Gary Oldman Interview, The Dark Knight

In our continuing coverage of Dark Knight we have our Gary Oldman Interview. Thanks to Warner Brothers! Gary doesnt go into quite as much depth as Christian Bale did but it is still very much an interesting and straight to the point interview. Here is what he had to say.

Did you play Gordon differently this time? Did you feel the need to make him different?

No not really. I mean I didnt improvise. I am at the mercy of Chris and the writing. I am just following the writing its all there in the writing. I am just interpreting and following it.

A play is very different you know because you are playing the same scenes and the same lines over and over again. You are not recreating it in that sense every night. I mean its a great character to play and what makes it more interesting for me is its interesting against all the other types of charactrs I have played.

So it is nice to play somebody who really is the moral center of the piece and someone who is strong and got great backbone and great character and is virtuous, honest and un-corruptable. I think these are all the things that Jim Gordon is and its the qualities that make him fun to play versus some of those other wackier stranger people I have portrayed in the past. This is a conscious decision to turn the ship around a bit and do other things.

Do you approach this character vs others or over the top characters differently?

The director in a way sets the tone. He is the real barometer of that and how you play it. I mean there is a realism to Batman but it is slightyl pumped up, its slightly heightened. Chris doesnt want the realistic acting, your not working for Ken Loach. You gotta know the style of the piece your in. Style is knowing what play you are in.

Was it fun working with Christian Bale, and what was it like working wtih Heath.

They are two very different people. Christian is darker then Heath Ledger. I know that sounds kind of wierd but he very much keeps to himself. I have never really worked with him as Bruce Wayne. I only have one small scene with him. He very much keeps himself, to himself. He is just very quietly intense. The experience with Heath was very different. He between takes very much wanted to laugh. I know thats not what people are looking for in the Heath story. People out there are looking for a darker story. That he was so contaminated by the joker role that he couldnt sleep, and all that stuff that people want. But I didnt see any of that.

Heath was a fun guy to hang out with. I think here was perhaps a potential friendship there and its a silly sort of accident. One of those things I call the cosmic shit hammer. It just happened and there you are.

Does the film reflect the world today or is it purely the universe of the comic book?

I dont know if you could make comparisons. I mean maybe there are Batmen in the world. Maybe they work really covertly. I dont know. It would be hard, you got the UN. Everything is all PC, its to PC, the world wouldnt let you have a Batman. He goes outside the jurisdiction of the country and there would be outrage.

Why do you like working with Christopher Nolan?

One of the reasons I like working with Chris nolan is hes a talented man, a great director but you know what.. he finishes so I can get home for dinner and put my kids to bed. He is not a lunatic who wants to work 17 hours a day. I dont want to work with anyone like that. I want my weekends off and I wanna put my kids to bed. Nolan facilitates it. Those are good reasons to wanna be in Batman 2. I like that guy plus I get home for dinner.