Army Man and the 'magical' Now You See Me sequel.

Radcliffe also lit up Broadway in How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying revival, starred in a two-season television series with Jon Hamm called A Young Doctor’s Notebook & Other Stories, and currently stars in TBS mini-series Miracle Workers as a low-level angel trying to settle a bet with God (Steve Buscemi) and stop the destruction of Earth. The actor has dabbled in just about everything as he nears 30 this year and doesn’t seem to stop pushing the boundaries of his talent each time we see him. Maybe Wolverine next?

Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley)

Remember when an 11-year-old Rupert Grint saved all of Hogwarts as Ron Weasley in Sorcerer’s Stone thanks to some expert chess knowledge? Iconic. While the actor recently admitted that he almost called quits on the role after wrapping Goblet of Fire when fame took hold, he stuck it out and without regrets… but what has life been like since?

Rupert took on a few off-beat roles directly after Deathly Hallows Part 2, such as in the action-comedy Moonwalkers with Ron Perlman and the Shia LaBeouf lead drama Charlie Countryman. He’s recently found his place on television in Sick Note with fellow child star (and redhead) Lindsay Lohan, Crackle’s Snatch remake and as Inspector Crome in BBC’s The ABC Murders. The actor is also set to star in M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming Apple show. The actor has kept with the much darker roles he’s drawn to without swinging deep back into the spotlight.

Emma Watson (Hermoine Granger)

For many, Emma Watson’s Hermoine Granger was the nerdy, overachieving bookworm we could finally relate to, so when the actress took on Belle for Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast, it felt a bit like she was living in her glory days. In between, the 28-year-old Brit has also challenged herself as an actress, become an outspoken women’s rights activist and created her own feminist book club.

After saying goodbye to Hermoine, Watson took on some edgy roles for The Perks of Being a Wallflower, This is the End and The Bling Ring along with starring in thrillers such as Regression, Colonia and The Circle. Beauty and the Beast was by far her most successful Harry Potter follow-up, as it made over $1.2 billion worldwide. Watson is also gearing up to star in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women with Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, Meryl Streep and Laura Dern. Raising your hand in class pays!

Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy)

Just about every young hero has a bratty bully to face, and Tom Felton’s Draco Malfoy certainly fit that bill throughout the Harry Potter franchise. So what was the first role the actor book after a decade as the deplorable villain? You guessed it… another baddie in 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Since then, Tom Felton has earned acting credits in quite a few off-radar films with some big names such as Sebastian Stan, Taraji P. Henson, Oscar Isaac, Elizabeth Olsen and Gemma Chan. His most memorable new role is certainly as Julian Albert in CW’s The Flash in Season 3. The actor has recently floated to a new television show on YouTube TV’s new sci-fi show Origins. The spaceship-set series on the new streaming platform has seen some exciting success, so season 2 could be on the way!

Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley)

Ron’s little sister and Harry Potter’s future wife has transformed from an adorable child actress to an all grown-up lady! While to most the actress hasn’t maintained the star status of her fellow Harry Potter stars, she has maintained active in the filmmaking community as an actress, screenwriter and director.

On screen, Bonnie Wright has starred in mainly made-for-television titles primarily geared for a family-friendly audience such as My Dad Is Scrooge, Who Killed Nelson Nutmeg? and A Christmas Carol. She made her debut writing/directorial project with Harry Potter co-star with David Thewlis (he played Remus Lupin) with a 2012 short film and has since developed a handful of other projects under her own Bon Bon Lumiere production company.

Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom)

Neville Longbottom may start off as a clumsy and laughable kid in Sorcerer’s Stone, but as the franchised progressed, the character became an important part of the team, as he destroyed the final Horcrux by slicing off Nagini’s head clean off. He saved them all! Actor Matthew Lewis became quite the viral sensation as he exited Harry Potter with an unexpected glo up. Yes, those two are the same person…

The 29-year-old actor has since mainly worked in British television shows such as The Syndicate, Bluestone 42 and Girlfriends, along with having a role in 2016 romance Me Before You. Lewis recently got married to Angela Jones, an event planner with Universal who he met at a Wizarding World event in Orlando. We’re not sure what’s next for Lewis other than being perfect and happy. I’d say that’s not a bad real-life ending for Neville!

Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort)

For a character known as "He-who-must-not-be-named," Ralph Fiennes was certainly one of the biggest names in the Harry Potter franchise when he was cast as the main antagonist at the turn of the 21st century. Before taking on Voldemort, Fiennes was a two-time Oscar nominee for Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List and The English Patient.

Between and after Harry Potter, the actor kept on keeping on with high-profile roles in The Hurt Locker, Skyfall, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and he had recent voice roles in Kubo and the Two Strings and as Alfred in The Lego Batman Movie. On paper, the iconic role is just one of his many roles (over 70 acting credits) and he’s nearly unrecognizable as the villain in any other movie. Next, Fiennes will be in The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle, the next Kingsman movie and Bond 25.

Richard Harris/Michael Gambon (Dumbledore)

Did you know two actors played Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films? Richard Harris first played the role in Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets before his 2002 passing, after the actor was hospitalized with pneumonia and diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. Before playing Dumbledore, Harris had roles in quite a few of classics including 1967’s Camelot, Unforgiven and Gladiator.

Michael Gambon took over the role in 2004 and played Dumbledore until the final installment. He turned down the role of James Bond in 1970, though made a name for himself in his roles in The Singing Detective, as president Lyndon B. Johnson in Path to War and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. After playing Dumbledore, Gambon has been in a ton of projects – most notably as the voice of Uncle Pastuzo in the Paddington movies.

Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid)

The bear-huggable Harry Potter character was another accomplished Brit before Hagrid came to him as a famous comedian, with roles all over the map, such as Valentin Zukovsky, a character opposite Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond, and star of the three-season series Cracker.

After playing Hagrid, Robbie Coltrane took on a couple voice parts for Arthur Christmas and Brave and starred in a couple projects involving his Potter family co-stars: an adaptation of Great Expectations with Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter, and the Hulu show National Treasure with Julie Walters, who we’ll get to. The 68-year-old actor is also nearly unrecognizable between his husky bearded look in the fantasy films and usually more clean-cut roles in recent years. Though his unmistaken unfamiliarity will stump the untrained eye.

Alan Rickman (Severus Snape)

When Alan Rickman stepped into his Harry Potter role, he already had an extremely memorable role as Hans Gruber in 1988’s Die Hard – a Christmas classic. He also starred in Sense and Sensibility and Galaxy Quest. Rickman’s portrayal of Severus Snape is a beloved fan favorite and he offered some franchise highlights. During his time on Harry Potter, he played a part in Love Actually as the breaker of Emma Thompson’s heart and all of ours, starred in Sweeney Todd, Bottle Shock and the caterpillar in 2010’s Alice in Wonderland.

However, his time after the Harry Potter movies ended up being his final years. The actor played meaty roles such as Ronald Reagan in Lee Daniels’ The Butler and King Louis XIV in A Little Chaos among others before he died of pancreatic cancer in January 2016 at the age of 69. The actor certainly had an illustrious career, greatly defined by his time as Snape.

Maggie Smith (Minerva McGonagall)

When Dame Maggie Smith started playing Professor Minerva McGonagall in 2001, she was 67 years old and one of the most famous British actresses of her time. However, her Harry Potter role made her a household name among younger and newer audiences who may not have known about her otherwise.

When Maggie Smith hung up her pointed hat, she starred in even more movies (many of which, critically acclaimed), such as The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel movies, Quartet, The Old Lady, The Lady in the Van and the highly acclaimed TV series Downton Abbey as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, whom she will reprise in a planned feature film to follow the television show. Retirement who? Maggie Smith’s star status has only grown since Harry Potter.

Gary Oldman (Sirius Black)

Here’s something crazy about Gary Oldman: while he was playing the father-figure to young Harry, Sirius Black he was also in the thick of playing Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. The actor was one of the few who was simultaneously on two monumental franchises of the time and will also be remembered for playing these well-known pop culture characters.

Since, he earned two Best Actor nominations for Tinker Tailor Solider Spy and as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, which he won the golden trophy for in 2018. He’s also starred in a few action flicks including RoboCop, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and The Hitman’s Bodyguard. Among the masses, he is overwhelmingly known as Sirius Black, even though he has played many other memorable parts.

Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange)

Helena Bonham Carter was already defined by her dark roles in fantasy films (primarily from Tim Burton) such as Big Fish, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Corpse Bride. So, when she joined Harry Potter in the second half of the franchise, she fit right in as key player, Bellatrix Lestrange. After Deathly Hallows Part 2, she has continued doing a bit of the same in movies such as Dark Shadows, Les Misérables and worked in Disney films The Lone Ranger, Cinderella and Alice Through the Looking Glass.

The actress recently starred in the female-fronted Ocean’s 8 as fashion designer Rose Weil in 2018 and will be taking over the role of Princess Margaret from Vanessa Kirby in the upcoming season of The Crown as Olivia Colman follows Claire Foy’s Queen Elizabeth in her middle-aged years.

Julie Walters (Molly Weasley)

What about the Weasley parents? Julie Walters, a.k.a. Molly Weasley is quite the accomplished actress and her fame has only grown since starring as a mother of wizards. She first really turned heads in 1983’s Educating Rita opposite Michael Caine, which earned the both of them Oscar nominations, before earning another nod for her role in Billy Elliot.

While she was doing Harry Potter, Walters starred in Calendar Girls and Mamma Mia! After the franchise was over, she joined Robbie Coltrane with a role as the Witch in Brave and on the Hulu show National Treasure, played Mrs. Bird in the Paddington movies and recently starred in Mary Poppins Returns as Ellen.

Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley)

To finish off this list of the talented main cast of the Harry Potter films, is the other half of the Weasley parents: Arthur Weasley, played by Mark Williams, who was best known for the BBC sketch comedy series The Fast Show for the six years before nabbing a role on the Harry Potter films.

After playing Mr. Weasley in just about every movie, the actor traded out his red hair and guest starred in Doctor Who in 2012 and then scored his own BBC television series Father Brown. The show, currently in its seventh season, is based on books by GK Chesterton about a Catholic priest who solves mysteries in the English countryside.

Oh, how the time turner… turns! Can you believe how the Hogwarts students have grown and adults have grown more distinguished? What do you think of these career shifts since for the actors, have you been following them or did they take you by surprise? Sound off in the comments below!

Cloud Imperium Games and Roberts Space Industries originally captured the performances of some of Hollywood's top talent back in 2015 for the single-player portion of Star Citizen known as Squadron 42. After three years of hard work and a lot of developmental work, RSI finally showcased the fruits of its labor at this year's CitizenCon, and you can see how amazing actors like Mark Hamill and Gary Oldman look in the new Squadron 42 trailer.

The trailer rounded out the CitizenCon keynote speech, featuring snippets of cinematics and some in-game play for the upcoming Squadron 42 release.

The story is still kept well under wraps, and a lot of the footage is from the hour long demo that RSI released back in December of 2017 last year, which actually gave us our first look at how the campaign gameplay would be handled. We also saw Mark Hamill's character in action for the first time as well.

However, this is the first time we're seeing some of the other top talent on display apart from the behind-the-scenes footage and test cinematics that were released years ago. For instance, we see that Man of Steel's Henry Cavill is an ace space pilot leading a squadron that the player-character will join, and we also get to see that Mark Strong plays a significant part in the story, with his ship coming under fire from the hostile alien race known as the Vanduul.

And finally, we get to see Gillian Anderson and John Rhys-Davies. If you're a fan of the X-Files then you're probably quick to note that Anderson in particular looks amazing in the game, and they captured her likeness pretty much 1:1.

Some gamers might be wondering why exactly it took so long for the footage to appear of the finished rendered forms of the characters and cinematics even though it was all captured years ago? Well, that's because the teams have been building out the rest of Star Citizen and the ships, the weapons, the aliens (the Vanduul), the physics, and the interactive functionality for both Star Citizen and Squadron 42. It's a painstaking task and it's one of the biggest video game projects ever created (and quite expensive, too).

You can actually follow along with the development of Star Citizen and Squadron 42 by visiting the RSI developmental roadmap. It outlines what parts of the game the team are working on, what's being updated, what's being upgraded, and what's coming down the pipeline in the coming months.

During CitizenCon RSI released alpha 3.3 of Star Citizen for backers, featuring advanced ground-based AI combat mechanics, the all new FaceWare API that allows for FOIP interactions between players within the persistent universe, and all new ships and weapons.

As Star Citizen moves forward in development and more of the core components are completed, it makes it easier for the team working on Squadron 42 to finalize the game and implement the features leading up toward release. No release date has been rolled out for Squadron 42 but the first episode will be released first followed by the sequent episodes.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is brimming with pedigreed actors, many of whom have curried the favor of the Academy Awards. Take Brie Larson, as a recent example. She is transitioning from a recent Best Actress win for her work in Room to the leading role in a Captain Marvel movie. Big time! Well, current Best Actor frontrunner Gary Oldman also has his sights set on a possible role in the MCU, recently stating:

Has Gary Oldman's son already forgotten the fact that the versatile character actor fought alongside Batman (Christian Bale) in three Christopher Nolan DC comic book movies? Sure, the role of Jim Gordon isn't exactly a superhero part, but I can't see Marvel handing a hero role to Gary Oldman, either. At most, he'd nab one of those juicy supporting parts that go to the likes of Robert Redford, Martin Freeman or Tilda Swinton. Then again, Michael Douglas is playing Hank Pym in the Ant-Man movies, so maybe there is hope for Oldman, after all.

What's counting against him is the fact that Gary Oldman has DC cred in his corner, and precious few have made the leap from DC to Marvel, or vice versa. Yes, the new Commissioner Gordon is played by J.K. Simmons, who famously played J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. But those weren't Marvel movies, they were Sony adventures. The line was blurred.

At the moment, Gary Oldman is collecting all of the accolades for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Joe Wright's Darkest Hour. The movie picked up six Oscar nominations earlier this week, including Best Picture in addition to Oldman's Best Actor nomination. If there's a nod that fits perfectly with the actor's performance, it's the nomination for Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling. I mean, look at this. It looks NOTHING like Gary Oldman!

Now that the suggestion of Gary Oldman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is out there -- even if it's just to make Oldman's son happy, as he tells People -- I'm sure Marvel President Kevin Feige is salivating, thinking of possible roles for the brilliant character actor. Could Oldman play Reed Richards in an MCU Fantastic Four movie? Would he shave his head and sit in a wheelchair to play Professor X, should the X-Men find their way over to the MCU? To stay up to date on all of the information we have on Upcoming Marvel Movies, bookmark our handy guide.

The Oscar race is a marathon, not a sprint. And along the way, there are mile markers that tend to point in the direction of the final Academy Awards outcome. While we're nowhere near ready to declare the race over -- or to even nominate a clear-cut frontrunner -- the Screen Actors Guild awards winners can go a long way to pointing out who's likely to take home an Oscar when the 2017-18 campaign draws to a close.

When you start to hear the same names revealed over and over at ceremonies like the Golden Globes, the Critics' Choice Awards and the SAGs, you begin to conclude that these same names will triumph at the Oscars. If that's the case, then your current Best Actor and Actress frontrunners appear to be Gary Oldman for Darkest Hour and Frances McDormand for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. McDormand's co-star, Sam Rockwell, has been cleaning up on the path for Best Supporting Actor nods. And Allison Janney is parlaying her venomous turn as Tonya Harding's stage mom into awards gold for I, Tonya. Let's break down the key awards each has won up to this point:

Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour

Critics' Choice: Best Actor

Golden Globes: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

SAG: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics: Best Actor

Iowa Film Critics: Best Actor

Nevada Film Critics: Best Actor

New York Film Critics Online: Best Actor

NC Film Critics: Best Actor

Oklahoma Film Critics: Best Actor

Online Film Critics Society: Best Actor

Southeastern Film Critics: Best Actor

St. Louis Film Critics: Best Actor

Washington D.C. Film Critics: Best Actor

Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Critics' Choice: Best Actress

Golden Globes: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

SAG: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

Detroit Film Critics: Best Actress

Las Vegas Film Critics: Best Actress

St. Louis Film Critics' Association: Best Actress

Toronto Film Critics' Association: Best Actress

Washington D.C. Film Critics' Association: Best Actress

Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Critics' Choice: Best Supporting Actor

Golden Globes: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Southeastern Film Critics: Best Supporting Actor

Online Film Critics Society: Best Supporting Actor

Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics: Best Supporting Actor

Florida Film Critics: Best Supporting Actor

Houston Film Critics: Best Supporting Actor

Las Vegas Film Critics: Best Supporting Actor

San Diego Film Critics: Best Supporting Actor

Washington D.C. Film Critics' Association: Best Supporting Actor

Allison Janney, I, Tonya

Critics' Choice: Best Supporting Actress

Golden Globes: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

SAG: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics: Best Supporting Actress

Detroit Film Critics: Best Supporting Actress

Florida Film Critics: Best Supporting Actress

Houston Film Critics: Best Supporting Actress

Nevada Film Critics: Best Supporting Actress

New York Film Critics Online: Best Supporting Actress

Philadelphia Film Critics: Best Supporting Actress

Phoenix Film Critics: Best Supporting Actress

San Diego Film Critics: Best Supporting Actress

As you can see, the SAG winners from Sunday fit into a pattern, and we expect all four to be named as Oscar nominees when those are announced on Tuesday morning. Will that make them frontrunners? Right now, because no one else has consistently stepped up and interfered with their clear path to victory, I'd say that they are close to being the Oscar winners we expect to hear on March 4. But a lot can happen between now and then, as final Oscar ballots aren't even due for another month.

Still, I'd feel better throwing some more weight behind a Shape of Water or The Post upset if Sally Hawkins, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep or Richard Jenkins had surprised us with a one-off victory at one of these precursor awards programs. But right now, we are hearing the same four names. Will we hear all four of them again on March 4 at the Oscars? Or are one of these four vulnerable to an upset? Let us know in the comments.

It's no secret that comic book movies are everywhere. As such, plenty of A-list stars are signing on to play characters from both Marvel and DC comics, which is a job that comes with lots of pressure. Comic fans are very particular about the adaptation of their beloved heroes, so both the actors and studio have to do a fair amount of research to properly honor the source material. As such, they're both affected to do a fair amount of research, including actor J.K. Simmons. Simmons is currently playing Commissioner Gordon in the DC Extended Universe, and recently revealed what he did to prepare for the daunting role last made famous by Gary Oldman.

It looks like J.K. Simmons wasn't looking to Batman's long history on the silver and small screen for inspiration. Instead, he read some of the comics, and spoke about the character with experts.

J.K. Simmons' comments to The Metro (via NP Telegraph) might come to a surprise for many of Batman's biggest fans. Commissioner Gordon is one of Batman's closest allies, and has therefore been brought to film life a great number of times. As such, Simmons theoretically should have had a wealth of footage to dive into before eventually starting filming for Zack Snyder's Justice League. Alas, he decided to pivot away from the past incarnations, and therefore develop a new character free of other actors' influence.

If J.K. Simmons had decided to watch all the other versions of Commissioner Gordon, he'd have quite the selection of media to go through. As he said, the most notable one would be Gary Oldman, who starred as the character during Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy. His portrayal is likely the most layered and complex one yet, and one that Simmons seems all too aware of.

Commissioner Gordon was a more tertiary (and ridiculous) character during Joel Schumacher's Batman franchise. He was shown to be largely inept, aside from turning on the Bat signal whenever the crap hit the fan. He's also a main character of Gotham, although a much younger version. Gordon actually had more interesting goes through the use of voice actors. He was great in the 90's Batman: The Animated Series, as well as the Arkham video game series and, most recently, the Telltale Batman games.

J.K. Simmons will reprise his role as Commissioner Gordon in Matt Reeves' untitled Batman movie, although it wouldn't be a huge surprise if he showed up during Batman's appearance in Flashpoint. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your trips to the movies this year.

The DC Extended Universe is a tricky place. While still very much in its infancy, the shared universe has released a handful of major blockbusters to varying degrees of success. The future of the DCEU is largely a mystery, especially when it comes to Ben Affleck's incarnation of Batman. The actor/director seems unsure about how long he'd like to stay in the cowl, despite being perhaps the best part of films like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. As such, fans have been theorizing about the character's fate, and who might replace Affleck if he chooses to step away from the iconic role. And it turns out that Dark Knight Trilogy actor Gary Oldman has an idea about who it should be.

Christopher Nolan's Commissioner Gordon has spoken. And he believes that the Oscar nominated Walk the Line actor would be a great choice to play Gotham's protector. Although there are pros and cons to that potential casting choice.

Gary Oldman's comments about Joaquin Phoenix to Too Fab are sure to excite the many Batman fans out there who adored his performances in the Dark Knight films. Besides being one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood, he also knows the Batman lore through his tenure as Batman's most trusted ally. Oldman knows what it takes to make a great Batman; how he must be both threatening as the hero and charming as the billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne. And Oldman believes Phoenix is the guy to do it.

Moviegoers have no doubt seen performances by Joaquin Phoenix that provide all of the colors he'd need as The Caped Crusader. He showed how ruthless he could be as Commodus in Gladiator, and his more charming side in movies like Signs and Her. Of course, playing Batman would require the actor to bulk up a bit and train for the myriad action sequences, but he's a strong enough actor to be able to juggle the many sides of Batman's psyche. He's also roughly the same age as Ben Affleck, allowing Batman to continue being a bit older and experienced in crime fighting.

Joaquin Phoenix is just the latest in a long line of actors to be considered to follow up Ben Affleck's shaky tenure as Batman. One of the most popular possible candidates is Jake Gyllenhaal, who has demonstrated the right physicality and grit in Southpaw.

No matter who eventually takes up the role, the shared universe is going to have to utilize some creative writing to bring a new actor under the cowl. Alas, we'll just have to wait and see how long Ben Affleck lasts as Batman. He's currently set to appear in the upcoming Flashpoint film, which might be an opportunity for the DCEU to be changed in such a drastic way.

The next installment in the DC Extended Universe is James Wan's Aquaman on December 21, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your trips to the movies this year.

Actors are asked to do a lot for their craft. Oftentimes this involves getting into crazy shape or gaining or losing weight for a role, but there are other things that actors have to do repetitively during filming that can take a toll. When veteran actor Gary Oldman signed on to play Winston Churchill in the upcoming Darkest Hour biopic, he also signed on to smoke cigars like Churchill was known for. Only, he didn't take into account how many times he would have to do multiple takes. In fact, all the smoking led him to dealing with nicotine poisoning. According to Gary Oldman:

We don't see actors smoking nearly as often in films like we used to, but in the case of Darkest Hour it was accurate for the character of Winston Churchill to be smoking cigars. To give you a better gauge of exactly how much Gary Oldman was smoking during production, he says Darkest Hour went through at least 400 cigars. The cigars themselves totaled a whopping $20,000 of the movie's production budget, which isn't small potatoes, even when you consider the film's $30 million budget. Even if the cigar was partially "smoked" by the time it made its way into Oldman's hands, that's a lot of smoke to be getting involved with.

Still, director Joe Wright also told THR that nicotine poisoning or no, Winston Churchill had to be smoking in Darkest Hour. So, it doesn't seem as like Gary Oldman had much of a choice if he wanted to take on the role. According to the director,

Gary Oldman's transformation into Winston Churchill is something that is pretty amazing to behold. You can see the look above, as well as in the trailer, but the big takeaway is that Oldman went through a lot in the makeup chair under Kazuhiro Tsuji's direction and even added foam padding and more to look like the British politician. Really, the cigars were just the icing on the cake.

All is well that ends well, though. All of the effort and detail that Gary Oldman put into playing Winston Churchill has already paid off with a Golden Globe nomination this week. Oldman also was nominated for a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor in a Leading Role for his work on the film. We'll have to wait and see if he manages to nab some more awards nods and wins as the weeks wear on. Suffice to say, all the huffing and puffing on some $50 Cubans paid off.