To be perfectly blunt, I’ve always considered Gary Oldman to be “the sh-t” and have noted before (within a Pajiba column) that he “just might be too bloody adept for his own good” and that his consistently impressive acting skills leave “precious little room for improvement.” Indeed, Oldman may have (unwittingly?) indulged in a very shambolic personal life for decades, but his career work has always been stellar. Lately too, he seems to have gathered himself on the family front after having been married for three years to Alexandra Edenborough (jazz singer Alex Eden), with whom he now raises to young sons. Of course, Alex is Oldman’s fourth wife, a fact to which he admits is nothing worth bragging about, but hopefully she will be the final wife. Now Oldman sits down with the LA Times for an interview about Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy that was conducted before he (finally) received his first Oscar nomination. It’s about time, right?

On Playing Many Wild Characters: “[T]ypecasting got its grip on me in the ’90s. I did those two rather extraordinary cartoon characters for Luc Besson in Leon: The Professional and The Fifth Element, and then I began to be perceived as crazy, manic, like a circus freak. That to me was just one book in the library of Gary Oldman, but you’re just asked to write it again and again.”

On Toning It Down: “It’s a big ship to turn around. You have to find the right vehicle. I became a single dad and had the responsibility of bringing up two boys, and I chose to be a father who was around. That coincided with a shift in the Industry. A lot of productions were being exported. All of a sudden, American productions were going overseas for tax breaks, so certain options were closed to me, because I couldn’t be somebody living out of a suitcase. And that’s when Harry Potter fell from the sky, shortly followed by Batman, two of the biggest franchises in cinema history. It was wonderful not only to be a part of it, but I was earning a little more than in indie movies, and I got to be home with the kids.”

On Why He Never Gets Oscar Nominations (until now): “Don’t know. I’ve never pushed myself much in that regard. I don’t have a publicist. I like my hidey-hole.”

Having A Deadbeat Dad Influenced His Acting: “Yeah, and I guess it’s influenced my relationships with women as well. I have been a bit disastrous in that area. It took until my fourth time, I’m not proud to say. I recently remarried, and though it’s taken me a long time, as we say in England, I’ve found a cracker.”

On How A Public Divorce Feels: “Pretty filthy. But I’ve gotten used to it. It’s that old saying that whatever people think of me is none of my business. You learn that something you might react to as an eight on the Richter scale–now it’s a tremor. I think that just comes with age and knowing what is important. When I’m at home, I want my focus taken up with my family, and I don’t want to fill the hard drive with bulls–t. But easier said than done.”

[From LA Times]

There’s more to the interview — and it’s well worth a read if you fancy Oldman in any shape or form — including how he got beat up by some extras (who were real-life punks) on the set of Sid & Nancy because they were really upset that anyone would dare to play Sid Vicious. Ultimately, Oldman was brilliant in that role despite that little hitch, but he’s good at everything from character acting to the straight-man roles that he’s favored lately. Hell, he is even captivating while reading the (admittedly disgusting) plot from last week’s episode of “Jersey Shore” during an episode of “Jimmy Kimmel.”
It’s a discombombulating performance and about on par with Christopher Walken reading the lyrics to Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face.” Quite disturbing, really.

Also, Oldman really knows how to wear the hell out of a suit.

Photos courtesy of WENN