By Barbara Chai
- Jack English
- Gary Oldman as George Smiley in ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’
Early in his career, actor Gary Oldman was known for playing frenzied villains such as a corrupt agent-murderer in “The Professional” or a terrorist in “Air Force One.”
In recent years, Oldman has played roles that have dialed down the frenzy, but are no less intense: Sirius Black in the “Harry Potter” films, and Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” series. But no performance has generated the same stillness and control from Oldman as his latest: the iconic spy master, George Smiley, in a film adaptation of John Le Carré’s novel, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.”
“In the past I’ve been asked to play these characters who, you know, jump around a bit, they’re frenetic and they physicalize,” Oldman told Speakeasy in an interview. “I’ve been waiting 30 years to play this part.”
“Tinker,” which will be released on Dec. 9 in the U.S. by Focus Features, is directed by Tomas Alfredson with a screenplay by Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan, and stars an impressive cast that includes Colin Firth, John Hurt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy, and Mark Strong.
Speakeasy caught up with Oldman just after he wrapped filming on “The Dark Knight Rises” (he still has Jim Gordon’s mustache) to discuss playing the iconic, and laconic, role of George Smiley.
The Wall Street Journal: Did you study John Le Carré’s novel and the 1979 TV series of ‘Tinker’ for preparation?
Gary Oldman: I was familiar with the books prior to being asked to do the film, so I was pretty well-versed in the world of it before it came along. I believed that they would never make a movie because the series was very successful and [Alec] Guinness was a very much beloved actor and there’s a lot of people that ran shy of it, wouldn’t go near it, because it was a bit like an institution. So, it’s very audacious, very brave of Tomas to take it on and for it to be his first film in the English-speaking language.
You did meet with John Le Carré at least once, but did you meet regularly?
He was approachable inasmuch as he was willing to help and said, I’m at the end of the telephone. Of course we used him creatively, but he was more of a passenger and said to Tomas, the book exists. It’s very good, if you make a bad movie of the book, people will always go back to the book. The television series exists and was very successful. He said, go and make the film and make your film. Don’t make my book, make a movie.
You give a very controlled performance that is nonverbal in many scenes. You’re often sitting, waiting, swimming. Was this a different experience for you?
It was lovely to have a life and a world going on, but behind a mask. I don’t know how it all came, the stillness – I don’t know, it was one of those creative things. It came together like that and the silhouette of George was formed, and he makes a 90-degree angle in a chair. He doesn’t slouch. There’s a line in the book by Ann, the wife, and she describes – I’ll have to go back to it, dig one out to find the quote exactly – but she describes him as a swift. Like a creature that can regulate his body temperature to the room. He then sort of disappears, and you forget he’s there. The trick is, you’ve got to play a very smart man, but socially a little awkward, a little dull, he doesn’t dress very well. You’ve got to make, as far as that’s concerned, an uninteresting character interesting. You have to give a very plain man enough charisma.
The film is very much about loyalty, and Smiley prizes this, yet there’s a moment when his actions reveal how complicated the job can be.
He’s very aware there’s a murkier, dirtier side to it all that one just has to accept as part of the job to get things done. There’s a cruelty sometimes, a meanness to him that he needs to have.
How was it working with such a stellar cast?
It was great. I reconnected with Ciarán Hinds, who I had worked with in the theater in 1980. I hadn’t seen Ciarán for about 25 years. I made very good friends with Colin [Firth], and Benedict Cumberbatch. First time working with Tom [Hardy], now third working with him in “The Dark Knight.” It was a great cast and of course the wonderful, adorable John Hurt.
That seemed a special relationship.
Yeah, I adore John.
You’re generating Oscar buzz over this performance.
It appears so, yes [laughs].
Are you trying to tune out the buzz?
You hear it and it’s very flattering and it’s nice and then you kind of go about your day, you know? It’s wonderful to be honored in one’s work. There’s no shame, there’s no bad thing about it at all. So, it would be marvelous if it happened, and if it doesn’t happen, they’ll maybe give me one when I’m very, very old [laughs].
Wall Street Journal
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