Gary Oldman on 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,' Its Insufficient Action and Playing Jim Gordon

Gary Oldman's pantheon of film performances include some enchantingly over-the-top figures, like his bad, Mozart-loving cop in 'The Professional,' hideously damaged pimp in 'True Romance' and also the maniacal Zorg in 'The Fifth Element.' But it is his quiet, understated role as upon the market spy George Smiley in the new film 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy' that may obtain the criminally under-appreciated-by-the-Academy actor his first Oscar nomination. Oldman sitting lower with Moviefone to go over the task of dealing with a job made famous by Alec Guinness and why he needed a dialect coach to experience Smiley. Do you consider audiences may be disappointed inside a spy movie without any action? No, I believe that is what sets it apart. The correct answer is refreshing, this method. We have yet to determine what goes on. Many people I have spoken to actually such as the movie, but that certain factor that's missing may be the audience. But we're coming here on the wave of the very effective opening within the U.K. It had been number 1 for four days and it is there, will still be earning money. Therefore it states in my experience that individuals wish to go and find out a grownup movie without everything coming up. I had been reading through that you simply hired a dialect coach since you had not performed an english character shortly. Yes, well, you reside in the usa for such a long time. I've not really lost my accent, however the seem that you're encircled by ... my children are American, and thus there's just certain sounds which i make that aren't what can you call perfect received pronunciation British. And So I just needed a brush-on my British. Where have you read that? From the Q&A you probably did another evening in the Aero Theater in Santa Monica. I did not know I spoken about this! So Sirius Black does not count like a British character? No, it is simply different sounds you need to make. And that is kind of very Oxbridge, Whitehall vowels that certain needs to use. I believe extremely common. Take Sean Penn for instance, if he was playing someone from NY, he'd need to have a voice coach because he's from La. And Toby Johnson, he's Scots within this [and he isn't in tangible existence] to ensure that was a highlight he was doing. Have you have trepidation in dealing with a job that's so recognized with Alec Guinness? Yeah. He managed to get a lot their own. Others have performed Smiley however in different guise, different shapes. But Guinness was a significant dragon to slay, simply to really start it, get him from ... well, the dragon's inside your mind, is not he? Had you viewed the miniseries? Yeah, I'd seen it in '79 if this was on. I believe I recall it much better than I actually do. However, you designed a point to not rewatch it before doing the film? No, I did not desire to be kind of contaminated because of it. Almost always there is the risk it's so fresh inside your mind that you are doing kind of an impersonation. Had you met Mister Alec? No, I'd not met him, but my manager was once a Broadway producer and did maybe 2 or 3 or plays with him and understood him very well. Not to mention we'd use of John le Carré [the initial author of 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'], and that he told some good tales. Guinness was very notoriously not happy with getting made 'Star Wars,' and you are in 2 from the greatest film franchises ever. Do you feel conflicted about large Hollywood versus "the craft?" Well, it's kind of perception, is not it, really? It relates to exactly the same commitment of your stuff. Whether you are playing Smiley or whether you are playing Jim Gordon. It is not as highbrow as 'Tinker,' however it takes great technique. Frequently the task of Jim Gordon and figures like this, as with Potter is -- as le Carré states -- you turn the oxen right into a bouillon cube. To evolve a magazine, you need to transform it into something much more compact. Lots of character passes the wayside and thus exposition and plot become character. You discover the figures are speaking the plot which takes a kind of skill to have the ability to accomplish it making the plot character, allow it to be credible and seem as if you are speaking just like a normal person. You're doing so admirably! Will you be up for additional Smiley films? They are speaking about doing 'Smiley's People,' that is really only a whisper, however I hear that they are really very keen to revisit it. And it is an excellent story. As we got all of the team together again, exactly the same creative people, yeah, I'd be up for this. [Photo: Focus Features] 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy' is within theaters now mind for tickets and showtimes Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook