Gary Oldman has declined the offer to voice the evil General Grievous in Star Wars Episode III. The decision comes as Oldman was unwilling to break the Screen Actors Guild regulation known as Global Rule One., a rule ensuring that SAG members retain the protections of SAG contract provisions wherever they work.
Lynn Hale, head of publicity for Lucasfilm, insisted Oldman was never contractually hired, but did say that the film is a non-SAG shoot lensing in the U.K. and Australia.
“This is a strong statement from one of the world’s leading film artists that the protections provided by Global Rule One for actors working abroad are indispensable,” said Seth Oster, a spokesman for the union. “SAG applauds Gary Oldman for taking this strong stand.”
