Acting legend Gary Oldman has recently been knighted by King Charles III, and joins an illustrious list of actors who have been made knights or dames.
Gary Oldman has a long history iconic acting roles. While he can be currently seen as shambolic MI5 agent Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses on Apple TV+, the 67-year-old has also starred in films such as JFK, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Sirius Black in the Harry Potter films and Commissioner Gordon in The Dark Knight trilogy over a career spanning more than 40 years.
With such an acting CV, he is renowned as one of Britain’s top actors, and this was recognised recently when he was knighted – meaning he can now be known as Sir Gary Oldman – in the King’s Birthday Honours.
Oldman now joins an illustrious list of actors made knights or dames – here are 10 of the best.
Michael Caine
The man born Maurice Micklewhite appeared in more than 130 films during his illustrious career that spanned eight decades before his retirement in 2023. During his careers, he won a multitude of awards including two Oscars, three Golden Globes, a BAFTA and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Some of his iconic roles came in films such as Get Carter, Alfie and The Cider House Rules. He also won fans for his turn as Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) and as Alfred Pennyworth in the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy (2005-12).
Judi Dench
Judi Dench, still working at 90 years of age, made her stage debut all the way back in 1957. While she is hugely respected as a stage actor, she has also made some iconic movie appearances, such as playing M in eight James Bond films from 1995-2015. Judi has been nominated for an Oscar on eight occasions, but only winning best supporting actress in 1998 for her role as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love.
Sam Neill
Sam Neill is a New Zealander but has been knighted through the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2022. However, he doesn’t use his title of ‘Sir’, having previously said the title was “too grand”. But he received the award for his services to acting, having starred in a plethora of well-known movies across nearly 50 years. He is probably best known as Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park, a role he reprised in Jurassic Park III in 2001 and Jusassic World Dominion in 2022.
Anthony Hopkins
Welshman Anthony Hopkins rose to international superstardom thanks to his role as serial killer Dr Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs in 1991. However, by then he was already an established star in stage and screen. His knighthood followed in 1993. Other notable films he has appeared in include Nixon (1995), Amistad (1997) and several Thor films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen is another legend of British acting, having won Tony, Olivier and Golden Globe awards during his decades-long career, as well as being nominated for numerous Oscars, Emmys and BAFTAs. Ian however is probably best known as portraying Magneto, the main enemy of the X-Men, in several films. He was also Cogsworth in the live-action version of Beauty and the Beast (2017) and Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-3) and subsequent Hobbit trilogy (2012-14).
Patrick Stewart
Patrick Stewart is another to have a career spanning decades on the stage and small and big screens. His most iconic role arguably came on television, where he was Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation from 1987-94. On screen, he garnered more sci-fi fans when he took on the role of Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men series from 2000-17. He has also provided a voice on animated sitcom American Dad for many years.
Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren – born Ilyena Lydia Mironoff – is the only person to achieve the triple crowns of acting in the UK (BAFTA film, BAFTA television and Laurence Olivier Award) and the US (Emmy, Tony, Oscar). That alone should be enough for a damehood. She has been in huge films such as The Queen (2006), as well as four of the Fast & Furious films. Most recently, she was in The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix.
Kristin Scott Thomas
Kristin Scott Thomas – who can be seen alongside Gary Oldman in Slow Horses currently – has been acting in movies for 40 years. She hit international fame as Katherine Clifton in epic drama The English Patient (1996). She has also been in hits such as Gosford Park (2001), Nowhere Boy (2009) and Darkest Hour (2017).
Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews has the distinction of playing two of the most iconic heroines in cinematic musical history: she was the titular character in Mary Poppins (1964) – for which she won the Best Actress Oscar – and Maria in The Sound of Music (1965). Julie has worked in many films since, including this century The Princess Diaries (2001), as well as providing voices for the Shrek and Despicable Me franchises.
Julie Walters
Julie Walters is another actress who has an impressive collection of acting awards, including BAFTAs, Emmys, Golden Globes and Olivier awards. She first hit fame in 1983 with Educating Rita (alongside Michael Caine). But around the world, she is probably best known as Molly Weasley in the Harry Potter films and Mrs Bird in the Paddington trilogy, and for starring in ABBA-themed musical Mama Mia!
