'I haven't farted since 1971': Gary Oldman on what separates him from Jackson Lamb ahead of 'Slow Horses' season 6

"Slow Horses" season 6 is coming to Apple TV later this week. Ahead of its September 16 premiere on Apple's streaming service, I got a chance to sit in on a virtual press conference with the show's star, Sir Gary Oldman, who was in Edinburgh to receive the Edinburgh TV Festival's Global Icon Award.

It was an enlightening exchange; admittedly, any conversation with Sir Gary is likely to be enlightening. But over the course of a half-hour, the iconic actor discussed what separates him from the odorous spymaster he plays on TV, what it's like to work with Olivia Cooke, Jack Lowden and the rest of the Slough House crew, and why it's so important to him that the show delivers a new season every year to its fans.

Last week, I wrote about his comments regarding the return of Olivia Cooke to "Slow Horses" season 6. Today, I wanted to bring you his thoughts on the Emmy Award-nominated character he portrays in the spy thriller. Here's Gary Oldman on what separates him from Jackson Lamb going into "Slow Horses" season 6. And don't forget to check out our spoiler-free review of "Slow Horses" season 6.

Malcolm McMillan

Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2023, covering the latest in streaming shows and movies. He watches over 50 new shows a year, and has long contested that "Slow Horses" is one of the best shows on TV right now.

'Jackson Lamb has no filter'

With the way actors sink into a character these days, and given that Oldman has now played Lamb since 2022, it's fair to wonder if he and the character have started to merge. But the veteran actor was quick to quash that idea when asked.

"Well, I would hope not," Oldman responded when asked if he had picked up any of Lamb's bad habits. "[I] don't smoke. I don't drink anymore. I'm much softer than ... Jackson Lamb has no filter. So he'll be very, very direct with people. And I don't want confrontation. Life's too short."

Of course, that's not to say the actor thinks he was always a model citizen. "Maybe I liked to sort of, you know, rough it up a bit when I was younger," he explained. "But I'm far too ... I don't want to hurt people's feelings. I don't want to make people feel less than or uncomfortable. And Lamb, he does a bit. There's a side of him that actually takes pleasure in that. So I hope I've not picked up anything [from Lamb]."

Gary Oldman wants you to stop asking his castmates if he smells

One of Lamb's defining characteristics is the general foul odor that comes alongside his foul temper. And Oldman was quick to point out that just because Lamb smells bad doesn't mean Sir Gary smells bad on set.

"I don't smell," Oldman quickly retorted when asked whether his on-screen aroma was authentic. "People ask Kristen Scott Thomas and Jack Lowden, 'Does he smell?' Well, I don't smell. It's all smoke and mirrors, you know. It's all makeup and hair gel."

That said, Oldman did admit that he can slip into Lamb in an instant if needed, smelly or not. "It gets some of your skin a bit," Sir Gary explained. "It's not that you're conscious of Jackson Lamb in your everyday life, or when I'm not doing it. But he's there."

Oldman then reminisced about some past roles where he's been able to flip a switch and become the person he's playing. "I've done it with [Harry] Potter, and I've done it with the [Christopher Nolan] Batman trilogy. But that was sort of infrequent. It's not as continuous as this [portraying Lamb]."

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