“You have to get someone else to do it”: Gary Oldman Might be the Only Actor Who Gave Christopher Nolan an ‘Ultimatum’ for Oppenheimer That the Director Had to Agree With

SUMMARY

• Gary Oldman shocked everyone when he was almost non-identifiable as ex-President Harry S. Truman in 'Oppenheimer'.
• However, Gary Oldman clarified to Christopher Nolan that he would use prosthetic for his look instead of undergoing any physical transformation.
• Gary Oldman was almost ready to leave Oppenheimer for his Apple TV+ series 'Slow Horses' if Nolan rejected his ultimatum.

Show More▼

Among all the elements in Oppenheimer, Gary Oldman’s role as the 33rd US President was a huge surprise for the fans. The Harry Potter star’s appearance as the late Harry S. Truman was appreciated worldwide. But the actor had a very strong demand to land the film. He is one of the rarest stars who convinced Christopher Nolan to accept a non-negotiable deal.

Gary Oldman in The Dark Knight | Credits: Warner Bros. Pictures

When Harry Truman first appeared on-screen, Gary Oldman was not even recognizable for some time. While we know that Christopher Nolan is a fan of everything practical, he had to accept Oldman’s demand for a prosthetic cap and wig. Interestingly, the True Romance actor was even ready to leave the film if Nolan rejected his demand.

Gary Oldman denied to undergo any physical change for Oppenheimer

Gary Oldman as former President Harry S. Truman in Oppenheimer | Credits: Syncopy

Oppenheimer was a unique experience for both cinema lovers and ardent Christopher Nolan fans. Starting from the realism in scenes to the extraordinary performances and the non-linear approach, it is hailed as one of the greatest biopics ever made.

While it is expected that nobody would be willing to lose any chance to work on such a project, Gary Oldman did not have any problem in leaving it for Slow Horses.

The Oscar-winning actor recently admitted to the Wall Street Journal that his role in the Slow Horses series affects every project he is associated with. As a result, the actor openly refused to undergo any physical transformation and proposed to wear a prosthetic cap and a wig.

This [role] is a little different because I’m tethered to it, even when I’ve got a six-month break. And it dictates if I do anything else. I did a day on ‘Oppenheimer.’ I said to Chris Nolan, ‘I would love to come and do it, but I’m going to have to wear a prosthetic cap and a wig and I can’t cut my hair. So if you can deal with that, then I’d love to come and do it. And if you don’t want wigs, then you have to get someone else to do it.’

Christopher Nolan, who already worked with Gary Oldman in The Dark Knight Trilogy, agreed to meet his demands. His appearance as the ex-President raised a massive buzz on social media. But, it is not the first time, the Mank actor played a prominent politician. He also won a Best Actor Oscar for portraying UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 2017’s Darkest Hour.

Gary Oldman landed Slow Horses after placing a weird list of demands

Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses | Credits: Apple TV+

Recently, Gary Oldman has earned widespread attention for playing Jackson Lamb in the Apple TV+ series, Slow Horses. The series has been running for four seasons now and has garnered praise from critics and audiences.

As per USA Today, Gary Oldman had a series of conditions for his producing partner Douglas Urbanski. He wanted a unique long TV show with fantastic writing and where he could use his own accent.

I said to Doug, and I swear this is true, ‘Please find me something where I can use my own accent, I don’t have costume changes and I’m not rolling around in blood and mud. Oh, and it should be a longform TV series, and the writing needs to be fantastic.’

Surprisingly, after a few weeks, when he was beside Urbanski on a plane, both were shocked to find a script that ticked all the checkboxes. The Sirius Black actor recalled that Urbanski was confident that the character Jackson Lamb would eventually become Oldman’s best friend.

Slow Horses can be streamed on Apple TV+ with a new episode airing every Wednesday. Oppenheimer can be streamed on Amazon Prime.

Written by Subham Mandal

Articles Published: 1292

Subham Mandal is currently working as a content writer for FandomWire with an ardent interest in the world of pop culture. He has written more than 1000 articles on different spheres of modern pop culture and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He’s also an experienced student journalist having demonstrated work experience with the Times of India. He aspires to be a column writer in the future.