Alert – Gary Oldman insists his performance as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter films was ‘mediocre’ because he never read the books… after claiming the role ‘saved him’ amid messy divorce

Gary Oldman thinks his performance in the Harry Potter movies was ‘mediocre’. 

The 65-year-old actor joined the wizard franchise for the third film playing Harry’s godfather Sirius Black in 2004’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and reprised the role in three more movies, but he has now admitted he’s not proud of his portrayal of the character. 

During an appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, Gary explained: ‘I think my work is mediocre in it.’

Screen star Gary said he wished he’d taken the time to read J. K. Rowling’s books on which the films were based like his late co-star Alan Rickman, who played Professor Severus Snape. 

He added: ‘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.’

Gary Oldman thinks his performance in the Harry Potter movies was ‘mediocre’ – because he never read the books before filming (Gary pictured in September 2019)

The 65-year-old actor joined the wizard franchise for the third film playing Harry’s godfather Sirius Black in 2004’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (seen in the film)

Gary went on to joke his character was killed off too early, adding: ‘We [the cast] were all taking bets [on which character would die], you know, it’s Hagrid, and I was there going, no, no, no, maybe it’s Ron. 

‘And then you kind of open the script and you go, it’s me. I’m out of here.’ 

During the podcast, the actor admitted he’s often overly-critical of his own work but insisted that’s a good thing. 

He explained: ‘I’ll tell you what it is. It’s like anything, I think if I sat and watched myself in something and said, “My God, I’m amazing”, that would be a very sad day, because you want to make the next thing better… 

‘It’s so subjective. It’s such a personal thing that you’re looking at that other people are not seeing… 

‘It’s not to disrespect someone who says to me, “Oh, I really love you in that movie”, and I’m thinking, “I’m terrible in that movie. What are they talking about?” It’s not that. It’s [that] they’re seeing something else.’

Gary has told how his roles in blockbuster movies Harry Potter and The Dark Knight trilogy helped ‘save him’ following a messy divorce and custody battle.

He said playing wizard Sirius Black and detective Jim Gordon left him doing the ‘least amount of work for most amount of money’ while solely caring for sons Gulliver, now 26, and Charlie, 24.

Gary has told how his roles in blockbuster movies Harry Potter and The Dark Knight trilogy helped ‘save him’ following a messy divorce and custody battle (Gary seen in 2004’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

Speaking on the The Drew Barrymore Show he said: ‘At 42 years old, I woke up divorced and I had custody of [my] boys,’ (Gary, left, pictured alongside co-star Christian Bale as Batman)

Gary played the role of Harry Potter’s mentor in three of the fantasy movies as well as starring in all of the Dark Knight Trilogy. 

He split from ex-wife and mother of his boys Donya Fiorentino in 2001 after four-years of marriage, amid accusations of alcohol addiction and physical abuse.

Speaking on the The Drew Barrymore Show he said: ‘At 42 years old, I woke up divorced and I had custody of [my] boys,’

‘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, , 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’.

Gary, who is now married Gisele Schmidt, also shares son Alfie, 35, with ex-wife and The Crown star Lesley Manville, 67.

He has been wed five times, to Lesley from 1987-1990, Uma Thurman, 1990-1992, Donya Fiorentino 1997-2001, Alexandra Edenborough 2008-2015, and Giseele Schmidt in 2017.

Gary since called the 2001 claims made against him by his former wife Donya ‘lies, innuendoes and half-truths’.

Gary split from ex-wife and mother of his boys Donya Fiorentino in 2001 after four-years of marriage, amid accusations of alcohol addiction and physical abuse (pictured in 2005) 

Speaking on the Drew Barrymore show he said: ‘Thank God for Harry Potter, I tell you, the two [Batman and Harry Potter] really, they saved me (pictured with his sons Gulliver, left, and Charlie, right, and fifth wife Gisele Schmidt in 2018)

Following his 2018 Best Actor Oscar win for the Darkest Hour, he was shamed by his ex-wife, who labelled their four-year marriage ‘a nightmare’ and also claimed he ‘beat her face with a telephone in front of their children’.

As a result former couple’s son Gulliver penned an open letter defending his father – referencing the allegations against him as ‘troubling and painful’, while also labelling him as ‘his hero’ and ‘the man he aspires to be’.

Writing: ‘It has been troubling and painful to see that these false allegations against my father being written about again, especially after this was all settled years ago…

‘Custody of children is not given to a wife beater, and under most circumstances, hardly ever a man. My having lived, full time with my father should be in itself, proof enough.’

In comparison, Gulliver sang the praises of his dad, admitting: ‘My Father is my one and true guiding light. My only hero. He is the man I aspire one day to become. If I could only become even half as great and half as pure.

‘I was granted the good graces of his fatherhood as a child to be raised by him and only him. For that I am eternally grateful every hour of every day. I owe him the world and I owe him my life…

Following Gary’s 2018 Best Actor Oscar win for the Darkest Hour, he was shamed by his former wife Donya, who labelled their four-year marriage ‘a nightmare’ (pictured together in 2000)

‘I want only to protect my father’s character, as a person and as an actor. I know he is a wonderfully kind man, gifted beyond belief, a man who wouldn’t trade anything for the love and happiness of his family.’

In his final words, Gulliver continued: ‘This torment should have ended 16 years ago. In such a momentous year for his career, my father should finally be able to enjoy himself. I hope that we can please make that a possibility.’

Gulliver’s open letter came after his mother Donya revealed: ‘He stole my children and ruined my life.

‘The truth needs to be told. I would like Gary to stand up and take responsibility for his actions. Will he? Who knows? He has always denied everything.’

Emboldened by the #MeToo movement, she said: ‘He is a great actor. Was he a great husband? No.’

‘Our marriage was a giant car crash in which demented things happened. I lost my self-esteem, I was broken,’ she added.

‘I’ve been empowered by hearing other women speak up. When a woman gets her voice back, she gets her power back.’

‘I want our sons and the world to know the truth. I would rather get eaten by a great white shark than go through that marriage again,’ she said.

‘I have $20 in my purse. I’ve got nothing else he can take from me. I’m not speaking out to hurt Gary.

‘In fact, I wish him well. He’s a brilliant actor and he fully deserves his Oscar. But when you are nominated for an Academy Award you have to be held to a higher standard.’