Gary Oldman says his acting in HARRY POTTER is mediocre

[@MCUHQ]

Mediocre Gary Oldman is still better than a lot of actors at their best

[@BroughtCat]

Bro literally.

[@Josh-kt6jh]

That’s exactly what I thought. Of course he’s critical. But mediocre for him is still fucking good

[@tykjenffs]

His performance in "Tiptoes" is the best worst performance ever xD Can you imagine Gary Oldman playing a midget? It exists!

[@Steve6851-d6l]

no doubt

[@staffh3815]

Oscar worthy😂

[@jackhackett80]

The adult cast in the Harry Potter films gave so much credibility. The movies would not have been the same without the brilliant cast(of adults)

[@ComedyBros5]

Hell yes. I’m very curious how this supposed new HP show will be with different actors/actresses in all the roles, especially adult cast. Hagrid, Snape, Lupin, Mad Eye, and the Weasley’s will be so hard to replace.

[@mrnobodyz]

😂

[@catintheoven]

Yeah Harry and Hermione were so woodenly acted but it was made up by the fact they managed to get nearly every big name British actor in the movies (even despite the Branagh/Thompson/Bonham-Carter history!)

[@LuzMaria95]

Facts.

[@futurez12]

@@catintheovenYeah, the kids were shockingly bad, and not just the 3 main characters.

[@lizzard4890]

Okay but the Prisoner of Azkaban scene with Snape, Remus, and Serious in the Shrieking Shack is some of the best acting in all HP. After that scene he could have acted however he wanted and I’d still have been impressed 😂 Edit: spelling

[@r.c.c.10]

Harry Potter films have very good acting. And Gary Oldman was always very good. Perhaps not the role he's most comfortable with, but his acting was nowhere near bad.

[@marteinnbreki3512]

Also his final scene with Harry in prisoner is fantastic. The love and relief radiates off his face, very powerful acting.

[@maxalvarez5223]

Is that the scene where they turn the rat into the guy? Crazy shit

[@defiante1]

That's... kind of his point, he phoned it in and the fans loved it regardless.

[@hellfish2309]

While Cuaron got great work from him, there wasn’t a whole lot for Gary to do given how much he likes to be put to work evidenced by his viewpoint here; even that tense scene between the kids, Remus, Snape, and Sirrius is excellent dramatic theatrics on paper, but given the final product it may not have been shot like a stage play given how much coverage the cameras need to get and how many characters need to be featured

[@chrisandrews3979]

Its refreshing to see an actor who can actually look critically at their own work.

[@slamdunk2270]

I think it’s totally related to the actual quality of those films. Outside of the first 3 by Colombus and Cuaron, Oldman knows the movies are mediocre hence his mediocre performance in it.

[@popkhorne5372]

Many of them do, thats why its quite common for some to tell you they just don't like to watch themselves acting. Because nothing but criticism comes to their minds.

[@breesybird9207]

@@slamdunk2270the first 2 are the worst in the whole series and 3-8 are all great.

[@wolverineiscool7161]

@@breesybird9207 said no one ever

[@wolverineiscool7161]

@@slamdunk2270 1 and 2 were the only good ones, the rest of them were shit

[@TP_Gillz]

100% right. Because Allen Rickman KNEW the ending he acts towards harry a little subliminatlly as a protector. You can see it in his eyes when he looks at harry in the early films he sees harrys father sometimes or harrys mother other times. Its pretty wild. So glad they told him the ending. It really does make a difference.

[@yarasa4118]

I so agree!! I really see it in his eyes how he looks at harry and it makes me so sad

[@DR_RUFUS]

Yeah, except first HP movie was made in 2001 and the last HP book was published in 2007. Rickman could know a couple of books ahead. He didn't know the ending for the most part.

[@yarasa4118]

@@DR_RUFUS apparently rowling told him from the beginning everything about snape

[@MissCaraMint]

⁠@@DR_RUFUSnah man. We know Rowling told Rickman at least as early as 2004, maybe 2003. The directors commentary of Prisoner of Azkaban talks about how Rickman played Snape in that movie based on secrets Rowling told him.

[@zayin_beats517]

He said he hadn’t been told the exact ending at all. He said JK had given him a little clue. Obviously he understood Snape’s importance from it, but it wasn’t like he knew what the ending was going to be.

[@alexgrant191]

2:35 you can still hear the pain in his voice when he says “I loved him” when asked on his friendship with Alan Rickman. The world is a darker place without his genius 🙏🏻❤️

[@lxchness]

'"Nice one James" is probably one of the most emotional parts of the entire harry potter series and this legend completely improvised it . Sir Gary Oldman and mediocre could never mix.

[@jinny6235]

He improvised that? 😭

[@normpe2851]

And punching Lucius in the face

[@BenSmith-ss6gg]

The supporting cast of Harry Potter is genuinely untouchable. Oldman, Harris, Gambon, Smith, Coltrane, Thewlis, Brannagh, Gleeson, Fiennes, Rickman, Broadbent, Staunton, Carter, McCrory, Walters, Thompson, Hurt and Isaacs (and I've probably missed some!)

[@LudusAurea]

Definitely had many of the best actors in the business.

[@adriantrusca1245]

Dogshit movies.

[@jordanmatthew5246]

Warwick Davies as well. That cast carried the younger stars. the franchise blow up that much it’s hard to imagine any other person playing any of the characters now

[@afrosymphony8207]

i still think it has the best supporting cast ever in movie history and its why its soo gaddamn good.

[@Jemimia]

miriam margolyes

[@jackson857]

I would argue the scene in the Shrieking Shack in Prisoner of Azkaban between Gary Oldman, David Theulis and Alan Rickman is the best scene from any of the films.

[@alexlazzerly3677]

In terms of acting and directing, 100%.

[@Sylar1968]

Don’t forget Timothy Spall (Wormtail) as well

[@LarissaFay]

👏 It is very intense, impactful and informative. Absolutely fantastic acting, everyone delivered.

[@ryankeefe2102]

That scene is very interesting the way its shot its like watching a stage play

[@CleverGirlAAH]

@@ryankeefe2102 I always thought the same!

[@jonharrison9222]

He also said he was grateful for doing both Harry Potter and Batman because they paid very well and allowed him to be at home more.

[@mrnobodyz]

😂

[@gelchert]

He's also credited Harry Potter with reviving his career, since he hadn't acted in over a year prior to being cast as Sirius and was going through some personal issues at the time. In hindsight, Sirius is the turning point of his career, where he stopped being typecast as weird, hammy villains and started being cast in a broader range of roles.

[@luckyspurs]

@@gelchert And then getting Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy and Darkest Hour. Which are basically Alec Guinness style roles.

[@callumwhitton2994]

I think Gary Oldman did an amazing job portraying Sirius Black.

[@ComedyBros5]

I was shocked to see how many “book fans” disliked his performance. While different from what the books make him out to be, he did phenomenal for what the films gave him.

[@KristofferSkjrestad]

I agree! He should have gotten a lot more screen time.

[@emmad.176]

I agree :) He was a stand-out!

[@bulbasaurbrutal5137]

I don't even remember how I pictured Sirius Black in the books. I remember having a hard time digesting Snape since I had formed such a different picture in my mind of him, but of course through the years he grew on me. Sirius, unless I am mistaken, was simply spot on and connected perfectly with my imagination. One capital failure to me was the casting and appearance and behavior of Madeye Moody. I always imagined him as a brooding Michael Gough with an identical appearance as to how he looked in Sleepy Hollow. Although he has a very different personality in Sleepy Hollow than the Moody of the book, sort of filled in that blank.

[@Adantehand]

The unfortunate part of this interview was that the person asking the questions was so overwhelmed from the perspective of a fan hearing someone they admire thought they could have played a character better, that it never occurs to them how interesting of a sentiment that is coming from Gary Oldman about this character and never asks HOW they would have played Black differently. And it really seemed like Oldman wanted someone to ask him what he meant, "how would knowing the rest of the story have changed how you played the character?"

[@ComedyBros5]

Great speculation. Interviewers really do wonders on a conversation.

[@ComedyBros5]

I would’ve loved to hear what he had to say, wish he just would’ve said it.

[@WaXeN]

agree, pretty weak interviewer

[@TGPDrunknHick]

for people not driven by ego the are often their own greatest critics. I'm honestly not sure what he could have done better but, I'm sure he's thought about it.

[@ValtteriNieminen]

How would he had played Sirius Black differently, though, had he known the character was going to die? The character didn’t know they were going to die, so the fact shouldn’t affect their behaviour.

[@adamthorntonillustration9281]

"They killed me off too early!" I suspect that an awful lot of people would agree with that statement. I'd not read the books so didn't know Sirius was going to be murdered. Can't deny I was shocked and actually cried in the cinema (grown man) when that happened. That character had so much more to give.

[@caoilte8097]

Kinda weird for a grown man to cry at a harry potter film tbqhwy

[@adamthorntonillustration9281]

I guess it depends what is going on in ones life around that time@@caoilte8097

[@andrewvasquez7872]

@@caoilte8097 not really.

[@Kinesiology411]

His character had to die to propel the tragedy and drama forward.

[@heey_im_mike]

And that’s the great thing about his character that Harry finally has a kinda family member he actually wants and it’s ripped away from him and it adds more misery to Harry’s story.

[@LordsOfSalem666]

I wouldn't say it's mediocre, but next to his work as Churchill, Norman Stansfield, and George Smiley, yeah. It doesn't compare. But we're talking fine margins because Gary Oldman is bloody fantastic in everything.

[@aliya_punkenglish]

'Fine margins' - nicely put. I think everyone has their favourite Gary Oldman's roles. For me somehow it's Sid and his character in the Scarlet Letter that immediately pop up when I see his face, for some reason. Which no amount of Churchills and Manks can overcome.)

[@2HackFrauds]

@@PGHEngineer I thought he was great in all Book of Eli and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

[@nunocarvalhoguerra7190]

His Jackson Lamb is so so so good this guy is incredible

[@TomGallagherSuperboyBeyond]

Which films is he fantastic in? EVERY ONE!

[@DeetotheDubs]

To me, he's still Drexl and Zorg.

[@constipatedparker5879]

Gary Oldman is the one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood. He can play the good guys/ bad guys just as balanced.

[@LarissaFay]

It may have been mediocre to Gary Oldman, but dang his Sirius Black had a presence throughout the franchise, right until the very end. The chemistry between Harry and Sirius was evident, their scenes always makes me tear up or sob. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban has always been my favourite for many reasons.

[@gelchert]

I've read that Gary met with Daniel Radcliffe soon after he was cast as Sirius, and even gave him a bass guitar since they're both music fans. I always thought that sounded like something Sirius would have done.

[@MissCaraMint]

@@gelchertYeah it totally is.

[@therealryufromjapan3051]

Yeah because you haven’t seen good film mate

[@LarissaFay]

​​@@therealryufromjapan3051😱 wow how original of you... woooaaahhh how amazing of you to throw that out there. Such an insightful thing to say. Get a life man, people have different tastes. 😂 I love him in HP films, Léon: The Professional, True Romance and MANY other films. Gary Oldman is fantastic in everything he does.

[@therealryufromjapan3051]

@@LarissaFay you are right wow what an actor So bad for Harry yikes he lost his uncle Who was weak lol So weak!

[@elephantwaffle5612]

Imagine being as talented as Gary Oldman and being this humble and self-critical

[@cneverez9607]

One doesn’t become this talented without those traits. They aren’t able to improve. A good example of this is the actor that was originally meant to play Aragorn in LOTR. He was arrogant and overly confident in his abilities, and he got the boot because of it and missed out on playing one of the most iconic characters in the fantasy setting and killed his career.

[@Only_Quasi]

That's why he's one of the best Actors ever, he sets his standard so high that his "mediocre" performance still looks quality performance.

[@BlackKnight_217]

I'm a Potterhead and I love his acting in HP and everything else he does, most recently in Slow Horses. Words cannot describe how talented he is.

[@EB-bl6cc]

he's so damn funny in slow horses, holy hell

[@gonzalosalazar5169]

Words can definitely describe it. Great acting is valuable artistic contribution to the world and merits appreciation, but it’s ultimately just people pretending to be someone for entertainment. Let’s calm down.

[@josephvanwyk2088]

I watched Leon the professional the other day, and WOW young Gary Oldman had a phenomenal performance as a psychotic cop.

[@jackwalker5266]

That's the performance that made him. He was world class

[@SeanHunterMusic]

The range Gary has over his career is insane. My earliest memory of seeing him in anything was when I was 10 years old watching Lost in Space and The Fifth Element. Hard to believe this humble actor in his mid 60’s was Zorg 😄

[@jackwalker5266]

Absolutely but I'll always remember him for Leon and true romance

[@AkahigeNoAmo]

his role in 5th element is what comes to mind first when I think of him, probably because I watched it every time it was on TV when I was a child

[@RarerCandy]

“If I’d known what was coming, I would’ve done it differently.” Very relatable words.

[@ThePyroSquirrel1]

“I’ve had my soul sucked” - Gary Oldman

[@gustavomorales1003]

JK Rowling told Alan Rickman the ending because there is a huge revelation about his character, Snape, which could definitely influence his acting for the role. The big reveal about Sirius Black happens within book 3. After that, there are no huge revelations about the character. So, I’m not sure what bits of information would have altered his acting. I wonder if he even read the books before playing the role.

[@theodisius1]

I think it's pretty clear he didn't read the books - he said as much and also if he had to read the script to find out if he dies, he can't have read in advance. It was similar on Game of Thrones - there was a round table interview with most of the big role actors and only one or two (e.g. Jon Snow's, if I recall correctly) had read the books. The reaction implied the others regarded them as "swots"!

[@gustavomorales1003]

@@theodisius1 oh that’s a good point. If he had read the books, the script would not have given him any surprises in terms of the plot. Also, the fifth book (in which Sirius Black dies) was published in the summer of 2003, right when they were doing the third film which is where Gary Oldman made his debut as Sirius Black. So, he could have just read the already published books if he wanted to know more background/future information about his character. Therefore, I’m not sympathetic to his complaint about not getting advance revelations from JK Rowling when he didn’t even bother reading what was already available!

[@gustavomorales1003]

@tileux you are entitled to your own opinions about literature. However, Alan Rickman did read the books, at least the last one. He said so in his own diary.

[@jamiebloor2064]

@tileuxfor somebody as well read and clever like you I’m sure

[@MarkHogan994]

@tileux There is no such thing as objectively good or bad writing, it's all a matter of taste. Even writers who are widely considered to be literary giants are only considered so because their writing happens to appeal to a lot of people. It's nothing more than shared taste. But if someone comes along and doesn't particularly enjoy Hemingway or Joyce then that is also a legitimate opinion. Conversely, if people enjoy Harry Potter then there is nothing wrong with that. Art appreciation is subjective and a pure matter of opinion / preference / taste. Any attempt to make declarative statements on the quality of a work of literature as though it were an objective assessment is frankly laughable.

[@TheMan21892]

Gary Oldman is such a masterful and versatile actor, I suspect he hasn’t had to challenge himself yet.

[@jackwalker5266]

He already did with films like Leon His work in that is masterful

[@Jeremyjay1023]

I'd love to spar with that genius on stage

[@alexman378]

Made us fear and love him within the same scene, made us cry when he died despite being around for a short amount of time. That’s well enough, definitely not mediocre.

[@TheNedH]

Another insanely important performance. To me, he was the first adult performer in those movies who allowed the child characters to really interact in the adult world of the movies. Rickman and Smith are truly great actors in that series but their roles early on were as 'distant' adults whose job it was to keep the kids sort of at bay from the adult world. Oldman takes on the difficult job of making that fantastic world feel not just real but dangerous, and he nails it. He gets to be a formidable and crafty wizard while also being a truly nurturing presence in Harry's life. It's all an incredible balancing act.

[@maggyfrog]

his acting as this psycho prisoner escapee before the reveal that sirius black is actually on harry's side is better than when his character is just this nice guy. i think it's mostly a problem with how the character arc was written. his nice guy arc wasn't written with much nuance. that's not gary oldman's fault

[@BerserkerSloth]

Yeah I thought there would be some time to get readjusted to being free lol

[@RespectedGamer72]

Better in the books.

[@luckyspurs]

He's very endearing and good at playing caring Sirius. But I can imagine he got a bit bored with how little the character developed once that reveal was made.

[@maggyfrog]

@@luckyspurs exactly, not enough material left to play with

[@MarkFilipAnthony]

Makes sense. He hadn't read the books, just his part of the script with guidance from the director. He probably thought his character was much more of a madman, seeing the way he plays him in the 3d film compared to how it evolves and changed in the next films

[@allbies]

Well it still makes sense he was the most 'madman-like' having just escaped Azkaban after being wrongfully imprisoned for 12 years and wanting to kill Pettigrew in the third film compared to the films after in which more time has passed and he's met Harry and living a relatively normal life in comparison with imprisonment.

[@kassdrums9784]

Gary Oldman did an absolutely phenomenal job as Sirius Black. He may not feel proud or that it wasn’t better than mediocre, but he is one of my all time favorites. And he couldn’t have portrayed him any better

[@BtwinUnW]

Alen and Gary was my two fav roles from HP. Its great to know that Sirius is still here.

[@hsd287]

Sirius Black is one of our favourite characters we all cried when he was killed the most obviously ❤

[@rf159a]

They didn't use him enough in Harry Potter!! It's a shame because they could have given him so many more lines than they did!!

[@dd-ph9fv]

He was amazing in Harry Potter!!!

[@kybercrow]

He could just stand there expressionless and it would be phenomenal acting. Underrated is an often misused term, but Oldman is one of the best actors (I'd say Top 3) of our time and I just don't think it's said enough. Bloke had the tiniest scene as Truman in Oppenheimer and almost stole the film 😂

[@jessea4438]

The dude was great in HP. Maybe not his most stand-out performance, but the womping willow scene in POA is one of the best acted moments in the series. So if this is him doing a "mediocre performance," then that's just a testament to how great he is.

[@katebee945]

This is my favourite role of his. Usually I find him too over the top, but in HP he had a quality of warmness that I don't often see in actors. I think portraying warmness is actually quite tricky.

[@luckyspurs]

It's a very David Thewlis performance, ironically. You almost wonder if they rubbed off on each other.

[@jacobpaint]

I haven't watched the films but I completely get how he might feel he could have done better. Viewers probably tend to think about the performance in more simple terms but someone like Gary would be adding nuances to each scene that would give a better sense of the characters change over the course of the film and also the whole series. If he didn't know where it was going then he was just playing the character in the moment but then might have had to try and make sense of what he’d already done when the story took turns he wasn't expecting.

[@halane4790]

Tbf, the character didn’t know where it was going either, so considering the big reveal about his character happens within the same script as the introduction, it may have weirdly enhanced the performance. Now Rickman was in a different position, as the reveals about his character came very late in the game.

[@thanedr483]

"Some directors want your soul". He said it like that line from Dracula, "The green fairy who lives in the absinthe wants your soul". Is he talking about Coppola? Maybe

[@Dryadkal]

I also thought of Coppola when Gary mentioned how some directors want your soul

[@an-qo6by]

um that scene of him remus and pettigrew in the shrieking shackkkk????? amazing sceneee

[@BricksAndSparrows]

He is the greatest actor of all time. Maybe Daniel Day Lewis could claim that title… but Gary is my favorite.

[@leeparsons-qu6yv]

mine too hes up there

[@ddelarosa96]

My favorite scene with Oldman that for some reason always hits me in a really oddly powerful way is when Wormtail is trying to garner sympathy for selling out the Potters, asking, “What would you have done?” To which Sirius responds with “I would have died! I would have died before I betrayed my friends!”

[@joeylodes]

JFK still one of my favorite films and Oldman’s portrayal of Oswald was excellent. There’s a bunch of deleted scenes with him that are fantastic including Oswald on the witness stand which never happened.

[@FTO86]

"she often does" just made me smile. ☺

[@123haninhk]

The way he giggles 🤭

[@Missjunebugfreak]

He's got an adorable laugh.

[@Asher8328]

Can't blame the man for having high standards.

[@indrahx5905]

Mediocre or not, Sirius was my favorite character in all the Harry Potter movies. And yes, they should have let him live longer, his relationship with Harry was so interesting.

[@shoWbitz]

Love this guy's performance in Slow Horses 👏👍

[@Belfastboi]

I loooooove him in Dracula. It’s such a vibe. He is phenomenal

[@juliebird8475]

I was looking for this comment! He IS Dracula!

[@jamesnorthcott9682]

-- "Nice one James" will be forever remembered, what an actor

[@Akagami753]

Sirius and Snape were my top favourites of the whole series!!! That acting was really great. Even when i didn't pay attention to acting years back, i somehow unintentionally did for gary. He was just flawless.

[@mtbrdly]

I fucking loved Sirius Black in the movies. Gary did an excellent job bringing that character to life.

[@jesussard]

I never imagined Oldman was the sweetest guy. He always play the duplicitous baddie.

[@deshanw1992]

This ma fucka one of the greatest actors of all time

[@Steve6851-d6l]

he is an exceptional actor...hats off to him

[@Reckless-ns4hs]

Only Alan Rickman had the inside line, the rest of cast didn’t know those clues. Everyone should watch ‘Harry Potter 20Th Anniversary’ before saying some wrong info. Daniel Radcliffe, "Alan very very early said to Jo [JK Rowling], he was like, I think I need to know what happens. He never told Chris (Columbus). He never told anyone. Chris would literally say to him ‘why are you doing that’ and he would say ‘I’ll tell you later.’"

[@DeathsPit00]

Please do something about the audio balancing for this interview. It's a problem when my volume is at max and I can barely hear it when I'm not hearing impaired in any way.

[@LaneTheBrane]

And yet, still legendary

[@raindrops21_9]

I would *love* to see how he would have played the Sirius differently. I want to see _that_ version!

[@charlie-obrien]

Garys portrayal of Sirius Black is one that gives the HP series the needed gravity to push the fantastical stories along. Not to mention he was one of Harry's father figures after Dumbledore.

[@luckyspurs]

Also, I feel like Daniel Radcliffe literally becomes a better actor after he starts having scenes with him. He just paces himself better and doesn't rush. The ease reflects onto him a bit.

[@katelyncalvo]

Sirius Black is my FAVORITE character in the movies. my #1. my absolute first pick. top dog. and it is 1000000% because of this man’s portrayal.

[@XOXO-xp2fg]

2:12 we're ALL still upset about it

[@Axel.97]

He might think is acting in Harry Potter is mediocre but I still want to tattoo the best quote in my opinion in the films "We all got both got light and dark inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are" ~ Sirius Black

[@MartyJackson]

He seems like such a humble, kind guy

[@DavidCardonaESM]

I agree with him, he misses in many scenes, but we love him so much since the beginning that we don't notice

[@bsnf-5]

The scenes inside the Order of Phoenix hideout are really touching. Especially where Sirious looks at the wall with his photo being removed. No matter what, he delivered, imho

[@smirk.2times2]

He was only able to say mediocre because he was not challenged enough, not outside his comfort zone. But his part was already close to perfection, just enough for the character because he is already a solid and skilled actor to begin with.

[@jackwalker5266]

He knew his work on HP wasn't anything special, after reading the script "I'm basically playing a madman" It's the typical Gary Oldman phoning it in as there's no challenge to him as an actor

[@LPChipi]

I love how he was still literally the best actor in the series, giving consistently the best performances.

[@ProgressIsTheOnlyEvolution]

Gary Oldman is one of the best actors and most humble decent people in Hollywood in my opinion, together with Daniel Day-Lewis, Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes in my opinion.

[@keego_keego]

This is a fantastic interview! I am back at work here first day after crimbo and I am getting nothing done while watching this. I may get fired before new year....... worth it ;)

[@Lowgarr]

His character in Slow Horses is my favorite character out of any show I have ever watched.

[@calick7208]

I'm currently watching that and I'm having a blast with Oldman's performance.

[@EraseMemoriesHD]

I will always be thankful for his performance as Sirius. Far from mediocre to me. Favorite character of the show, a man who cared about those close to him, he had this softness about him.

[@judeannethecandorchannel2153]

I Love Oldman as serious black. He and Paul Thewlis have played so many vicious, ruthless villains and / or F'd human beings. All great portrayals but seeing them both play such paragons, beacons!, and icons of decency is so moving and very inspiring. In a more tragically complex Alan Rickman also plays a tremendously heroic character. (I mean...Snape sat there while his colleague begged for he life and did nothing, but that's the tragic brutality of being undercover. Like "The Departed." It's a soul crushing thing to have to do. It great though that Sirius and Lupin are Just Good Men. That's so rare in fiction. I don't think Harold Bloom even read the books. It's documented that he blatantly lied in his scathing criticism of them. I haven't read the books but I've now seen all the films. Rowling is Obviously a very good writer. Just the way Dumbledore parses words, "I pride myself on my ability to use words, ... the most potent form of magic...but in this case I must amend my statement," That she wrote that and it sounds like how he would speak proves she's great at prose in service of characterization and had created wonderfully 3 dimensional characters in her young adult fiction. (The first books I assume are more for kids--but anything about a war with pure evil is mature enough for young adults. And adult adults who respect Sci Fi and fantasy! Or just great storytelling. "It is the strength of one's convictions, not the number of their followers, that determines the outcome" "Who said that?" "I did, just now." That is Great. She's not afraid to be earnest. I briefly took a writing course with Maxine Hong Kingston, who in an interview talked about the unexplored territory for fiction to evolve into, including, "The realistic happy ending." Writers will tell you they learned toward tragedy early in their career because it's easier to seem profound and gain respect of you write the tragic and even cynical. You can find nothing else to an extreme in The New Yorker's fiction, last I looked. Like--horrifyingly dark sh*t. It takes guts to write something that celebrates decency and ends happily. As Rowling has said, Harry's reward is a normal life. No more living as a fugitive in the wilderness seeking solice in a Nick Cave song on the radio, so transcendent and Bitter Sweet, that may be my favorite scene. It helps makes those bleack last two films watchable. No more living in fear. Good reward for overcoming a brutally traumatizing youth to become the hero he was forced to become is...just the blessing of a normal life, with a normal chance at happiness. That's...deep. That's profound. The two characters who are deeply decent grown men exemplify that wisdom. She's definitely a good writer. (Fun fact, I couple people have said I look like her, nice!) My hair stylist is also a poet and told me about Rowling's personal history. She survived A Lot and started the fantasy series while raising a child in welfare. And look what she created! The Harry Potter universe is as successfully reminiscent of JRR Tolkien as the Game of Thrones, "A Song Of Ice And Fire" universe. Maybe that's why both authors use their initials in or as they first name. Though JK doesn't scream, "I want to be the new Tolkien," While George RR Martin kind of does. And Rowling changed the landscape without boobs, etc., and She never missed a deadline. And Her films concluded flawlessly... I'm just saying... Lol, 😄. Seriously, Sirius is a wonderful character. Thewlis's performance might have been more layered, but that's because of the difference in how we know their characters. That Lupin quote speaks to my actual questions and hopes about moral psychology and whether a noble cause is a psychological advantage in battle. That's deep. And it inspires me. Rowling set out to write about how evil is rooted in the fear of death, Also a preoccupation of mine that I would have written about had I gone on to grad school. That's existential psychology and it never stopped being relevant. Great writing, great movies, great performances. Oldman no doubt is a perfectionist. Which is part of his path to being So Great at what he does.

[@judeannethecandorchannel2153]

Lol, the video popped up on my screen because I needed to go to KZbin, And I spontaneously geeked out for almost 20 minutes and wrote this meandering, rambling tome. 😄😆😛🤠🥳🤗

[@Dryadkal]

If it helps, I loved reading this. You make very good points. I especially like how you noted how many modern bestselling stuff is dark and twisted and how it is good that decency and good normal lives are celebrated. I'm over this dark upsetting stuff too.

[@jedi_wizard]

Gary Oldman is fantastic in the Harry Potter movies, one of the best performances on those movies

[@chordaetendineae9642]

I watched HP Prisoner of Azkaban and I didn't know who the hell is that brilliant guy Sirius Black until the end credits. And I know very well who Gary Oldman is... That how good actor he is. After HP he became my favorite actor...

[@alexhollon7526]

A brilliant actor and clearly a perfectionist.

[@Asmenedas]

Funny, humble, handsome, intelligent, best performance worker, there is nothing mediocre about him.❤

[@pengwin_]

he truly is, now, a Gary Old Man

[@cheeks7050]

It's such a shame we didn't get to see more movies by Columbus. The other directors could not capture the magic that man brought to the series.

[@johnwilson5329]

Agree to disagree. I personally wish Cuarón had directed them all. He works amazingly with children, and is great at giving the sense that there are countless mysteries everywhere that we aren't being shown.

[@cheeks7050]

Bro Cuaron had the protagonists wearing ADIDAS and sweaters the entire movie, it was incredibly immersion breaking and removed the magical vibe, and he completely changed the layout of the school, which was very immersion breaking. All of a sudden Hagrid's hut went from being on the lawn to being at the bottom of a jagged hill at the forest border.@@johnwilson5329

[@Itsmy2cent]

Thing is how he played it not knowing is the key. As since he himself didn’t know he played the character as if he’d last the whole rest of series so when he died it was a shock. Just as if you know your about die tomorrow, you will act totally different. More caring, try to see and make amends with people, etc. Not knowing was the key to his GREAT performance as he a,ready said if he knew he woulda acted differently but wouldn’t be as genuine as striving to live and fight to live. “If only”. Means a lot….”if only Serious knew how much time he had left he woulda embraced Harry more, fought harder…..”if only” Gary knew how much time Serious had left, he’d embrace Harry more, acted more passionate, put more effort into his fighting, and his delivery……”if only”. But again it wouldn’t be a genuine performance. It was perfect.

[@creative_space_2023]

My god did I loved him in HP… prisoner of askaban is my absolute favorite part… the love between Harry and Sirius is unmatched…

[@vivek27789]

Nah he was great as Sirius😊

[@RyanKaufman]

None of the actors were doing great work, but they were having fun and doing what they needed to do.

[@BreMue]

I was trying to wrack my brain to figure out who he played in the movies - Sirius Black??? Omg he looks so different when in character!

[@Soothing-Sound-Waves]

Gary “Old Man” finally looks the part for his own name. After all these years, the ultimate goal has been achieved!

[@seanelstob5922]

For some actors though, knowing the full story, how it all ends, is counterproductive to their process because, as humans, we don’t know how things will end for us. If we did, we’d likely as not change our habits or behaviours. Knowing the outcome for a character inevitably affects the choices you make while portraying them. And it’s not necessarily best for the role or indeed the story being told.

[@viperrecords3288]

This guy is arguably the best actor working today.

[@WhatDemocracy]

One of the greatest actors in the history of acting..... my father's favourite.

[@sheene.c9455]

Either as Sirius or Jackson Lamb, Gary is the 🐐

[@TheBrandiElizabeth]

I actually feel kinda validated because I read the books and then when I saw the films and who was cast as Sirius (and Remus too) I thought “No no no that’s not right. Great for something down the road but not him.” And it didn’t make sense to me really but now hearing that he didn’t read the books before the role and now looking back he would’ve made different choices, I feel like I was right to have felt the way I did even though other people didn’t seem to.

[@vellichor7676]

I felt similar. In fact -- though many of these actors did a great job in their roles -- I felt like many of the characters were miscast. Sirius, Snape, and Lupin in particular were all, at most, 30-33 years old when they appeared in the novels. The actors playing them, however, were 50-55 years old. It wasn't what I'd had in mind when I read them.

[@TheBrandiElizabeth]

@@vellichor7676 yeah, I noticed that too. Significantly older actors for the parts of the Potters and their school peers, but they tried to age them down with wigs and makeup and it didn’t really make up for it. But again, the caliber of actors in the series was top tier so ultimately it’s not a loss but a gain.

[@danielmoraes743]

He was one of the best in all HP movies, along with Rickman and Maggie.

[@boredmonkee]

Even if he thinks that he probably also elevated everyone around him. Love the story about Daniel crying.

[@slayerhuh404]

Josh I know you've been told this 100000 times but you're an excellent interviewer.

[@JoshHorowitz]

This is an excellent comment. Thank you!!

[@allenleigh5201]

no the acting is amazing gary. i believed it.

[@JGlennFL]

Man, he looks so much like Dukhovich in that interview! I almost expected the Russian accent.

[@michaelallmark5497]

His acting I harry potter gives me chills it's that good!

[@JoyoSnooze]

It's probably because he feels Sirius Black isn't a particularly deep character, even though he played him in such a legendary fashion. This interview is after he's played Churchill, after all. The magic of the man is no doubt that what he looks back on and believes in his own way is "mediocre", generations of people will nonetheless watch and fall in love with the character of Sirius Black and his portrayal of him time, and time again. Testament to the supreme acting ability of one of Britain's great national treasures.

[@TheFitzy93]

Tbh I completely agree and somewhat surprised he said that of himself. Goes to show that he knows what he’s capable of

[@HisNameIsJoeOrJoey]

Gary Oldman is Sirius-ly mistaken. Someone had to say that, so I made sure that it is me.

[@titan1286]

😂

[@futurez12]

I'll be honest, he's a very good actor, but I wasn't that impressed by him playing Sirius. I'm not sure if it was a miscast exactly but I was just a little underwhelmed. He was decent in POA but after that it was all a bit vanilla. It might be because of the screenplay. In the books Sirius became depressed and started acting like a bit of a man-child for a while; I think Oldman could've played that well. As it was, with the lack of time they have for movies, that side of him was never quite shown.