"It's life and death": When Gary Oldman revealed why his Slow Horses character is "harsh" with the "rejects"

Ahead of the release of Slow Horses season 4 in June 2024, Gary Oldman, the award-winning actor who plays the iconic character Jackson Lamb in the show, talked about his character in an interview with The Wrap.

Jackson is seen heading the team at Slough House, a bunch of agents who have failed in their careers in the past. Jackson often seems to treat his team "harshly", despite himself being a badly organized person.

While speaking with The Wrap, Oldman expressed how being mediocre and losing confidence can get you killed when you are working as an agent, and that is the reason his character has always been "harsh" with the "rejects".

Read on to know the complete details of what Gary Oldman revealed.

Here is what Gary Oldman revealed about his Slow Horses character

As mentioned, when season 4 of Slow Horses was about to hit screens in September 2024, in the month of June, Gary Oldman spoke with The Wrap about the show. He mentioned how the so-called rejects aren't the ones who are completely useless now, but rather the ones who have made a mistake in their past and have been sidelined since then.

"In the world of espionage, mediocrity and confidence, you know, is dangerous. I will get you killed. Who gets these rejects doesn't mean they are absolutely useless. But they may have slipped up once on something, and then they get pushed sideways."

He explained why his character is always seen keeping his teammates tight despite being the "unpolished" cop. He said that in the espionage world, the truth is that one can lose their lives if they aren't sure about what they are going to do.

"Jackson Lamb is harsh with them and rides them hard because ultimately, at the end of the day, it's life and death, it's a serious business."

Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses is often seen mocking his teammates for their mistakes, while also undermining them publicly. He is seen refusing to give them the usual support, but beneath this cruelty is a method. He simply wants them to grow a thick skin by making them uncomfortable, exposing their weakness and refusing to cushion them up. Eventually, we get to see how the agents become sharper under pressure and aren't comfortable with their failure anymore.

He also talked about how the writer of the book, Mick Herron, told him that anything that is not in the book has not been given any thought. That is the reason Gary Oldman, who plays Lamb, read the book thoroughly to prepare for his character.

"I just sort of went away and made my own little bible of it. What is there on the page is terrific ."

He added that by reading the book, he gained an understanding of what kind of drama is required on screen for the characters. Will it be more "incidental" or more "caricature-ish" is something they came down to. He also expressed how people were loving the drama as well as the action Slow Horses offers, along with the life it offers within the office.

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Catch Slow Horses only on Apple TV+.

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