Gary Oldman is pushing back on the idea that he had inside information about the next James Bond — and he says Jack Lowden was not surprised by how quickly the comments took on a life of their own.
During an interview Friday at Deadline’s Toronto Film Festival studio, Oldman addressed the recent attention around remarks he made about Bond casting and the speculation that followed about his Slow Horses co-star Lowden possibly becoming the new 007 in the upcoming Denis Villeneuve-directed Bond film.
“It’s Deadline Hollywood so I’m going to set the record straight,” Oldman said, making clear that he believes his comments were taken out of context and shaped into headlines that suggested more than he had actually said.
Oldman said he had already spoken with Lowden by phone about the situation. Recalling Lowden’s response, Oldman smiled and said: “What did Jack say? He said ‘Oh, they do that kind of thing, the f–kers.’”
Oldman Says He Did Not Introduce the Bond Topic
According to Oldman, the Bond discussion began when a Canadian journalist from Global asked him about Lowden and the James Bond connection. He emphasized that he did not raise the subject himself.
“I did not bring this up. I did not offer this up,” Oldman said. He explained that the journalist asked how he felt about the speculation, prompting him to respond by referring to published reports about contenders for the role.
Oldman said his answer was: “Well, they got the six guys because they published the picture of the contenders for the role.” He continued: “Rumor has it that they picked someone, but they’ve not announced it yet. And fingers crossed for Jack.”
The actor said the way the remarks were later presented made it appear as though he had direct knowledge from Villeneuve. “And they made it sound like I had a hotline to Denis! And he was feeding me the information,” Oldman said. “So they took it to the very edge of misquoting me, moved things around like they do and it became a headline.”
The clarification comes after Oldman’s off-the-cuff comments sparked speculation that Lowden might be the new 007. As of Oldman’s remarks, the casting question remains unresolved.
The Slow Horses Team Is Still Backing Lowden
Oldman was in Toronto with members of the Slow Horses team as part of TIFF’s Primetime lineup, which spotlights television. Lowden was not present, but Saskia Reeves, Christopher Chung, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Ruth Bradley and director Adam Randall joined Oldman at the Deadline studio.
Asked about Lowden, Oldman made clear the group was supportive. “We’re rooting for him, aren’t we?” he said, looking around at the Slow Horses team, who responded with vigorous nods.
The Bond speculation arrives as Slow Horses is preparing for its next chapter. Season 6 is set to drop on Apple TV on September 16, with production already ramping up for Season 7.
The sixth season is based on the sixth and seventh books in Mick Herron’s Slough House series, Joe Country and Slough House. In the new season, Oldman’s character Jackson Lamb is pushed into action when he realizes the Slow Horses are being systematically targeted. Lowden’s character River will also face the return of two significant figures from his past.
What Happens Next?
For now, the Bond casting mystery remains exactly that. Alongside Lowden, the rumored contenders include Callum Turner, Dev Patel, Paul Mescal, Jacob Elordi, Harris Dickinson and Jack Barton.
Oldman’s position, however, is now clear: he says he was wishing his co-star well, not revealing privileged information about who will play 007.