His work speaks for Oldman

He’s the kind of distinguished actor whose memorable performances are more remembered than his name. Mention Gary Oldman and it might take you time to recall who he is. But enumerate landmark screen characters like, among others, Harry Potter’s godfather Sirius Black (in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), the crime-fighting Commissioner Gordon (in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight), Dracula (in Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula) and Lee Harvey Oswald (in Oliver Stone’s JFK) and you instantly know who he is — yes, he’s the one!

Oldman began his career in 1979 on the London stage. Between 1985 and 1989, he acted exclusively at London’s Royal Court Theater and in 1985, he was named Best Newcomer by London’s Time Out for his work in The Pope’s Wedding. That same year, he shared the London’s Critics Circle Best Actor Award with Anthony Hopkins.

You will hate Oldman in The Book of Eli (released locally by Columbia Pictures, opening nationwide on Wednesday, March 17), a post-apocalyptic film set 30 years after America was decimated by (a nuclear bomb?) directed by the Hughes brothers Allen and Albert, in which Oldman plays the villain Carnegie, a self-appointed despot of a makeshift town of thieves and gunmen into which wanders Eli, a Bible-bearing warrior played by Denzel Washington (also the executive producer, featured in yesterday’s Conversations with Ricky Lo). Also in the cast are Mila Kunis as Carnegie’s adopted daughter Solara who gets fascinated with Eli, and Jennifer Beals as Solara’s mother.

Oldman, tapped for the role for his “wicked sense of humor,” sat with Washington for an exclusive interview with Funfare last January at the Four Seasons (Beverly Hills). Excerpts:

Describe Carnegie, your character.

“Carnegie is essentially a dictator. He has built a town through violence and through control of a very valuable commodity — fresh water — because he remembers where to find it. But he’s also smart. He has a philosophy. Carnegie is familiar with the book Eli carries and he’s aware of what it can achieve because it’s a part of his own history and childhood. He’s been looking for it himself for years. These two men have the same obsession over the book, though one is coming from a good place (Eli) and one from a dark place (Carnegie).”

What roles would you rather not portray?

“Well, I was once asked to play Charles Manson (Convicted for the murder of Sharon Tate, pregnant wife of Roman Polanski, in the late ‘60s. — RFL) but I wouldn’t do it as courtesy to the Tate family. I was also asked to play Adolf Hitler but neither did I do that.”

What are your criteria in choosing a role?

“Having the script, knowing who the director is, and when and where the movie would be shot. I love doing The Book of Eli because it was shot in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is near home, so I could spend weekends with my kids. Fortunately, when I was doing the Harry Potter movies, it was shot in such a way that it was over the summer so I could travel with the kids.”

Why did you agree to play Lee Harvey Oswald (who shot Pres. John F. Kennedy in Dallas,Texas, and who was in turn shot by Jack Ruby only a few days after)?

“Lee Harvey? Well, I liked the script. I like Oliver Stone; he was on top of his game. He was an important director to work with. I still think that JFK is a terrific movie.”

Where were you, how old were you, when Kennedy was killed (in November 1963)?

“I was a little boy.”

Any memories of that tragedy?

“I just remember the grown-ups being upset and not understanding why so many people were so shocked. When you are a kid and you see your parents upset and crying, you are puzzled, you don’t have any idea what’s happening until you grow older.”

Which is more challenging, playing a fictional character or playing a real-life character?

“Well, it depends. I mean, in playing a fictional character you can improvise; playing a real-life character can be restricting because the public has a basis for comparison, you know, especially if it’s a famous person you are playing.”

In 1986, Oldman made his major feature film debut in Sid & Nancy in which he plays punk rock legend Sid Vicious for which he won the Evening Standard British Films Award for Most Promising Newcomer. In 1987, he starred in Stephen Frears’ Prick Up Your Ears and won Best Actor Award from the London Film Critics Circle for his portrayal of the doomed British playwright Joe Orton. He has since become one of the industry’s most respected actors, appearing in both mainstream hits and acclaimed independent films, including Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead for which he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actor, Luc Besson films The Professional and The Fifth Element, and Ridley Scott’s Hannibal.

His body of work includes telemovies and TV shows, including the hit comedy series Friends for which he got an Emmy nomination for his guest appearances as an alcoholic actor.

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