Did Gary Oldman gain weight for Slow Horses? Rumor explored

The Apple TV+ series Slow Horses, has garnered attention not only for its espionage narrative but also for the striking physical transformation of its lead, Gary Oldman. In a recent interview, Oldman opened up about gaining weight for his role as Jackson Lamb and reflected on roles that have required similar transformations in his illustrious career.

Slow Horses is a fictional spy thriller series about the head of MI5's Slough House and his team of washed-up agents. The workers at Slough House have been removed from active operations but can't be fired, so they're known as ‘slow horses’. There is a lot to delve into regarding the journey of the acclaimed actor within the espionage world of the series and more.

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Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb

In a recent interview with TheWrap, Gary Oldman discussed the liberating experience of portraying Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses. Oldman openly acknowledged undergoing a weight gain for the role, emphasizing the transformative impact this had on his portrayal of the character, along with discussing his weight-gaining diet. In Slow Horses, Lamb is depicted as crasser and "less disciplined," showcasing a departure from the cerebral spy archetype.

He rejected the idea of using a padded bodysuit and also insisted on maintaining his own hair for the role. While Oldman embraced the transformative journey of embodying Jackson Lamb, he clarified that the weight gain wasn't as extensive as in some of his previous roles, such as Winston Churchill in The Darkest Hour.

The actor shared that there wasn't enough time for a substantial weight gain, and the focus was on achieving a physicality that suited the character. Oldman also highlighted the nuanced changes in Jackson Lamb's character compared to his previous roles, particularly his Oscar-nominated performance as George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

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Slow Horses: Adaptation Challenges

Oldman revealed that some of Jackson Lamb's more controversial traits from the novel, such as the sexist and sexual insults, were excluded from the series. He explained to Radio Times,

“There are a few things we’ve diluted. I think that comes down to Apple policy, which is above my pay grade. I think there are certain things you can say in a novel that we don’t necessarily feel comfortable saying on television. We’ve had to censor a bit, but it’s very small stuff."

Filming for season 1 commenced in November 2020, spanning through February 2021, with additional scenes shot in July 2021 in Stroud, Gloucestershire. The production faced challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to delays in the filming schedule initially planned for 2020.

Directed by James Hawes and written by English comedian and screenwriter Will Smith, the show boasts an impressive cast of Kristin Scott Thomas, Jack Lowden, Rosalind Eleazar, Christopher Chung, and Saskia Reeves.

Slow Horses season 3 premiered on 29 November 2023 and is based on the third novel in the Slough House series, titled Real Tigers. The fourth season of the series is expected to be based on Spook Street.

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Apple TV's espionage hit

Slow Horses, based on the novel of the same name by Mick Herron, which is part of the author's Slough House novel series, is a darkly humorous espionage drama about a dysfunctional team of British intelligence agents. This team operates within Slough House, a department within MI5 that serves as a dumping ground.

The agents found themselves at Slough House because of career-ending mistakes, such as leaving a service file on a train, blowing surveillance, or becoming drunkenly unreliable. Viewers can watch all the 3 seasons of the series on Apple TV+.