New Delhi

Celebrated actor Gary Oldman recently candidly discussed his role as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter film series, expressing self-criticism for what he considers a "mediocre" performance.

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In a recent interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Oldman revealed that, unlike his co-star, the late Alan Rickman (Professor Snape), he didn't have advance knowledge of the future developments in JK Rowling's books. He speculated that having insight into his character's trajectory might have influenced his portrayal positively. 

“Maybe if I had read the books like Alan, if I had got ahead of the curve, if I had known what’s coming, I honestly think I would have played it differently,” he said.

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Oldman also lamented Sirius Black's early demise in the series, sharing anecdotes of casting bets with fellow actors about the character's fate. 

In a separate appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Oldman credited his roles in Harry Potter and The Dark Knight movies with providing stability during a challenging period in his life. As a single father with custody of his children, he noted that these roles allowed him to strike a balance between work and home life.

“At 42 years old, I woke up, you know, sort of divorced and I had custody of these boys. That, in itself, was … that was hard because there was a shift in the industry where a lot of productions were … in Hungary, Budapest, Prague, Australia, you know, all of these places. So, I turned down a lot of work. 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," he said.