Gary Oldman discusses his role as Jackson Lamb in the hit Apple TV series "Slow Horses," which has run for six seasons since 2022. Known for his abrasive personality and sharp wit, Oldman reflects on his character's impact and how he relates to him personally. Despite Lamb’s unlikable traits, Oldman appreciates his candid nature and finds enjoyment in the occasional interaction with such a character. The actor also touches on his personal values of honesty and loyalty and comments on the familial bond within the show’s cast and crew.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-16,
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Story summary
Gary Oldman, the Oscar-winning actor, has returned for the sixth season of Apple TV+'s "Slow Horses", one of its biggest hits since 2022. In the show, Oldman plays Jackson Lamb, an irascible character from Mick Herron’s Slough House thriller novels who leads a group of MI-5 rejects exiled to what is essentially spy purgatory in London. Despite Lamb's unpleasant demeanor and rude behavior towards his colleagues, Oldman has developed a fondness for the role, appreciating his straight-talking nature without much restraint. When asked if he could be friends with Lamb in real life, Oldman laughingly said that while he wouldn't want to dine with him weekly, meeting him at a dinner party would make for an "interesting evening." The show's popularity continues to grow, cementing its status as one of Apple TV+'s most beloved series.
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Gary Oldman has played the irascible Jackson Lamb on Slow Horses for six seasons.
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Oldman → play → seasons
Of course, when an actor spends that much time with a character, they come to develop an affinity for them.
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they → spend → them
Lamb, with his steely barbs and epithets, is someone who has endeared himself to TV fans.
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who → endear → fans
Despite his genuine unpleasantness, Oldman, 68, has warmed up to him as well.
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Oldman → warm → him
“I like the fact that he’s a straight talker and he doesn’t really have a filter.
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he → like → filter
I do enjoy people like that,” the Oscar winner says in a video call from London.
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winner → enjoy → London
Oldman lets out a loud laugh.
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Oldman → let → laugh
“I don’t know if I’d want to go to dinner with him once a week, but if he was at a dinner party and I happened to meet him, I would probably enjoy that.
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I → know → that
That would be an interesting evening,” he says, smiling.
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he → say → ?
Since its first season in 2022, Slow Horses has become one of Apple’s most beloved shows.
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Based on Mick Herron’s Slough House thriller novels, Oldman’s Lamb leads a bunch of MI-5 rejects who have been exiled to spy purgatory.
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who → base → purgatory
Lamb is unkempt and he wears ratty clothes.
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he → wear → clothes
When he’s not curtly telling off his underlings, he’s smoking and drinking.
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he → tell → underlings
Political correctness is a trait he does not possess.
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he → possess → ?
His voice mail greets callers with a blunt message: “This is Lamb.
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If I didn’t answer it’s because I don’t want to speak to you.”
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I → answer → you
“I wouldn’t really want to hang out with him.
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I → want → him
I’d like him to shower more and then maybe,” Oldman says, his voice trailing off.
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Lamb is not the first spy he’s played — Oldman nabbed an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of John le Carré’s George Smiley in 2011’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
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Lamb lives by those in Herron’s world.
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Lamb → live → world
But in his own life, there are some rules Oldman goes by: honesty and loyalty.
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Oldman → be → life
That’s something I instilled when my kids were younger,” the father of four says.
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father → ’ → four
“Loyalty is a big thing,” he continues.
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he → continue → ?
“I don’t have many friends, but the ones I do have, I’ve known for 40, 50 years.”
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I → have → years
Season 6 finds Oldman going up against MI-5 boss Diana Taverner, played by Kristin Scott Thomas, when a rogue group of operatives starts targeting agents in Slough House.
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group → find → House
Because Lamb has an unwavering loyalty to his team — which includes characters played by Jack Lowden, Christopher Chung, Rosalind Eleazar, Aimee Ffion-Edwards, Tom Brooke and Saskia Reeves — the threats they face cause him to work closely with his fellow agents to identify the peril they’re up against.
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they → have → peril
But coming together like a family is something that is mirrored in his real life among his castmates.
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that → come → castmates
“The actors and the crew and everybody we put together has become like a family.
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we → put → family
We’re all a little crazy, but as a whole we’re all one big happy family,” Oldman says.
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Oldman → ’re → whole
To prove his point, Oldman made headlines when he publicly endorsed Lowden as the next James Bond.
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he → prove → Bond
“It’s been rumoured that (Lowden) is on the shortlist,” Oldman said during a recent interview with Global’s Morning Show.
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Oldman → rumour → Show
“They have made their choice, but they have not announced it yet.
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they → make → it
So my fingers are crossed for Jack.”
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Despite garnering critical acclaim, it was ignored by the Emmys for its first two seasons before the awards body took notice of the series.
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body → garner → series
It has since gone on to nab 23 nods and two wins.
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Amid the success of Slow Horses — and a career that stretches back to the 1980s — Oldman was awarded a knighthood last year.
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Television was something that was new to the actor, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in the 2017 film Darkest Hour.
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But he’s called Lamb the role of a lifetime — and it’s one he’ll happily continue playing for the rest of his career.
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he → call → career
“You get to a certain age — I’m now 68.
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Scripts like this come in, a character like this comes in, so I feel very lucky that it came up,” he says.
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he → come → this
…and 5 more, not listed.
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