The only role Gary Oldman fought hard to play: “Such a wild character”
One of Gary Oldman’s first roles saw him play a right-wing skinhead in Mike Leigh’s 1983 gritty social realist drama Meantime. The actor delivered an utterly realistic performance as the irritating and disaffected youth, and there was no doubt in anyone’s minds that this young actor wouldn’t go on to find significant success.
From there, Oldman proved his propensity for leading roles with a part as the controversial Sex Pistols bassist in Sid and Nancy, directed by Alex Cox. Oldman soon landed himself more and more parts, although it was the 1990s that saw the actor appear in triumph after triumph, however. He shapeshifted across movies like Bram Stoker’s Dracula, True Romance, and Leon: The Professional, proving his innate talent for evil characters.
Since then, the actor has only continued to appear in further popular movies and shows, from the Harry Potter series to Apple TV’s Slow Horses. Winning an Oscar for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour and even establishing himself as a fantastic director with his one and only directorial effort, Nil By Mouth, Oldman hasn’t done too badly for himself over the years.
It seems like he is never running out of options, with his filmography reflecting the life of a man with a very packed schedule. The actor has hardly taken a break, with endless roles handed to him on a silver platter. Yet, there was one instance in which Oldman found himself fighting for a role rather than having it offered to him.
The actor admitted that this has occurred “only once,” telling The Arts Desk, “Mason Verger in Ridley Scott’s Hannibal. I had heard that they wanted to re-create the character with an animatronic puppet, and I thought to myself, ‘What a stupid idea!’ I called Ridley and suggested that I take the part. I had read the book and thought Verger was great – such a wild character.”
The character of Mason Verger is yet another antagonist that Oldman has played terrifically, although he has a disfigured face, so the actor donned a considerable amount of prosthetics for the part. In fact, you might not even realise that it’s Oldman in the role if not for the credits, although his villainous skill could hardly belong to another actor.
A disgusting paedophile, Verger was certainly a hard character for Oldman to embody, but he knew he had what it took to bring the antagonist to life. The story of the character is a grisly one – following Verger’s incarceration, his therapy sessions with Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins, led to the cannibal drugging him and encouraging him to slice his skin off. Verger eats some of his own face, leaving him in need of a skin graft, and his desire to seek revenge on Lecter thus forms the plot of the film.
Hannibal was not well-received, paling in comparison to the far superior The Silence of the Lambs. Still, Oldman’s dedication to the part was impressive, and he showed himself to be a truly passionate star who can do antagonistic roles like few others.
