With the return of the highly anticipated series Slow Horses, we're looking at one of its leading stars, Gary Oldman, and his links to south east London.
Season six of the popular spy thriller is set to land on Apple TV+ on September 16 with the Oscar winner resuming his role as Jackson Lamb.
The series itself has links to south east London, with eagle-eyed fans previously suspecting a number of scenes were filmed in Greenwich.
But long before Oldman began his film and television career, making his screen debut in Remembrance in 1982, he grew up in New Cross.
READ MORE: Filming for 'movie production' underway at famous Greenwich heritage site
Born on March 21, 1958, Oldman was raised around Hatcham Park Road in SE14. He was brought up by his mother, Kathleen, after his father left the family when Oldman was just seven years old.
Oldman spent much of his youth playing football and cricket with friends in the streets around New Cross.
In a 2018 interview with Luxury London, he said: "London changes so quickly and it was a very different place for me when I was growing up.
"In a way, it's lost a lot of that raw edge that it had, particularly around where I grew up."
Like many local youngsters, football was also a major part of his childhood.
Oldman grew up supporting Millwall and later discovered an unexpected family connection to the club when his mother told him his father had played several first-team matches for the Lions as a young man.
Oldman attended West Greenwich School in Deptford before leaving at 16 and working a series of jobs, including selling shoes and working in a sports shop.
His route into acting began after joining the Greenwich and Lewisham Young People's Theatre, an experience that convinced him to pursue a career on stage.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Oldman explained: "Discovering acting opened a window to the world."
He later studied acting at Rose Bruford College in Sidcup, whose notable alumni include Stephen Graham and Jessica Gunning, best known for their roles in Line of Duty and Baby Reindeer respectively.
Oldman explored his south east London roots through his 1997 film Nil by Mouth, which he wrote and directed.
The film drew on his experiences growing up in a working-class family and featured locations across south east London, including New Cross, Lewisham and Kidbrooke.
In January, Oldman was spotted filming the hit Apple TV+ spy drama Slow Horses in central London, with production taking place around Barbican station.
The actor was seen reprising his role as irascible MI5 boss Jackson Lamb as cameras rolled on the latest series.
For many viewers, Gary Oldman is one of Britain's greatest actors, known for performances in Darkest Hour, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Harry Potter and Slow Horses.
Today, as Slow Horses continues to film across London and new episodes approach, the connection between Gary Oldman and south east London remains as strong as ever.
From the streets of New Cross to Hollywood stardom, his story remains one of the area's greatest success stories.
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