"Have been a fan of long form": When Gary Oldman revealed why he said yes to his Slow Horses role 

Slow Horses gave Gary Oldman one of his most surprising and beloved roles, that of the unkempt, foul-mouthed, yet sharp Jackson Lamb. But what exactly motivated a veteran actor like Oldman to take on the part?

The answer was surprisingly simple. As he put it himself in an interview with Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused interview;

"I have been a fan of long form."

That love for character-driven storytelling was enough for him to embrace the project, and fans of Slow Horses couldn't be happier about it.

Why Gary Oldman felt television was the right move

When Gary Oldman sat down for a chat with Josh Horowitz on YouTube back in 2024, he admitted something that caught fans off guard. Normally, he tends to say no before saying yes, but with Slow Horses, it was different.

This time, the role didn't just feel right; it arrived at the perfect moment. He told Horowitz;

"I have been a fan of long form... I've always enjoyed being able to follow characters rather than in a movie where you've got a window of two hours.”

That simple thought explains why Slow Horses fit so well. The shift in television also played a role. Oldman recalled how, years ago, film actors used to look down on TV. He chuckled at the "snobbery" of that era, pointing out that the lines between cinema and television are gone now. In his opinion, some of the very best writing, directing, and set design can now be found in television. Watching these shows made him envious. When Slow Horses came along, it wasn't just another job; it was precisely what he'd been waiting for, a chance to let a character breathe, grow, and unravel over time.

Jackson Lamb and Slow Horses ticked all of Gary Oldman's boxes

Fans often ask Gary Oldman why he enjoys playing Jackson Lamb so much. His answer couldn't be more perfect. He once joked to his manager about wanting to land a show that felt like a spy thriller, preferably MI5 or MI6 territory.

He wanted something well written, something where he could use his own accent, avoid prosthetic makeup, stay in the same clothes, and simply live in the skin of a character. He joked during the interview saying;

"This was my Christmas List..."

When the show "fell from the sky," as he described it, it checked every item on that list. The scripts, the first book, the anarchic humor of the material - everything lined up. He said;

"This writing is just fabulous... this is a genre that we're all familiar with but it's also sort of anarchic."

That balance of familiarity and surprise made Lamb such a compelling character to explore. Beneath all the cigarette smoke and insults, Lamb is a fully human figure, and Oldman loved the opportunity to reveal that side in depth.

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Gary Oldman's choice to star in Slow Horses feels almost destined. He wanted a television show that allowed him to connect deeply with a character, and he found it in Jackson Lamb - messy, brilliant, and unforgettable.

His passion for long-form storytelling not only explained why he agreed but also provided audiences with one of the most unique spy characters on screen. For Oldman, Jackson Lamb wasn't just another role; it was the gift he hadn't realized he had been waiting for.

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