Gary Oldman’s 1997 career showed the contrast between commercial film work and personal artistic projects. He starred in The Fifth Element and Air Force One, both major box-office successes, while also writing, directing and producing the acclaimed Nil by Mouth, which reflected his deeper creative ambitions.

Oldman said Air Force One was “conveyor belt, multiplex, popcorn stuff” and not a film he would choose to watch, although he accepted the role to help finance projects such as Nil by Mouth. Despite appearing in two of 1997’s ten biggest hits, he regarded them primarily as well-paid jobs; ironically, nearly 30 years later, he has still not made a second feature as director.