Fighting dark and consuming demons from a fragile age can heavily impact the adult you
grow into.
It can either be for the worse or, the better, and for the Darkest Hour Actor, Gary Oldman,
it was both.
Haunted by his childhood trauma and a fearful life of failure, the actor drowned his sorrows
in a bottle.
Even when his tongue turned black from the alcohol poisoning, he couldn't stop.
There was only one thing that could set him free from the chains of his troubling past.
As a leading man in Hollywood, the actor is famous for his skill of shapeshifting into
any given character.
Every role he plays seems like a disguise, and it's always entirely different from the
next.
Each one strong but weakened by their hidden flaws.
If you ever wondered how he could reach the depths of every part he plays, convincing
us of the performance is real, you're about to find out.
This award-winning academy star has vast inner troubles to draw inspiration from.
When Oldman released his debut film as a writer and director, it was probably the first time
he was completely vulnerable.
He allowed the whole world to take a look into the frightening life he survived as a
little boy.
The story was based on the real character - his father - and the pain he brought to
his family.
"A lot of this film is my father."
the troubled actor shared.
"He hit my mum with a steel-capped boot and tried to drown her.
I had to leave a lot of things out of the film because they were too horrendous.
People wouldn't have believed it."
Imagine being so young you barely know how to tie your shoelaces but have full knowledge
of what domestic violence looks like.
That was little Gary's life, day in and day out, watching the woman who brought him into
the world go through unimaginable agony, tortured at the hands of someone who was meant to protect
her.
The actor's father had not only damaged his family, but he was damaging his own life as
well.
He had sold his soul to alcoholism and would sadly pay the price for it.
As though the abuse and alcohol addiction was not enough, the tyrant abandoned his family
when young Gary was only seven years old—leaving the family without a single penny to their
name.
Gary's mother, whom he calls a, quote, "remarkable bird," single-handedly raised the star and
his sister.
But soon, all those bottles caught up with the old man's health, and at the age of sixty-two,
he died of liver failure.
Though he was gone from the world and absent most of the actor's life, his influence had
a stronghold over Gary for many years.
The saying "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree" couldn't have been more accurate
in Oldman's position.
His negligent father had not only left him with dreadful memories but a curse of alcohol
abuse.
"I have alcoholism, so it's hereditary," Oldman shared.
"I saw him briefly once or twice in that period before he died, so I have an image of him
as someone old who was dying.
I don't like remembering that."
Perhaps the actor struggled to recall his father's last moments because he was afraid
to end up like him.
After fighting all odds to achieve his dreams, a young and ambitious Oldman applied to the
most prestigious drama school in the U.K. hopeful that he would one day become one of
their successful alumni and join the likes of Alan Rickman and Anthony Hopkins.
But sadly, the aspiring actor was rejected and told to find, quote, "a new way of earning
a living."
But the young brit had already hit rock bottom and a comment like that could not get him
down.
The actor did not give up.
He fought hard to make a debut on the big screen, and when he finally did… it changed
his life for the worse.
After a life of scraping by just to survive, the box office bucks started reeling in.
The actor was able to fuel a lifestyle of parties and substance abuse.
But was it all fun and games, or was there a much deeper inner war happening?
Or was there an alcoholic addiction lurking in the dark, and his newfound success was
enabling?
Was this a way to silently drown the demons he had been fighting since he was just a young
boy?
Gary was downing two bottles of vodka a day as though he could not live without it.
The deadly consumption turned the young actor's tongue black, usually seen in patients with
alcohol poisoning.
This doesn't just sound like a good time.
It seems like the actor was battling with more behind closed doors.
The misuse was not only taking a toll on the actor's personal life but his line of work
as well.
Oldman even admitted to making career decisions while drunk.
He once tossed a coin, while intoxicated, whether to star in The Scarlet Letter or Waterworld.
Fortunately enough for the down-and-out actor, the former won, and without even trying, he
had made the best life decision.
When a boozed-up Oldman showed up on set that year, his caring co-star could not help but
give him a wake-up call.
"You're very ill — you have to go away.
I am very worried about you," Demi Moore told him.
And after being a prisoner to a 70-day bender, Oldman finally decided it was time to face
his demons.
He had a realization that he would die if he didn't stop.
The thought of losing his life before accomplishing all he wanted to achieve was enough to motivate
the actor to sober up.
Oldman pushed himself to join Alcoholics Anonymous and began his journey to recovery.
"I was just worn out," he spoke about his alcoholism.
"It's like a three-headed dragon.
It attacks you spiritually, emotionally, and physically."
And in some ways, AA was the best yet damaging turning point in the actor's life.
Of course, it helped him overcome a long and exhausting battle, but it was also where he
met his second ex-wife, Donya Fiorentino.
The same flaws his old man carried, Oldman was beginning to adopt.
Substance abuse was just the beginning.
The couple married, welcomed two bundles of joy, and for four years, everything seemed
perfect... until it wasn't.
In 2001 Donya accused Gary of physical abuse, alleging that she dialed 911 for help on one
occasion, and Oldman snatched the telephone out of her hand and proceeded to repeatedly
hit her with the receiver in front of their kids.
Her description of life with the actor showed a striking resemblance to that of Oldman when
he referred to his late father's "horrendous" treatment of his mom.
She shared,
"Our marriage was a giant car crash in which demented things happened.
I lost my self-esteem."
The speculations settled after the couple's divorce, and for the next few years, it seemed
to be forgotten.
In 2018, life seemed great for the beloved Batman actor who was nominated for an Oscar
for his riveting performance in Darkest Hour.
His portrayal of Churchill left many completely speechless.
And when he won the Academy Award, he seemed to be at the peak of his career, and nothing
could put him down.
Or so it seemed.
The good news in his career drew attention to the abuse allegations which once again
resurfaced.
Donya reminded the Academy of Oldman's skeletons when she told them they were, quote, "awarding
an abuser."
This time, women empowerment movements like "Me Too" and "Time's Up" were not going to
allow these allegations to be swept under the rug.
Many took to Twitter to speak out against the actor.
"How is Gary Oldman still invited back to all of these shows after his frequent domestic
abuse charges?
Where's the vigilance?
#SAGAwards," one user wrote.
Others accused the Academy of being hypocritical for speaking out against women's mistreatment
while celebrating someone who does the opposite.
"Remember when Gary Oldman beat his wife with a telephone in front of their children? lol!!!!
Anyway, he's nominated tonight for doing a funny accent in a fat suit.
Hollywood is cool," another user sarcastically shared.
But amidst all the heat, Oldman's son came to his defense.
In an open letter, he denied the allegations, stating that he is aware of how defending
his father may seem, but insisting the accusations were false.
"I was there," he wrote.
"It didn't happen."
But considering the young man was only three years old, many questioned whether he could
clearly recall the event or whether he was fed into thinking it did not happen.
Whatever the case, Oldman's son was not going to turn on him.
The young man's passionate words also shed light on his old man's fathering skills.
"Custody of children is not given to a wife beater, and under most circumstances, hardly
ever a man.
My having lived full time with my father should be in itself, proof enough."
Does the 23-year-old have a point?
Or is it just a son's word against his mother?
Donya has also stated that she was, quote, "rotten mother" but owned up to that.
On one occasion, she overdosed on illegal substances in front of her daughter from a
previous relationship.
But do her poor mothering skills mean that her accusations are not true?
And does being a great father and phenomenal actor absolve Oldman from being a terrible
and harmful partner?
What do you think, juicers?
Is Gary Oldman his father's son, or has he worked hard to break the cycles of alcoholism,
mistreatment, and negligence he faced growing up?
We'd love to hear your thoughts, so let us know in the comments.