The 2011 role that almost gave Gary Oldman a breakdown: “Calling the doctor to help my life”
Gary Oldman’s most challenging part was also one of his most celebrated.
The 1980s and early ‘90s saw an influx of British actors taking over the industry with their bold, uncompromising acting styles, as the entire cinematic world was enamoured with the work of Tim Roth, Ralph Fiennes, Colin Firth, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Gary Oldman.
Oldman was singled out because of the bravery with which he played roles that most other actors would be terrified to take on; whether it was playing an LGBTQ artist in Prick Up Your Ears or starring in a subversive musician biopic with Sid & Nancy, Oldman appeared to be one of the few actors in the business who was interested purely in the craft.
Oldman’s persona transformed radically over the course of the next decade because he would be frequently called in to play over-the-top villains in action and horror films, leading him to give memorable performances in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Leon: The Professional, The Fifth Element, and Lost in Space. Even if the films themselves were met with mixed responses, Oldman was always singled out as being a standout, as he was praised as being a “genius” by his peers.
By the time that the 21st century rolled around, Oldman appeared to have reached his limit playing bad guys and was able to take on supporting mentor roles in two major blockbuster franchises. Oldman debuted the character of Sirius Black, a mentor to Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which is the best instalment in the series. He was also cast as Commissioner Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy, and is seen by comic book fans as having the definitive interpretation of the character.
All of this was in preparation for Oldman to take on his most ambitious role to date, as George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, an adaptation of the iconic Cold War spy thriller from author John le Carré. It’s a role that has been portrayed by legendary actors, as it was Sir Alec Guinness who played Smiley in the original BBC series. Given the complexity of the material and the weight of expectations, Oldman said he was overwhelmed when filming began.
“I panicked and I got stage fright,” Oldman said. “Bone crushing. Yeah, calling the doctor to help my life. I was in pieces. My life was falling apart. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep. I just said, ‘I’ve got to get on a plane, I’ve got to go home. I can’t even relax in my hotel room. How am I going to walk on a set and remember these lines?’ And another thing, I called a doctor. Yeah, and he gave me a little tablet, and after a few days, it started to calm me down.”
Oldman’s anxieties are understandable, as the language used by le Carré is quite nuanced, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy required its entire cast to have a complete understanding of the complex conspiracy story it was telling. Thankfully, Oldman added more depth and emotional nuance to the role of Smiley than anyone would have expected, and the performance earned him his very first Academy Award nomination for ‘Best Actor’; in hindsight, it’s an Oscar he should have won, as no one really remembers Jean Dujardin in The Artist.
