‘Slow Horses’ star Gary Oldman could be adding an Emmy to his awards collection

Jacob Sarkisian
·4 min read
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It took Gary Oldman some time to win his first Oscar, which he claimed for “Darkest Hour” in 2018, and it is taking him even longer to win his first Emmy. The legendary British actor was first nominated 23 years ago for his guest role on “Friends.”He should be reaping a second Emmy bid for his leading role in the Apple TV+ drama “Slow Horses.” The acclaimed series, based on Mick Herron‘s book, follows a group of British intelligence agents who are confined to a dumping ground of a department due to their past mistakes.

Oldman stars at the head of the department, Jackson Lamb who is rude, abrasive, full of bad habits, and, a lot of the time, drunk. As the character, Oldman is a joy to watch as the crass and broken spy. But while he revels in the comedy of said crassness, Oldman sows in an undercurrent of intelligence and belied sharpness, which is what ties the whole thing together and makes it actually believable. Critics agree that Oldman is the clear MVP here.

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Nina Metz (Chicago Tribune) proclaimed: “Rumpled, smelly and greasy-haired as ever, Gary Oldman’s performance elevates Lamb’s rancid presentation to high art. He’s a man of contradiction: Dissolute but shrewd. Convinced that something’s afoot, he decides to do some digging of his own into that death on the bus, and ropes in a few of his underlings for the job. Lamb has a hunch there is a Russian sleeper agent or two in their midst who may be responsible.”

Brian Tallerico (The Playlist) noted: “The second season maintains the spirit of the first while upping the intensity, which allows star Gary Oldman even more of a chance to shine in a role that feels like it’s going to be one of the most definitive of his career. The Oscar winner is perfect in the part of Jackson Lamb, a man who may have lost the spy game but is as loyal and brilliant as anyone who ever played it… One of the ways that a sense of urgency is conveyed this year is through the performance of Oldman, who is even better than he was last time around.”

James Dyer (Empire) observed: “Oldman is clearly the standout, making the most of a plum role… contributing to a standout ensemble and staging a labyrinthine yet captivating story about death, its after-effects, and how we feel responsible for it.”

Oldman currently sits atop our Emmys odds chart for Best Drama Actor, ahead of rival contenders Dominic West (“The Crown”), Colin Farrell (“Sugar”), Tom Hiddleston (“Loki”), Donald Glover (“Mr. and Mrs. Smith”), and Ben Mendelsohn (“The New Look”). Oldman already has a couple of key nominations for “Slow Horses” under his belt to suggest that an Emmy bid is next. He was up at the BAFTA TV Awards last year and this year was in the running at the Golden Globes.

Oldman isn’t just liked by awards groups, however. He has something of a status of an actors’ actor. Over the years, a slew of A-listers have touted him as their acting hero including Daniel Radcliffe, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hiddleston and Chris Pine. The actors’ branch at the Emmys will likely take this chance to recognize a man who so many of them admire. He’s a legend and, with his last Emmy bid coming in 2001, he’s an overdue legend. (He lost that Best Comedy Guest Actor race to Derek Jacobi for “Frasier.”)

Plus, Oldman fits the bill in terms of the profile of actor Emmy voters tend to nominate in this category. Firstly, he’s a venerated, veteran, thespian crossing over into TV like many previous nominees in this category including Brian Cox (“Succession”), Jeff Bridges (“The Old Man”), Anthony Hopkins (“Westworld”), Ed Harris (“Westworld”), and Kevin Spacey (“House of Cards”). And like Oldman, Bridges, Hopkins, and Spacey were all Oscar champs.

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