Norman Stansfield

Norman Stansfield
Léon: The Professional character
Gary Oldman as Stansfield in Léon: The Professional.
Created by	Luc Besson
Portrayed by	Gary Oldman
Information
Nickname(s)	Stan
Occupation	DEA agent
Nationality	American

Norman Stansfield (billed as Stansfield) is a fictional character and the primary antagonist of Luc Besson's 1994 film Léon: The Professional. Portrayed by Gary Oldman, the corrupt and mentally unhinged Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent has been named as one of cinema's greatest villains. In recognition of its influence, MSN Movies described the Stansfield character as "the role that launched a thousand villains".

Stansfield is a DEA agent who employs a holder (Michael Badalucco) to store cocaine in his residence. When Stansfield learns that the holder has been stealing some of the drugs for himself, his henchmen and he gun down the man's entire family, with the exception of 12-year-old Mathilda (Natalie Portman), who is able to find refuge with neighbor and professional hitman Léon (Jean Reno). As the film progresses, Mathilda implores Léon to teach her his trade so she can kill Stansfield and avenge the murder of her younger brother, the only member of her family she loved.

Stansfield wears a beige suit, and is unshaven with often unkempt hair. He has been described as a psychopath, and as having an unhinged, unpredictable personality; he has also been cited for his charm, however. He is a classical music purist who likens his killings to the works of Beethoven. Throughout the film, he takes an unidentified drug in capsule form.

Stansfield is noted for Oldman's over-the-top portrayal of the character. Given the austere manner of the film's title character, actor Jean Reno had "no room to play", according to director Luc Besson, and Stansfield was devised as a contrasting character with whom "anything was possible. Anything." Although the antagonist of the film, Stansfield was intended to offer a measure of comic relief. Besson stated: "A movie without humor somewhere, is not a movie. A movie needs humor" (one writer described Stansfield as "menacing but so full of whimsical tics you can't help but let out a guilty chuckle"). Oldman said of Besson's direction: "You share ideas, and if you come up with an idea that he likes, you can bet your bottom dollar that it'll go in the movie. I liked working with Luc so much that if I actually never worked with another director again, it wouldn't worry me." In a later interview, however, Oldman alluded to some conflict with Besson on-set: "He tells you how to move, how to speak, where to stand. He tried that with me [laughs], not always with the greatest success. You have to be open to ideas, and it's okay if someone has a better idea than you. You can't nest and be so closed off. You act and direct with an open hand. It's about collaboration." Oldman concluded, however: "There's one vision, ultimately. I am there to serve the director's vision, and I respect that. I'm not just going to stamp my foot and demand my own way. I'm going to go with the flow." Oldman and Besson's professional relationship would be an ongoing one: Besson cast Oldman as the primary antagonist of his next project, 1997 blockbuster The Fifth Element, and co-produced Oldman's directorial debut Nil by Mouth, released the same year.