Oscar-winner Gary Oldman has discussed the idea of possible retirement, suggesting his current leading man role in the Apple TV+ espionage series “Slow Horses” might be his swan song.
Oldman stars in the series as Jackson Lamb, the slovenly and often drunk head of Slough House – an administrative purgatory for British Intelligence’s rejects. The show wrapped its six-episode first season on Apple TV+ yesterday, adapting the first of Herron’s book series which consists of eight novels and three novellas to date.
Apple has already shot a six-episode adaptation of the second book, “Dead Lions,” which he says is being considered the second half of the show’s first season – as opposed to a second season. This means the series could go at least four full seasons of twelve episodes each (or eight seasons of six) should the audience be there.
Talking with Deadline and mulling the question of retirement, the 64-year-old actor says something else might come around to change his mind but he is enjoying where he is right now and sounds happy to stick with the series if the demand is there:
“I could see myself playing Jackson [Lamb] for the next how many years, yeah. Absolutely. I mean, for those that love the books and that were Mick Herron devotees as it were, he is already an iconic character. So, if it were to go out with a bang, I mean, retirement is on the horizon. Yeah. I can see it.
You know, to be able to sort of wrap it all up playing Jackson Lamb, I would consider myself very honored and very lucky to be able to do that. I would never say never. There’s always something that may come in, and you know, get the taste buds going but I’d be thrilled and honored to play him for the foreseeable future.
And not only that, you often see actors who are in a series and they talk about a sort of sense of family and you do get that in a movie or a play. The actors and the crew on both ‘Slow Horses’ and ‘Dead Lions’ have been wonderful, and should we come back, it really is reconnecting with your family.”
Oldman has a role in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming “Oppenheimer” film but otherwise has a fairly clear schedule in the near future. The six-episode “Slow Horses” is now available in full on the Apple TV+ service.
