Gary Oldman, the Oscar-winning actor known for his commanding performances in Darkest Hour and Apple TV+’s Slow Horses, has officially been knighted by King Charles III in this year’s Birthday Honours list — marking a new and distinguished chapter in the career of the Palm Springs resident.
Oldman, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2018 for his transformative portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, has long been regarded as one of the most versatile and respected actors of his generation. With his most recent role as MI5 spymaster Jackson Lamb in the hit espionage series Slow Horses, Oldman continues to command both audiences and critics.
In a BBC interview last year, Oldman addressed the absence of previous royal honors. “You should ask them. No nod from the royals, but there we are,” he remarked. “Maybe it’s in my future.” That future has now arrived — and with it, the title Sir Gary Oldman.
The King’s Honours list this year recognized 1,215 individuals across a range of fields, including fellow knighted artist Rufus Norris, outgoing director of the National Theatre, and confirmation of a long-rumored knighthood for football icon David Beckham.
Oldman, who has made Palm Springs his home in recent years, is now not just a Hollywood heavyweight, but a bona fide British knight — proof that even in the California desert, royalty sometimes comes calling.
The knighthood, awarded for his services to drama, is the first royal accolade Oldman has received despite a decades-long career filled with critical acclaim. He now joins the ranks of legendary British actors such as Sir Daniel Day-Lewis and Sir Kenneth Branagh.
