For nearly 30 years, Gary Oldman’s explosive delivery of “Everyone!” in The Professional has lived rent-free in movie culture. But according to Oldman himself, the line wasn’t even part of the plan.
First of all, here’s a look back at that iconic moment:
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During a recent live interview with Josh Horowitz, Oldman reflected on the famous moment from Luc Besson’s 1994 cult favourite The Professional (also known internationally as Léon: The Professional). Asked if fans ever shout the line at him in public, Oldman admitted: “Yeah. What’s strange is that it’s become this sort of iconic kind of line. And it was all done as a joke.”
Oldman went on to explain that he and director Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, Nikita, Lucy) often experimented with takes on set, with Besson even having him try different acting styles for fun. And that was despite the costly practice of capturing it all on celluloid. “We were shooting on film, and then he would say to me, ‘Okay do the scene again but now do it as Robert De Niro.’ And he would shoot it for kicks and his archive,” Oldman said. “So we had a fun kind of relationship.”
It was during one of those playful moments that Oldman spontaneously performed the take that would become legendary. “I said to Luc, ‘I just want to do one more, let me do one more.’ And I went to the sound guy, I said, ‘I’m going to be really loud so be careful,’ and [I said] ‘Bring me everyone… Everyone!’ like that. And I just did it as a joke to make Luc laugh.”
That joke take ended up staying in the final cut — something Oldman didn’t expect. “I was a little shocked when I saw it in the film,” he recalled, laughing. “It was just me fooling around… with intensity, with feeling.”
Released in 1994, The Professional stars Jean Reno as hitman Léon, Natalie Portman (in her film debut) as Mathilda, and Oldman as the unhinged DEA agent Norman Stansfield. While the film initially received mixed reviews, it’s since developed a devoted fanbase, with Oldman’s all-in performance among the key factors for its enduring appeal.
In another Oldman news: that actor has been awarded a knighthood in King Charles’ Birthday Honours. Speaking to Deadline about the honour, Oldman said: “It’s actually sort of mind-boggling. I’m gobsmacked.” In an official statement, he added: “To be included in the long lineage of extraordinary actors, artists, and others who hold this title fills me with indescribable humility and pride. It is emotional, humbling and flattering all at the same time to be recognized amongst them.”
