Sir Gary Oldman receives knighthood for services to drama

Actor Gary Oldman was among those honoured on Tuesday as he received a knighthood at Windsor Castle for his services to drama, marking more than four decades in film and theatre.

Oldman, 67, is known for his versatility on screen, having portrayed figures ranging from former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious. He currently stars as MI5 agent Jackson Lamb in Apple TV's Slow Horses, adapted from the Slough House book series by British author Mick Herron, says the Daily Mail.

In the early 1990s, Oldman played Lee Harvey Oswald, the alleged assassin of US President John F. Kennedy, in Oliver Stone's JFK (1991), and the titular vampire in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). His other notable roles include Ludwig van Beethoven in Immortal Beloved (1994) and Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg in The Fifth Element (1997).

Oldman made his directorial debut with Nil by Mouth (1997), a semi-autobiographical film about his childhood, which won Baftas for Outstanding British Film and Best Original Screenplay.

He appeared in several Harry Potter films as Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, and portrayed Gotham City Police Lieutenant Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. His performance as George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) earned him Bafta and Academy Award nominations, while his portrayal of Winston Churchill in The Darkest Hour (2017) won him the Academy Award for Best Actor, alongside multiple other awards.

Also recognised on Tuesday were actress Samantha Morton and footballer Rachel Daly.

Morton, 48, who has appeared in Longford and The Serpent Queen, will receive an OBE for services to drama and charity. She began her TV career in 1991 with roles in Soldier Soldier and Boon, and later starred in period dramas including Emma (1996) and Jane Eyre (1997).

She gained international attention for Carine Adler's Under the Skin (1998) and won Best Actress for Morvern Callar (2002). Morton has been nominated for two Academy Awards, in 2000 for Sweet and Lowdown and 2004 for In America, and won a Golden Globe in 2008 for Longford. She also directed and co-wrote the TV drama The Unloved (2009), winning a Bafta for Best Single Drama in 2010, and received a Bafta Fellowship in 2024, dedicating it to children in care.

Rachel Daly, 33, a member of the England women's football team that won the 2022 European Championship, will be awarded an MBE for services to association football. Daly, who plays for Aston Villa in the Women's Super League, retired from international football last year.