(Credits: Far Out / YouTube Still)
Sat 10 January 2026 7:30, UK
Gary Oldman made his first and only directorial effort, Nil By Mouth, in 1997, a brutal and bleak tale of addiction and domestic violence made in the British social realist tradition, with Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke playing a dysfunctional couple in a gritty and affecting drama that demonstrated genuine talent behind the camera.
While the film won several Baftas, Oldman has struggled to find financing for other projects since, probably because his work isn’t exactly that mainstream-friendly. Talking to theartsdesk.com, the actor once revealed his reluctance to compromise his artistry for budget’s sake.
Explaining, “I’m lucky enough to be able to earn a living as an actor. I don’t have to direct films at all costs. I’ve seen too often what happens when the budget suddenly gets tight. They tear pages out of the script and change the story – rarely for the better. I don’t want to work like that.”
So, Oldman shifted his attention back to acting, knowing that securing tens of millions to bring ideas to life just isn’t doable for him. Nil By Mouth was made on a budget of $9million, but it’s rare that you can get a good movie made for that price these days, especially if you expect to make a sizable profit. Of course, it’s possible, but Oldman knows financing isn’t easy.
In fact, he had to take on a role in a movie he wasn’t interested in just to secure the funding for Nil By Mouth, and taking one look at the poster, it’s not hard to guess that he wasn’t there for any reason other than money. Lost in Space, directed by Stephen Hopkins, took influence from the Swiss Family Robinson-inspired TV show Space Family Robinson, but God was it bad.
With acclaimed stars like William Hurt and Heather Graham also lending themselves to the film, Oldman could’ve been in worse company, but Lost in Space wasn’t exactly a challenging piece of art. I mean, just look at the character Blarp. The actor played Dr Zachary Smith, and it felt like a real step down from his previous endeavours in the likes of True Romance and Leon: The Professional.
Discussing Lost in Space, Oldman referred to the film as not his “cup of tea,” admitting that it wasn’t very “stretching.” He added, “Acting at its lowest level is not intellectual, it’s a sensation, it’s a feeling. I’ve lost the fire for it, I think. Whatever it is that possesses me to get out there and act, write or direct, if I don’t do that, then my heart will stop beating because that is who I am. However, I haven’t acted for a year since Lost in Space, and I’m not chomping at the bit to get back to it.”
It seems like Lost in Space really messed with Oldman’s passion for acting, because it was hardly a fulfilling project to be a part of. The actor found much more personal fulfilment in working on his directorial debut, a harrowing movie that even set a world record for the movie featuring the most uses of the word “cunt.” For a long time, it held the record for the most uses of “fuck”, too.
Who says swearing is unintelligent? Oldman’s expletive-filled script won him the Bafta for ‘Best Original Screenplay’. He could’ve been the next Ken Loach or Mike Leigh, but instead, Oldman put down the pen and got back to acting, although he has since avoided movies as bad as Lost in Space.
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