Gary Oldman in 'Slow Horses.' Courtesy of Apple TV We can only pray he keeps the flatulence in check.
Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman, known to fans of AppleTV+ series Slow Horses as the shambolic, gassy spy Jackson Lamb, will be honored at this year Edinburgh Television Festival with the fest’s lifetime achievement honor, the Golden Icon Award. He will also sit down with TV presenter Edith Bowman for a conversation on six seasons of Slow Horses and other highlights from his remarkable career.
“To receive an award bearing the title ‘Global Icon’ is both enormously flattering and faintly alarming!” Oldman said in a statement. “In all seriousness, I am touched by this generosity and thankful to all those whose creativity, trust, and collaboration have shaped my journey. My warmest thanks to the festival, and I very much look forward to being with you in Edinburgh.”
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Born in 1958 in working-class New Cross, South London, Oldman came up through British theater before breaking out in the 1980s playing dangerous, damaged men, from Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy to playwright Joe Orton in Prick Up Your Ears. By the mid-1990s, roles in Léon: The Professional, True Romance and The Fifth Element had cemented him as Hollywood’s go-to heavy, earning him the nickname “Scary Gary” from Air Force One co-star Harrison Ford.
The 2000s saw a reinvention, and one of the most acclaimed second acts in Hollywood history. Alongside supporting roles in major franchises — playing Sirius Black in the Harry Potter films and Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy — Oldman played George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2012), earning his first Oscar nomination, and followed up with an Oscar-winning performance as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour (2018). His transition to serial TV, with the Emmy and Bafta-winning Slow Horses has been equally successful. Season 6 of Slow Horses debuts on Apple TV Sept. 16.
The 2026 Edinburgh Television Festival runs Aug. 25-28.
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