Apple TV+ Becoming A Haven For Oscar-Winning Actors Like Gary Oldman

AppleTV+ has become a safe haven for Oscar-winning actors, and Gary Oldman’s Slow Horses role proves as much. There are many great movies on AppleTV+, but its television side has become more of a talking point of late. In terms of the best AppleTV+ TV shows, there is a large handful that qualify.

In modern culture, it is rare that recently released properties are classed as the best TV shows of all time. Oftentimes, the status quo of current pop culture means that nostalgia rules over all, with many new shows and movies often breeding nothing but contempt, typically alongside a revisionist, nostalgic love for what may have been released 10, 20, or 30 years ago.

Of course, there are outliers. Some quality TV retains the high bar established in the last few decades, though even big streaming services are getting worse in major ways. However, one streaming service that tends to stand out from the crowd is AppleTV+.

The continuous output of strong content on AppleTV+ is now enough to rival any other streaming platform. This is a result of writing, production, and oversight, naturally, but also the quality of acting on display. More than anything else in the modern TV climate, AppleTV+ seems a safe, thriving haven for Oscar-winning actors.

Apple TV+’s New Dramas Are Giving Big-Name Actors Complex TV Roles AfterWinning Oscars

Streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ are no strangers to big-name actors. However, all of these can be argued to have fallen victim to franchise filmmaking. Prime Video’s biggest shows include The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Fallout, and other IP-driven series. The same can be said for Netflix, with Stranger Things and Wednesday dominating streaming charts.

Disney+’s successful shows speak for themselves, often linking to behemoths like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars. It is worth noting that franchise filmmaking is not inherently bad, and a lot of these productions are being made to an absurdly high quality.

Beyond that, the actors hired to play roles in these shows are of a high standard, or have become household names because of various streaming platforms’ original programming. That said, AppleTV+ seems the best streaming platform for giving high-calibre, Academy Award-winning actors the chance to play complex, deep roles in hard-hitting dramas.

The above actors are only a select handful who have been nominated for or won Academy Awards and have had big AppleTV+ shows in recent years. This proves above all else how much of a safe space AppleTV+ is for esteemed actors to venture into the world of TV, only with the same quality, drama-driven roles they received accolades for.

Gary Oldman’s Slow Horses Role Is A Perfect Example Of Apple TV+’s Oscar Winner Trend

Courtesy: Apple TV+

Gary Oldman is currently in the midst of Slow Horses season 5, portraying former British spy Jackson Lamb. Oldman is one of the best working actors in the industry, primarily due to his chameleon-like roles. Oldman often disappears entirely into roles, with his Oscar-winning turn as Winston Churchill in The Darkest Hour proving as much.

The same can be said for Oppenheimer, in which Oldman disappeared into the role of Harry S. Truman, albeit without the Oscar attention.

Still, it proves how good Oldman is at becoming different characters. If you ask any person who grew up in the 2000s, like me, whether they knew that The Dark Knight‘s Jim Gordon and Harry Potter‘s Sirius Black were played by the same actor, they would say they did not until much later in life.

Jackson Lamb is just the latest embodiment of Oldman’s ability to become anyone, which AppleTV+ provides for many of the other aforementioned Oscar winners. In many ways, Lamb is a shining example of this, given the complexity of the role. In fact, Lamb will go down as one of the most complex roles Oldman has ever had to play.

On the surface, Lamb is an unhygienic, crude man who disgusts those around him, leading to fart humor that can be classed as juvenile and flippant. Oldman plays this side of Lamb, something that the actor rarely has to do, well. Beyond that, though, the layers of Jackson Lamb allow the complexity of the role to come to light.

The character is as he is because of his traumatic past. Lamb has undergone a lot of turmoil and danger, making him an overly competent spy when he wants to be. Watching Oldman go from a farting old man to a hardened, smart spy at the flip of a switch is endlessly intriguing to watch.

This is without mentioning the somewhat “heart of gold” Jackson has. He never shows it and is often rude and outright mean to his underlings. Still, he throws himself back into the dangerous game of spycraft whenever they need help, proving his care. Oldman has had five seasons to build this, and many more are on the way.

The sheer complexity of all this, and how it bleeds into the rest of Slow Horses, is driven almost solely by Oldman. This typifies how AppleTV+ is offering roles of great substance to actors who have proven their credentials on the big screen.

Apple TV+ Has Gradually Been Surpassing HBO For Prestige TV Shows

For years, HBO has been the home of prestige TV. Shows like The Wire, The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Chernobyl, Band of Brothers, True Detective, and many more have been lauded for their production, with several of these truly ushering in the age of quality TV. However, in recent years, it can be argued that AppleTV+ has been gradually surpassing HBO.

HBO still has some great TV shows, but recent efforts cannot be argued to match the quality of the 2000s and 2010s. AppleTV+, on the other hand, is only improving. A show like Severance is a testament to this as one of the best original sci-fi shows in recent years, with great viewership and critical acclaim.

Then there are more lighthearted, but no less emotional, shows like Ted Lasso or Shrinking, two of the most effective dramedies of the last few decades. AppleTV+ also has dramas like the aforementioned Slow Horses or the acclaimed Black Bird, sci-fi epics like Invasion, Foundation, and Silo, or easygoing comedies like Platonic and The Studios.

All of these shows have been in and around the award circuit for the last half-decade, with each receiving praise from audiences and critics alike. All of this proves that AppleTV+ may now be becoming the home for prestige TV. While it may not yet have surpassed HBO, its production quality, endless acclaim, and treatment of Oscar-winning actors mean it is not far off.

Release Date

April 1, 2022

Network

Apple TV+

Directors

Saul Metzstein, James Hawes, Jeremy Lovering

Writers

Mark Denton, Jonny Stockwood