The two inspirations behind Gary Oldman’s most ludicrous villain
It’s easy to swat away the notion that British actors make the best villains as purely coincidental. IN truth, it is more likely something deeply ingrained in the ideals of Hollywood that ‘the British’ represent the oppressive overlords of the ‘New World’ and, therefore, open up a ream of villainous roles for actors like Gary Oldman.
The antagonist position is a charmed place to be for an actor. It offers an opportunity to extravagantly play into some of the more taboo aspects of humanity and, by proxy, become the most memorable part of most movies. But to be a villain of the highest order is to be prepared to find odd inspirations.
Oldman has picked up the role of villain on many occasions. Oldman was the uncredited man behind Mason Verger in Ridley Scott’s Hannibal, he was the excellently wild Drexl Spivery in brother Tony Scott’s True Romance and was the show-stealing antagonist Norman Stansfield in Léon: The Professional. But his most unusual, and therefore magnificent, treacherous role came in a sci-fi cult classic.
The Fifth Element has got to be the most bizarre science fiction film ever made. Even Star Wars, with its pharaonic slugs and tiny bear warriors, looks grim and unimaginative in comparison. It’s a movie packed with unforgettable characters boasting asymmetrical haircuts, beards where there shouldn’t be beards, and tentacles where there shouldn’t be tentacles. But most memorable of all is Gary Oldman’s Zorg, the film’s moustachioed antagonist.
One-third sci-fi flick, one-third action thriller, and one-third advertisement for Jean-Paul Gaultier, The Fifth Element takes place in a 23rd-century version of New York City and follows a cabbie called Korben Dallas as he attempts to protect Leloo (who, to be fair, is perfectly capable of protecting herself) from the Great Evil. With the help of Father Vito Cornelius and Ruby Rhod, Dallas attempts to stop Zorg from getting hold of the five ancient stones that will allow him to summon the end of days.
Zorg is a maniacal industrialist with the air (and haircut) of a pretentious art dealer. With his black side parting, trimmed soul patch and high collar, he’s nestled somewhere between Adolf Hitler and a disco version of Count Dracula. He’s also faintly reminiscent of Donald Trump, though that’s mostly down to the fact he resides in a gigantic tower with his own name on it. According to Oldman, Zorg was indeed inspired by a Republican politician, just not Trump.
Describing how he became involved in the project, Oldman said: “I was directing a film, and Luc Besson was one of the producers and had initially helped me with raising financing.” The actor went on to express his bewilderment at the character’s cult following. “I was singing for my supper. [Luc] called. He said, ‘I need you to do a movie.’ I didn’t read the script – it was a favour.”
Favour or not, Oldman seems to have had quite a bit of fun bringing Zorg to life. In an interview for The Patriot Ledger, he explained that the character was a combination of Bugs Bunny – which explains the buck teeth – and the American business magnate, Electronic Data Systems founder and third-party U.S. presidential candidate Ross Perot, which explains both the creepy southern drawl and the obsession with tech.
It is a reminder of just how wonderful an actor Oldman is that he can dive so deep into a treasure trove of inspirations to combine two completely opposite ideas and shape them into an unforgettable role, arguably his finest villainous performance.
