by Christos Zabounis

“Every time I see you (as Jackson Lamb), I feel the urge to give you a good wash.” With these words, Prince William, heir to the British throne, welcomed actor Gary Oldman to Windsor Castle, revealing that he follows the TV series Slow Horses. The Oscar-winning actor’s reply was in the same spirit: “I scrubbed it off to get the dirt out.” Those of us who have been watching the series in recent years have certainly noticed that the “dirty” detective’s filth has nothing to do with corruption, but rather with his complete divorce from cleanliness — quite literally unwashed. Yet his performance is so convincing, continuing the long tradition of British stage-trained actors, that not for a single moment does the viewer feel they are watching someone acting. Of course, the Palace did not need a crime series to decide to knight him. This was a recognition of his long and steady contribution to cinema and theatre, from his early days in the 1980s as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, to his portrayal of another “colleague,” Sir Winston Churchill, in the historical drama Darkest Hour. We salute and pay our respects to Sir Gary Oldman, and wish him long life and continued greatness.