In an interview, Gary Oldman talked about his career and criticized his performance as Sirius Black, the godfather of Harry Potter, saying that “I think my work is mediocre”, breaking the hearts of Potterheads who have followed this magical franchise for years and even grew up with it.
The discontent came mainly because fans felt that Gary Oldman strongly criticized one of Harry Potter’s most endearing characters, Sirius Black, who gave his life for his godson and whom he always loved as his own son. And it’s true, many of us feel his words as a strong blow to speak like this about a character as paternal as his.
However, at a press conference at the 2024 Cannes International Film Festival, the actor was questioned again about these words and clarified that he was not actually referring to what people believed at the time, but to something much deeper that has to do, rather, with his professional work as a performer.
Gary Oldman clarifies what he said regarding his portrayal of Sirius Black in Harry Potter
After Gary Oldman’s words hurt the feelings of Harry Potter fans, the actor spoke more about what he really meant at the time and assured that, in reality, it is not that his character was bad, but that his work as an actor, perhaps, was.
Importantly, his words were not meant to belittle Harry Potter fans or the beloved character he played. Like any artist, Gary Oldman is always self-critical of his own work, and revisiting his performance in characters as important as Sirius Black made him think that, perhaps, he could have given much more.
Gary Oldman’s words about his performance as Sirius Black reveal that he takes his work as an actor very seriously, and give us to understand that, despite wanting to give his best, he did not have enough tools to give us the character that he himself would have wanted to give us:
“There was so much secrecy around all the [Harry Potter] books; They kept them under lock and key. And if I had known, from the beginning, if I had read all five books and seen the character arc, I would have interpreted it in a very different way.”
In the same interview, the actor mentioned that it is very natural for him to revisit his previous works and analyze them to know how he can improve; however, that has made him feel somewhat unhappy about his participation as Sirius Black in Harry Potter.
“I could have seen it differently and maybe I would have ‘painted it a different color.’ When I started Harry Potter, all I had was the book ‘The Prisoner of Azkaban,’ and that one depiction of that man.”
Even though Oldman may not be completely satisfied with his performance, Sirius Black fans still appreciate his work on the series and continue to value him for giving us one of the most beloved characters in the entire wizarding Harry Potter saga.
This story was written in Spanish by Alan Cruz in Cultura Colectiva
