Jackson Lamb isn’t your typical spy. He’s not the image that comes to mind when you think James Bond or Jack Ryan, but Gary Oldman, the Emmy-nominated actor behind the “Slow Horses” character, wouldn’t have it any other way. One of the big things that attracted Oldman to a role in a long-form TV series was that Lamb engages in his own unique form of espionage, one that allows him to lean into his baser instincts. And even though he may come off as disheveled to most, Oldman shared in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times that it’s all part of how he keeps people on their toes.
“The idea behind the dirty [raincoat] and the smell of whiskey and cigarettes is that he’s playing chess,” Oldman said. “That’s one of the great joys of playing him. That and the fact that he has no filter, that he’s utterly direct. The reason we enjoy it as an audience, and I enjoy playing it, is because we can’t be like that in our lives. And on top of it, we give you James Bond, but warts and all, with dirty laundry and stale toast.”
These elements of Lamb’s personality may repel some, but Oldman makes clear that there is intention behind it and his outward behavior is countered by an intellect developed over decades in the service of MI6, one that allows him to do things like build an intruder alarm out of nothing more than nails, a knife, and a can of Pringles.
“That’s the thing: With moments like that, you see the years of experience,” said Oldman. “It’d be easy to brush him off. ‘He doesn’t care very much. He drinks too much. Not very healthy. Smokes too much.’ All of those outward things. I mean, he immediately comes through the door and goes straight to the sandwiches. ‘Oh, is this ham?’ I love that. It’s quirky.”
On top of Lamb’s specific form of intellectual prowess attracting Oldman to the role in “Slow Horses,” the fact that the show shot in his home country, didn’t require a huge transformation, and allowed him to wear pretty much the same thing every episode also proved enticing.
“When it was presented to me, I went, ‘I’ve got, like, one costume? It’s espionage and it’s in England? I don’t have to do an accent?’ I couldn’t believe it,” Oldman said to the LA Times. “It ticked every single box. And on top of that, it was really good.”
While season 4 of the Apple TV+ series has yet to be released, Oldman is already busy at work on season 5, which he says further elevates Lamb’s technique and approach.
“In Season 5, we’ve got an absolute zinger. [Laughs],” he said. “The scene is about my flatulence. It’s a great one. We had such fun shooting it. He says, ‘It’s just gas, the most natural thing in the world. Don’t know what everybody’s so excited about.’ But I actually think he uses it like, ‘Don’t get so close to me.’ Literally. He’s delicious that way.”
Season 4 of “Slow Horses” starts streaming on Apple TV+ September 4.
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