British actor Sir Gary Oldman has shared the reason he came to star in one of the movies considered to be the worst in the world.
The movie came out in 2002
The newly-knighted 67-year-old actor starred in Tiptoes back in 2002 alongside Matthew McConaughey, Patricia Arquette and Kate Beckinsale.
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The movie revolves around a young man, played by McConaughey, who had concealed from his pregnant girlfriend that every member of his family, including his twin brother, has a form of dwarfism.
Oldman played McConaughey’s brother
On the screen, the knighted British actor played McConaughey’s brother, a role he had to wear prosthetics as well as spend most of the shoot on his knees for.
Oldman has explained why he took the role
In a recent interview with Happy Sad Confused podcast, Oldman opened up about why he took the role, admitting that he’s never actually seen Tiptoes.
The actor shared that it was a difficult time in his life. “I’ll be very honest with you,” Oldman began, “I had gone through a divorce and a nasty thing with a contractor.”
He was financially struggling at the time
“I ended up in California, in LA, at 42 years old, a single dad, and I was broke. And, ironically, I was living under the Hollywood sign, living in this rental. We had no furniture – thank God for Ikea,” Oldman added.
When Oldman got offered the role in Tiptoes, he hadn’t been working for almost two years.
The rough time was exasperated by a strike
“It was a bit of a rough time, and I needed to pay some bills, and I needed some money, and it was an actors’ strike ontop of it all, which was a double whammy,” Oldman explained, noting that it was a “terrible time” for everyone in the industry.
“And then this film came along, this crazy idea, from this director, that I would play a little person. And I would play Matthew McConaughey’s brother,” he added.
The movie offer was a saving grace for him
“There were several [issues]. First of all, I got locked in to doing a voice like that, because I had to sound like Matthew. We were brothers, so somehow, I had to sound like Matthew,” Oldman added.
“So that was that. And then, I’m on my knees… desperate measures, desperate times.”
He noted that taking the movie was ‘crazy’
The actor was aware that starring in the movie was ‘a crazy idea’ adding, “Would I do it now? No.”
But Oldman also acknowledged that one good thing came out of the movie: that it gave many actors with drawfism the chance to work at a time when many actors were struggling.
“It was a good thing in that regard, because they were all going through the same thing I was going through, with no work,” he said, adding, “But it’s a misfire, to be sure. Not one I talk about, I’m so glad you brought it up.”
