Gary Oldman is a talented English actor well-known for his uncanny ability to embody any character he portrays, from mild-mannered intellectual types to maniacal villains and everything in between. Oldman was born Leonard Gary Oldman to father Leonard Bertram Oldman, a welder, and mother Kathleen Cheriton, a homemaker. Oldman was always involved in the arts as a youngster and even played piano as a child, but he eventually gave it up to focus his aspirations on acting. At the age of 16, Oldman enrolled in the Young Peoples Theatre in Greenwich and worked towards a scholarship to attend Rose Buford Training College for Speech and Drama. He graduated from Rose Buford in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in theatre.

In the early 80s, Oldman worked in a lot of theater productions to get as much experience as he could, which would later pay off when he landed his first big role in a feature film as Sid Vicious in the 1986 film Sid and Nancy. Since then, Oldman would go on to star in such iconic roles as Dracula, Lee Harvey Oswald, and Winston Churchill. His career has been lauded with critical and commercial success and many high-profile awards. You can next catch him in a cameo appearance in Oppenheimer, the upcoming biopic from Christopher Nolan, scheduled for release in 2023. Oldman is a brilliant actor who excels in whatever genre he tries his hand at. Here are Gary Oldman’s best action movies, ranked.

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8 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is the second installment in the iconic science fiction action Planet of the Apes franchise. It is one of Gary Oldman’s best action movies because of its larger-than-life action scenes that supersede those of the first installment. Not only are there more action sequences, but the action sequences are of a larger scale, with a full-blown apocalyptic wasteland as its backdrop, compared to the urban setting of the first film. The film is set ten years after the events of the Rise of the Planet of the Apes wherein the simian flu has wiped out most of human life. Oldman stars as Dreyfus the leader of the remaining humans, who could technically be seen as the villain, if not for Oldman’s nuanced portrayal of a somewhat complicated character.

7 State of Grace

State of Grace is an action thriller about a former bad boy turned undercover FBI agent who returns to his old neighborhood to infiltrate the Irish mob, which is run by his former friend’s elder brother. Gary Oldman stars as Jackie Flannery’s younger brother to mob leader Frankie Flannery (Ed Harris). Sean Penn stars as Terry Noonan, who uses his history with the youngest Flannery brother to his advantage. As the mission progresses and as he develops feelings for his old friend and ex-girlfriend Kathleen (Robin Wright), Noonan soon becomes conflicted and must confront where his loyalties truly lie. According to Den of Geek, State of Grace is the finest performance of Gary Oldman's career.

6 Romeo is Bleeding

In one of his best action roles, Gary Oldman stars as morally bankrupt cop Jack Grimaldi who cheats on his wife and accepts money for mafia favors. His life turns upside down when mob boss Don Falcone (Roy Scheider) hires him to kill Mona Demarkov (Lena Olin), a slippery Russian assassin — however, Mona has other plans. Evading Jack at every turn, the two square off in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Oldman is fantastic in one of the most underrated performances of his career as the morally corrupt Jack who attempts to play the police, the FBI, and the Mob against one another to line his pockets with dirty money. If you are a fan of neo-noir crime thrillers, Romeo is Bleeding will not disappoint.

5 The Fifth Element

In one of his best action movies, Gary Oldman plays over-the-top villain Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg in all his campy glory in The Fifth Element. The film is certainly one of the most popular science fiction films in history and has a cult-like following. The film is set in the 23rd Century and stars Milla Jovovich as a perfect being sent to rescue humanity. When she falls into the back seat of cab driver Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) vehicle, he is tasked with keeping her safe and helping her fulfill her mission.

Related: The Fifth Element 2 Was Supposed to Happen, Here's What Killed It

4 Air Force One

In Air Force One, Oldman plays Egor Korshunov, the leader of a neo-Soviet terrorist group that hijacks the plane of President James Marshall (Harrison Ford) to secure the release of notorious dictator General Ivan Radek. Unbeknownst to Korshunov, the President — who was thought to be evacuated — remains in the cargo hold of the plane, silently defending his family and civilians from the maniacal invaders. Air Force One marks one of Gary Oldman’s best action movies because of his impassioned performance as the ruthless terrorist who will stop at nothing to free his comrade.

3 The Dark Knight Trilogy

Gary Oldman stars as Commissioner Gordon in The Dark Knight Trilogy consisting of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises. Over the years, many actors have played Commissioner Gordon in the ever-expanding DC Universe. Oldman's version, however, brings a tenderness to the character not before seen. In the dark criminal underworld of Gotham, he remains a moral and decent cop despite Gotham being overrun with corruption. It is for this reason he becomes a bit of a moral center. The Dark Knight Trilogy is one of Oldman’s best action movies because of how he perfectly embodies the principled family man perpetually on the side of good. Oldman himself described Commissioner Gordon as 'incorruptible' when offering advice to fellow actor J.K. Simmons.

2 True Romance

Written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott, True Romance follows the whirlwind romance of Clarence and Alabama Worley, played by Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette respectively. After the two elope, Clarence goes to retrieve Alabama's belongings from her former pimp Drexl and ultimately kills him in self-defense. In the rush to escape, Clarence mistakenly steals a suitcase of cocaine, which the mob soon comes looking for. Despite his limited screen time in this action-packed thrill ride, Oldman steals the show as psychopathic pimp Drexl with his incredibly entertaining performance.

1 The Professional

The Professional chronicles the story of 12-year-old girl Mathilda who takes refuge with her neighbor Leon, a professional killer, after her entire family is murdered by corrupt DEA agent Norman Stansfield (Oldman). In his best action movie, Oldman skillfully plays the soulless villain in a completely over-the-top fashion that surprisingly works for the character, as we follow him on his mission to finish what he started: find Mathilda and kill her too. Oldman’s Stansfield is a popular entry on many “best villain of all time lists”.