Why Gary Oldman never revisits his work

The Slow Horses star on the cult-hit spy series, his Emmy nomination and never looking back.

British actor Gary Oldman at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024. Picture: AFP

Until two years ago, actor Gary Oldman hadn’t done much television. He was known for films such as sci-fi classic The Fifth Element, his role as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter movies, and his Oscar-winning turn as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour.

Oldman’s most famous TV role was a guest turn on Friends in 2001, which nabbed him an Emmy nomination.

Then came Slow Horses, an Apple TV+ spy series that has amassed a fervent fan base, based on the series of novels by Mick Herron.

Oldman stars as Jackson Lamb, head of a group of underachieving MI5 agents who have been banished to a decrepit office called Slough House. Lamb farts in public, wears dirty clothes, and professes to care little for his employees, even as he often ends up protecting them. The show is now in its fourth season – it amassed nine Emmy nominations for its third season, including one for Oldman for lead actor in a drama series – and Will Smith won the Emmy for outstanding writing for a drama series.

Why were you drawn to playing Jackson Lamb?

I was sitting with (my producing partner Doug Urbanski) one day and said: “You know what? I’ve been watching these long-form shows. God, it must be great going in season after season, working with the same people much like you would in a theatre company. Can’t you find me something? But here are the caveats to it. I don’t really want to wear a lot of costumes. I’d like to do something closer to my accent because I’ve spent a whole career doing all these accents. I’d love it to be in the spy world, really good character, and I don’t want prosthetic makeup.” A little while later, Slow Horses dropped from the sky. We were on an airplane. Doug was reading the script and said: “This character is about to become your best friend.”

Did he become your best friend?

He’s been very good to me. He’s a wonderful character to play. I enjoy the hell out of it. I’m glad that our baby’s out there in the world and people have gone, “Oh, it’s a really cute kid”. But I’m more interested in the journey of doing something than I am in the end result. And it has been a real highlight of my career to not only be involved with Jackson and the quality of the material, but the people. I love working with this cast and this crew. Mick in these books likes to kill people off. You get really attached to the people and the actors.

Oldman in his Oscar-winning role as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour.

What is it like to be in Jackson’s skin? It almost feels like you can smell him coming off the screen.

Well, I smell a lot better than I look, in real life. I sit in the makeup chair and they burst all my blood vessels on my cheeks and sort of jaundice yellow up here under the eyes. And lots of product in my hair, a bit of glycerine, bit of sweat, and the hair sticks to the back of the neck.

What did the Emmy nomination mean to you?

I suppose it’s better than not having one. It’s a weird thing. When you’re not in the race, I don’t check in. And when you’re nominated and you’re in the thick of it, just by its nature, it becomes full-on. Now it’s not as full-on as Oscar. That was harder than making the movie – and longer. I sort of wish for a different world. I think you should be able to watch the films in the cinema. You should be able to sign in so they can check if you saw them or not. And then if you like the performance, vote for it, without the song and dance.

Do you ever draw connections between the roles you played in the past when you’re playing something in the present?

Not consciously. Once it’s done, it’s done. This is a little different because I’m tethered to it, even when I’ve got a six-month break. And it dictates if I do anything else. I did a day on Oppenheimer. I said to Chris Nolan: “I would love to come and do it, but I’m going to have to wear a prosthetic cap and a wig and I can’t cut my hair. So if you can deal with that, then I’d love to come and do it. And if you don’t want wigs, then you have to get someone else to do it.” Lamb is never far away in that sense.

I remember once hearing something that John Lennon said because he hated his voice, as hard as it is to believe. He always wanted to put some kind of effect on it or double the vocal. He said, “I’d just burn all the records and start all over again.” I know what he means. I don’t go back and revisit these things. It’s old work. If someone said to me, “What’s your best work?” I’d have to say, “Next season.”

The Wall Street Journal