Overview

• Oldman revealed he became the casting directors' default villain, calling himself the “poster boy for the ‘rent-a-villain.’”
• After portraying comic antagonists like Dr. Zachary Smith in Lost in Space and Jean-Baptiste Zorg in The Fifth Element, he said the roles “got a little old” and he deliberately moved on.
• His casting as Commissioner Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy marked his first major departure from villain clichés, a choice that surprised writer David S. Goyer.
• He has since broadened his resume with acclaimed performances in films such as Darkest Hour, Mank, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
• He will reprise his cynical MI5 agent Jackson Lamb in Season 5 of Slow Horses when it premieres on September 24, 2025.