<P> Oldman appeared opposite Jeff Bridges as zealous Republican congressman Sheldon Runyon in The Contender (2000), in which he was also credited as a producer . Oldman received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for his performance . In 2001, he starred opposite Anthony Hopkins in Hannibal, as Mason Verger, the only surviving victim of Hannibal Lecter . He reportedly spent six hours per day in the make - up room to achieve the character's hideously disfigured appearance . It marked the second time that Oldman had appeared opposite Hopkins, a personal friend who was part of the supporting cast of Bram Stoker's Dracula . Oldman is uncredited in the film, reportedly over a dispute regarding top billing, which was going to co-star Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore . He received an Emmy Award nomination for two guest appearances in Friends in May 2001, appearing in the two - part episode "The One With Chandler and Monica's Wedding" as Richard Crosby, a pedantic actor who insists that "real" actors spit on one another when they enunciate, leading to tension, then friendship, with Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc). Oldman had previously worked with LeBlanc on Lost in Space . </P> <P> Following his 2001 Friends appearance, Oldman did not appear in any major roles until 2004; it was suggested that he was blacklisted in Hollywood during this time, owing to a 2000 controversy . In 2002, he starred in the generally well - received Interstate 60, and played the Devil in the BMW short film, The Hire: Beat the Devil . Guardian writer Xan Brooks described the early 2000s as Oldman's "low point", recalling "barrel - scraping roles" in the critically maligned 2003 films Tiptoes and Sin . Although the film failed to impress reviewers, Oldman did garner praise for his portrayal of a man with dwarfism in Tiptoes: Lisa Nesselson in Variety described his work as "astonishingly fine", and the performance was later mentioned in Mark Kermode's "Great Acting in Bad Films". </P> <P> In 2004, Oldman returned to prominence when he landed a significant role in the Harry Potter film series, playing Harry Potter's godfather Sirius Black . The following year, he starred as James Gordon in Christopher Nolan's commercially and critically successful Batman Begins, a role that he reprised in the even more successful sequel The Dark Knight (2008) and once more in the conclusion, The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Prominent film critic Mark Kermode, in reviewing The Dark Knight, downplayed claims that Heath Ledger's Joker was the highlight of the film, saying, "the best performance in the film, by a mile, is Gary Oldman's...it would be lovely to see him get a (n Academy Award) nomination because actually, he's the guy who gets kind of overlooked in all of this ." Oldman co-starred with Jim Carrey in the 2009 version of A Christmas Carol in which Oldman played three roles . He had a starring role in David Goyer's supernatural thriller The Unborn, released in 2009 . In 2010, Oldman co-starred with Denzel Washington in The Book of Eli . He also played a lead role in Catherine Hardwicke's Red Riding Hood . Oldman voiced the role of villain Lord Shen and was nominated for an Annie Award for his performance in Kung Fu Panda 2 . </P> <P> Oldman received strong reviews and earned his first Academy Award nomination and a BAFTA Award nomination for his portrayal of British spy George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), an adaptation of the John le Carré novel, directed by Tomas Alfredson . In addition, he was chosen by Screened, and W Magazine for giving one of the best performances of 2011 . To prepare for the role of George Smiley, Gary Oldman gained 15 pounds by eating a lot of treacle sponge and custard to "put on a bit of middle - aged tummy". Oldman also watched Alec Guinness' performance in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and paid a visit to Smiley's creator John le Carré: "The way he touched his shirt, spoke and so on, I took all that and used it . I hope he won't mind, but Smiley is in his DNA ." </P>

Actor who played sirius black in harry potter