Gary Oldman starred in four of the eight Harry Potter movies as Sirius Black, a role Oldman considers himself to be have been not so great in.
Speaking during a recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Oldman joked that he found himself to be “mediocre” throughout his portrayal of the character. While the crowd was shocked, Oldman said he believed it to be true.
“I think my work is mediocre in it,” Oldman said. “No, I do. Maybe if I had read the books like Alan [Rickman], if I had got ahead of the curve, if I had known what’s coming, I honestly think I would have played it differently.”
Oldman jokes that he would have done better if he knew how the books ended
Oldman’s mention of Rickman — who played Professor Severus Snape — is in reference to the fact that, according to stories, Rickman knew how the Harry Potter books ended. This was due to his close relationship with author J.K. Rowling.
Oldman starred as Sirius Black in 2004’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, 2005’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2007’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and in 2011’s finale film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. In the films, Black is a character that is originally perceived to be a villain, but is later revealed to be the godfather of Harry Potter, and becomes a mainstay throughout the latter half of films.
