‘Thank God’: How Harry Potter (And Batman) ‘Saved’ Sirius Black Actor Gary Oldman At A Key point In His Career
Harry Potter has been entertaining audiences for decades, starting with the books and expanding to plays, theme parks and (of course) the movie franchise. Plenty of fans re-watch the Potter movies annually, which are available with a Max subscription. The cast of Harry Potter was outstanding, especially the adult cast who played professors and authority figures at Hogwarts. That includes Sirius Black actor Gary Oldman, who recently explained how Harry Potter (and Batman) “saved” him at a key point in his career. Let’s break it all down.
Oldman has had a long and wildly successful career, and spent a number of years pivoting between Harry Potter and Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, playing Sirius Black and James Gordon respectively. He recently appeared on Drew Barrymore, explaining why the timing of those franchises was so key. He offered context about his personal life, saying:
At 42 years old, I woke up divorced and I had custody of these boys and so that, in itself, was, that was hard because there was a shift in the industry where a lot of productions were being [filmed in] Hungary, Budapest, Prague, Australia, you know, all of these places. So I turned down a lot of work.
Points were made. While being a movie star seems like nothing but glamor and jet setting, the reality of the job can be a bit more grueling. Ad when Gary Oldman got divorced and had custody over his kids, it meant he couldn’t take jobs that would have required him to leave the country. Luckily he’d end up getting involved in two major film franchises at around this time.
The Harry Potter movies would end up being wildly successful, so Gary Oldman lucked out when he landed the role of Harry’s godfather Sirius Black. He debuted in Prisoner of Azkaban, and reprised his role a number of times before Black’s death. While speaking with Drew Barrymore, he explained why Potter and The Dark Knight were dream gigs, offering:
Thank God for Harry Potter. Thank God for Harry Potter. I tell you, the two — Batman and Harry Potter — really they saved me, because it meant that I could do the least amount of work for the most amount of money and then be home with the kids.
Points were made. Joining these two major productions allowed for multiple high-paying jobs, one that kept him working in either the states or across the pond, rather than going to a more exotic location. And as he put it, he got to do “the least amount of work” as he wasn’t the star of either Harry Potter or The Dark Knight. Although he did appear in all three installments of the latter property.
Not only was his performance as Sirius Black killer, but Gary Oldman also developed a strong bond with Daniel Radcliffe while filming his role in the fantasy series. He ended up being one of Radcliffe’s many mentors who he met while starring as the Boy who Live, and Oldman and Radcliffe still have a special bond today.
It’s currently unclear when Harry Potter will return to theaters, or when the developing live-action show will begin. But Oldman has been keeping busy including a role in the cast of Oppenheimer. In the meantime, check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
