An unexpected celebrity is in Gary Oldman’s DMs — and he calls himself a lurker

On the Emmys red carpet, Gary Oldman gave a rare peek at his online life, saying he still avoids having official accounts but quietly keeps tabs from the sidelines — and that the one famous person he actually messages is Daniel Day-Lewis. He shared the update during CNN and Variety’s live red-carpet show.

I am a lurker. I am in the shadows.

Oldman added that his favorite follow is his wife, who posts “very good stuff.” As for Day-Lewis, Oldman said they trade messages — not exactly the pairing you’d expect given their long, intertwined careers — and noted they grew up just two miles apart in southeast London.

Oldman and Day‑Lewis, then and now

The two were bracketed together in the ’80s “Brit Pack,” often reading for the same parts. One early fork in their paths: the breakout role in My Beautiful Laundrette ultimately went to Day-Lewis after first circling Oldman.

• Both were labeled part of the “Brit Pack” at the start of their careers.
• They frequently auditioned for the same roles in the 1980s.
• The key role in My Beautiful Laundrette ended up with Day-Lewis after initially being linked to Oldman.
• Oldman has three Best Actor Oscar nominations and won in 2018 for Darkest Hour; Day-Lewis remains the only man to have won Best Actor three times.

Oldman also offered a self-deprecating awards anecdote from home. Asked about his Best Actor statuette, he joked that he hasn’t seen it lately.

Might be in a cupboard somewhere.

He clarified he probably hasn’t actually lost the Oscar — he just needs to “dig it out.”