Let's take a quick trip back- ten years back. Wee little Megan (that's me) was only 12 years old. It was mid-July and my family and I had just seen the fifth installment of the ''Harry Potter" film franchise. I had been so torn up at the prospect of watching my favorite character die. But I felt so much relief that Sirius Black was portrayed so beautifully.

That was, thanks to British born actor, Gary Oldman, only I didn't know that at the time. It was my darling sister who told me his name and sat with me, scrolling through the interwebs as we looked at Gary Oldman's previous cinematic work. At this point, I was just curious about him. The obsession had not yet taken hold.

I wanted to watch something else he'd been in, but nearly everything I found was not appropriate for younger audiences -which I definitely was. I loved "Batman Begins" but I wanted to see him in something... how should I say this...something more British.

And suddenly there it was: a Tom Stoppard movie with Richard Dreyfus, Tim Roth, and (of course) Gary Oldman. "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" is a parody of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" as told from the perspective of two minor (like really, really minor) characters: two young men who allegedly grew up with Hamlet as young boys. It's absolutely hilarious. Gary Oldman plays the endearing, delightfully oblivious Rosencrantz. On my 13th birthday, my sister hunted down the DVD and pretty much immediately, R & G became my favorite movie.

The reason? Well not only is it a fantastic film but as I watched this cinematic CHAMELEON on the screen, I made a pretty big life decision. At that moment, I decided to be an actor.

* Cue the John Mulaney style over-reaction: WHOOA! *

Yeah, so we all kind of knew that was coming. Whatever.

Anyway, that's how it started.

Unfortunately, being a fangirl of a 50-year-old British actor isn't exactly common--it's downright alienating, honestly. I got made fun of a lot. Like a LOT.

"Who even is he?"

"Haha, Gary Oldman... So he's like super old."

"He's probably not even good-I bet I could act better than him. And I bet I'm a way better actor than you, too."

"It's not like he's Zac Efron or a Jonas Brother. Why do you even like him?"

It was always really petty stuff, but it made me really sad and angry. Luckily, I never let them get to me EVER. (I'm lying. I let it get to me all the dang time. I cried like an enormous baby child).

But as I got older, I met more people who actually watched movies that didn't start with the phrase "Disney Channel Orginal." And as nice as it is to talk to other adults about "Leon: The Professional" and ''Air Force One" and "The Fifth Element" and those two episodes of ''Friends" when Monica and Chandler get married, part of me still really wanted something to hold up as a reason those classmates of mine should eat their words.

Then, on Sunday night, March 4, 2018, my favorite actor, my idol Gary Oldman accepted the Oscar for Best Actor. There are many who believe he should have like 20 Oscars by now (myself included), but still, this was a sweet victory, no matter how overdue.

Then it started. The media hounds crept out from the shadows and started to tear into my favorite.

Several years ago, I read an article that really shook me. I almost cried as I read that Gary Oldman had allegedly beaten his ex-wife and that he had been a terrible alcoholic. How could this be the same man that I had admired for so long? Luckily, I used my handy-dandy common sense and dug deeper. Everything I saw from much more reliable sources told me that firstly, Gary went to rehab and had been sober for several years.

And apparently, no charges could be pressed because all evidence indicated that the Ex. Mrs. Oldman had been lying to try and get more money out of their divorce. AND that she was determined by a court to be an addict and an unfit mother. Gary was granted sole custody of their kids. It's still a heartbreaking story, but boy was I relieved to find that he was definitely someone worth idolizing.

Now. Finally, my favorite chameleon is getting recognized for his talent, and an old FALSE abuse claim comes back to the surface. And everyone seems ready to throw him in with the rest of the garbage celebs who actually are guilty.

AND Gary Oldman’s son, Gulliver, was moved to write an open letter on his father’s behalf. He tries to put the rumors to rest by explaining that his mother is not a healthy woman and that the event in question simply did not happen. It’s a beautifully written tribute to his dad. (You can read it here.)

Come on, guys. Don't pretend that spreading false allegations is the same as being an advocate for feminism & equality. It's not. It's just a really crappy way of pretending you're on the right side of things when really you're just someone who didn't do their research.

So, I will proudly sport my YouTube screenname: Garyinspired95 (look me up, I'm super cool.) And I will say, in very early 2000s fashion, "LEAVE GARY ALONE!"

I'm proud of my idol. I want him to be celebrated because so much of who I am comes from looking up to him. I strive to be as dedicated an artist as he is and as humble and classy as he is should I see any kind of success.

Congratulations, Gary! Enjoy this. You deserve it.

Love,

Your biggest fan (but not in a creepy way)

Megan Wiegert