Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman says he’s less than thrilled with his performance in the popular “Harry Potter” films.
The 65-year-old actor played Sirius Black in the movies, which were based on the best-selling fantasy series by J.K. Rowling. Oldman first appeared in “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” (2004), briefly appeared in “Harry Potter and the Golbet of Fire” (2005), and was back for “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” (2007). He also had a cameo in the franchise’s last installment, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” (2011).
“I think my work is mediocre in it,” Oldman told host Josh Horowitz on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, adding that he believes he could have performed the role “differently.”
The “Slow Horses” actor said he should have approached the role more like his late co-star Alan Rickman, who was highly praised for his portrayal of Professor Severus Snape in the films.
“Maybe if I had read the books like Alan, if I had got ahead of the curve, if I had known what’s coming, I honestly think I would have played it differently,” Oldman said on the podcast.
The British born actor said he’s frequently critical of previous performances and is always looking for ways to improve.
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“It’s like anything, if I sat and watched myself in something and said, ‘My God, I’m amazing,’ that would be a very sad day,” Oldman added. “Because you want to make the next thing better.”
Despite being critical of his work in the movies, the actor told talk show host Drew Barrymore earlier this month that appearing in “Harry Potter” and the “Dark Knight” Batman films helped him be more present for his children following his divorce.
“Thank God for Harry Potter. I tell you, the two — Batman and Harry Potter — really, they saved me, because it meant that I could do the least amount of work for the most amount of money and then be home with the kids,” Oldman said.
“At 42 years old, I woke up divorced and I had custody of these boys and so that, in itself, was… That was hard because there was a shift in the industry where a lot of productions were being [filmed in] — it was Hungary, Budapest, Prague, Australia, you know, all of these places,” he added, mentioning how he made 27 trips between London and Los Angeles during filming to be with his three kids.