‘Tiptoes’: the undoubted low point of Gary Oldman’s career
Most actors in the world could only dream of having half the career that the legendary English star Gary Oldman has enjoyed. His wide-ranging, intense performances have been admired for over four decades and include acclaimed efforts on stage and on screen, with him winning an Academy Award and three Baftas in the process.
However, like most of the big acting names, there have been a few moments from Oldman’s career that he wishes he could wipe from existence. After all, for every few masterpieces, there in variably has to come a stinker or two, and for Oldman, there are few films that he is more embarrassed by than 2003’s Tiptoes.
And his shame is more than understandable. Oldman, like most of the cast, has rarely spoken of the Matthew Bright-directed comedy-drama starring Kate Beckinsale, Patricia Arquette and Matthew McConaughey. It tells of a man who finds difficulty in telling his pregnant fiancé that his entire family are little people.
Oldman was, in fact, cast as a dwarf, even though he is indeed a person of average height, which several figures in the industry criticised. Upon signing up for the role, Oldman seemed defiant over what he could do with it, saying, “It is a glorious part. A dream of a role. But it wasn’t an immediate ‘yes’. I just wondered how I would meet the physical challenge of it. I happen to think it’s an incredible benchmark in the field of make-up.”
Kate Beckinsale was slightly more blunt in her assessment, revealing: “He was basically on his knees with a prosthetic part of his head and face and a hump and different kinds of harnesses to strap his arms back to make them short, and special clothes. They had various different effects, like if he was sitting in a chair, his legs would actually be inside the chair, and he’d have these little fake legs sticking out on top.”
God knows how or why Oldman was cast in this very peculiar role, but in hindsight, he can’t be overly proud of it. Peter Dinklage of Game of Thrones fame, himself a dwarf, also featured in the film and, like Oldman, seemed to justify his co-star taking on the role, referring to his stature in the movie industry and the fact that he could take on what he wants.
“There was some flak,” Dinklage told The New York Times of the backlash against the movie. “‘Why would you put Gary Oldman on his knees? That’s almost like blackface.’ And I have my own opinions about political correctness, but I was just like: ‘It’s Gary Oldman. He can do whatever he wants, and I’m so happy to be here.'”
Still, the fact that Oldman has rarely spoken of Tiptoes proves that it’s one that he’d rather simply pretend never happened. Check out the film’s trailer below.
