Gary Oldman Thankful for ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Batman’ Roles: ‘I Could Do the Least Amount of Work for Most Amount of Money’ | Video
Gary Oldman shared he’s thankful for his roles in the “Harry Potter” and “Batman” franchises because it gave him a nice paycheck as well as more time to spend with his family during a time when he was struggling to find roles.
During a sit-down with Drew Barrymore on “The Drew Barrymore Show,” the longtime actor reflected on the early beginnings of his career and how his casting in two fictional universes helped his career blossom.
“I turned down a lot of work,” Oldman said. “Thank God for ‘Harry Potter.’ Thank God for ‘Harry Potter.’ And I tell you, the two, ‘Batman and ‘Harry Potter,’ really, they saved me, because it meant that I could, I could do the least amount of work for the most amount of money. And then be home with the kids.”
Oldman starred as Sirius Black in in the adaption of J.K. Rowling’s hit book series “Harry Potter,” and as James “Jim” Gordon in the “Batman” installments. At the time, Oldman was struggling to find his next opportunity for employment as an actor.
“At 42 years old, I woke up divorced and I had custody of [my] boys,” Oldman said. “There was a shift in the industry where a lot of productions were being [filmed in] Hungary, Budapest, Prague, Australia, you know, all of these places. So, I turned down a lot of work.”
The “Slow Horses” actor who shared that he’s reached 27 years of sobriety, also reflected on the ways he’s become a better father to children over the years.
“I was really not there all the time for the first boy,” Oldman said. “Then I got the opportunity to have these other two kids, and I thought I can’t, I’ve now been given a real gift to be the dad I imagined, I wanted to be or could be with the first boy, Alfie. So I’ve got a chance to really repair this and switch it around.”
He broke down the hectic schedule he worked under for “Batman” and how it impacted his time with his family.
“I did 27 round trips of flying back from L.A.,” Oldman continued. “I’d fly in for a day. I’d do a shoot a day. To Chris Nolan’s credit…he stayed on schedule. I would go home for three days. Come back for two. Go home for a weekend. Come back for a day…I just felt my kids are being brought up by a nanny.”
Booked and busier than ever, Oldman is starring in Apple TV+’s third season, which premiered on Nov. 29.
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