The “Perfect” Slow Horses role played by Gary Oldman is revealing the hidden reality of his entire career.
Although critics have largely applauded Apple TV+’s adaption of Mick Herron’s spy series Slow Horses, most agree that Gary Oldman’s portrayal of Jackson Lamb is crucial to the program is success. Lamb, as the ill-mannered and haughty leader of Slough House, is unquestionably charming but also incredibly disagreeable. It stands to reason that not many actors could pull off this mix. But in doing so, Oldman has disclosed a deeper truth about his entire career in addition to highlighting his amazing qualities.
Gary Oldman has received special recognition, even in light of Slow Horses’ steady critical success (each season receiving a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 95% or higher). His performance was praised as “grimy perfection” by The Guardian and as “the best character on TV” by Den of Geek. It was expected that Oldman, an Oscar-winning actor, would be able to embodie Lamb to such an extent. What might surprise people more, though, is that Lamb’s persona defies the 66-year-old’s common perception—at least among general audiences.
Even though Jackson Lamb has a tendency to be very disagreeable, at his core, he is a hero who often steps in to rescue the day, albeit grudgingly. Given that Oldman is most known for portraying villains, this subverts audience expectations of Oldman while simultaneously making him more complex and nuanced in his portrayal. For example, the antagonists that shaped the early years of his Hollywood career included Lee Harvey Oswald in JFK, Drexl Spivey in True Romance, and Count Dracula.
Without a question, the majority of Oldman’s most well-known early roles were those of villains. Though these roles contributed to his public recognition, he has also found considerable success in supporting roles as heroes. Notable roles included Sirius Black in the Harry Potter books and James Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. Oldman’s portrayal of Winston Churchill in the movie Darkest Hour earned him his lone Academy Award. He has even been known to portray heroes in the spy genre in the past, such as Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’s George Smiley.
