Just as Harry Potter saved his godfather Sirius Black’s life in J.K. Rowling’s Prisoner of Azkaben, the film franchise based on the fantasy novel series revived Gary Oldman’s sagging acting career, the Oscar-winning actor recently revealed on The Drew Barrymore Show.
Talking about a challenging phase in his life when acting opportunities dwindled amid personal struggles, Oldman also singled out Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy, where he played Gotham City police commissioner Jim Gordon, for giving him another shot during the darkest hour of his career.
“At 42 years old, I woke up divorced and I had custody of [my] boys,” Oldman said, adding, “That, in itself, was... that was hard because there was a shift in the industry where a lot of productions were being [filmed in] Hungary, Budapest, Prague, Australia, you know, all of these places. So, I turned down a lot of work.”
“Thank God for Harry Potter. I tell you, the two — Batman and Harry Potter — really, they saved me, because it meant that I could do the least amount of work for the most amount of money and then be home with the kids,” he said.
Oldman also said his commitment to parenting led to an arduous juggling act during the filming of Batman Begins. “When we did the first Batman... I did 27 round trips flying back from LA. I'd fly in for a day. I'd do a shoot a day. To Chris Nolan's credit.. he stayed on schedule. I would go home for three days. Come back for two. Go home for a weekend. Come back for a day... otherwise, I just felt my kids are being brought up by a nanny.”
Married to Donya Fiorentino from 1997 to 2001, Oldman had to face accusations of domestic assault during the divorce proceedings. However, following the dismissal of Fiorentino's abuse claims by a judge, custody of their two sons was granted to Oldman. The allegations resurfaced in 2018, coinciding with Oldman's Oscar triumph for Best Actor in Darkest Hour, as Fiorentino publicly castigated the Academy for honouring someone accused of abuse. In response, Oldman's son Gulliver penned an open letter defending his father.
