How Batman & Harry Potter Saved Gary Oldman During His Darkest Moment
Gary Oldman is grateful for his Batman and Harry Potter gigs.
The London-born actor rose to prominence on the silver screen after appearing as Lee Harvey Oswald in Oliver Stone's "JFK." Oldman's career skyrocketed after the 1991 political thriller, with the actor finding starring roles in now-certified classics like "True Romance" and "Air Force One." A common thread between these films? They were shot in the United States, a country Oldman began to call home in the '90s.
But by the 2000s, several productions began to move abroad, leaving Oldman in an uncomfortable position. While appearing on "The Drew Barrymore Show," Oldman explained how, at 42, he was divorced and had custody of his then-young children. Since productions were shifting to countries like Hungary, Budapest, and Australia, the actor turned down roles because he wouldn't be able to spend much time with his kids. Then, two major franchises came calling. "Thank God for Harry Potter," he said. "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 spent most of the 2000s portraying Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy and Sirius Black in the billion-dollar-grossing Harry Potter franchise. A supporting player in both franchises, production for the Dark Knight films took place in London and the USA, and Harry Potter filming was conducted in the U.K. — far closer to America than other European destinations.
Gary Oldman reflects on his Batman filming experience
Gary Oldman stands out as one of the most memorable parts of the Harry Potter and Dark Knight films. The franchises wrapped in 2011 and 2012, respectively, allowing the actor to take on different roles, including his Oscar-winning turn as Winston Churchill in "Darkest Hour." But those blockbuster installments arguably meant more to Oldman, as they helped him maintain a relationship with his children.
In his conversation with Drew Barrymore, Oldman gushed about the flexibility director Christopher Nolan afforded him on the set of 2005's "Batman Begins." While Gotham City is in America, Nolan shot most of the happenings in London. For Oldman, this was extremely convenient. "I'd fly in for a day, I'd do a shoot a day," he explained. "To [Christopher Nolan's] credit, he stayed on schedule, and I would go home for three days, come back for two, go home for a weekend, come back for one day ..." Oldman added that because he was able to fly back and forth so easily, he could raise his kids personally.
Eventually, production for Gotham City in the future Batman movies moved to the United States. As for the Harry Potter films, Oldman's Sirius Black makes occasional and brief appearances, meaning he likely didn't have to spend as much time on the U.K.-based set as the rest of the cast.