Sir Gary Oldman, the Oscar-winning actor, has said the Prince of Wales told him he was a fan of the television series Slow Horses as he received a knighthood at Windsor Castle on Tuesday.
In the hit series, Oldman plays Jackson Lamb, a dishevelled misfit and maverick spy.
The prince told the actor that every time he sees Oldman on screen as the veteran MI5 agent, “I just want to give you a good wash”.
Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses
PA
Oldman said he joked in reply: “Well, I think I’ve scrubbed up OK today.”
The 67-year-old actor, who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, said receiving the knighthood was even better.
“It was emotional,” he said. “Very emotional. We spoke a minute, but I almost couldn’t find my voice. I think I feel very honoured — very humbled and flattered, I think in equal measure.
“It compares to nothing else. It’s a singular event, that is what it is. I thought the Oscar was a big deal. No disrespect to the Academy, but it sort of pales in comparison to this. It’s just been wonderful.”
Sir Gary Oldman with a bust of Winston Churchill, who he played in Darkest Hour
ANDREW PARSONS/KENSINGTON PALACE
Of his conversation with the prince, Oldman said: “He mentioned The Fifth Element and Darkest Hour.
“He said he was very happy that I was here today and that it was him that had the opportunity to present me with [the honour]. A fan of Slow Horses. And he says, ‘Every time I see you, I just want to give you a good wash.’
“And I said, ‘Well, I think I’ve scrubbed up OK today.’ He’s a fan, yeah.”
Slow Horses is based on the Slough House book series by the British writer Mick Herron.
Oldman won the best actor Oscar for Darkest Hour in 2018
MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS
After being awarded the knighthood, Oldman said it was a bonus when you worked on a film or a show and it was appreciated, adding that at Windsor Castle, people had been coming up to him saying they were waiting so they could binge-watch Slow Horses or asking if he would do another series.
The actor said it was “a lot of fun” playing Jackson Lamb, adding: “He’s got sort of an acid wit, sarcastic, he drinks too much, smokes too much, eats all the wrong things. Who wouldn’t want to play that?”
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Across the Noughties and into the 2010s, he appeared in some of the Harry Potter films as Harry’s godfather, Sirius Black, and said he would have given it some thought if he was asked to play Dumbledore in the new series.
He said he was “intrigued” by the new HBO television adaptation of Harry Potter, which is being filmed nearby in the Windsor Estate.
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“Good luck to them,” he said. “We were our thing. It was wonderfully received, hugely successful.
“But a lot of the books got cut, because you do have a window of two hours, two and a half hours, and some of them even three hours.
“I’m intrigued. I think I’ll watch it, because I’m intrigued to see, I think they’re going to do it word for word. That’s what I believe.”
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Asked if he would consider returning as Sirius Black if he was asked, Oldman said: “No, I’m too old for Sirius Black, I’d have maybe given Dumbledore … I wouldn’t have said no to it immediately. I’d have given it some thought. But I think my days of Sirius Black are behind me.”
The footballer Rachel Daly was appointed MBE for her outstanding contributions to football, including being a key player in England’s UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 victory
NAOMI BAKER/GETTY IMAGES
Also among the personalities being honoured on Tuesday were the Bafta-winning actress Samantha Morton and the England footballer Rachel Daly.
Morton, 48, known for her roles in Longford and The Serpent Queen, was appointed OBE for services to drama and to charity.
Daly, 33, who helped the England team to victory in their 2022 European Championship win, was appointed MBE for services to association football.