Gary Oldman says Edinburgh TV Festival honour is ‘enormously flattering’

By Casey Cooper-Fiske, Press Association Senior Entertainment Reporter

Actor Gary Oldman has said being given the global icon award at the Edinburgh TV Festival is “enormously flattering”.

The 68-year-old, who stars in Apple TV+ spy series Slow Horses, will receive the honour at the Scottish festival, which takes place from August 25th to 28th.

Oldman said: “My heartfelt thanks to the Edinburgh TV Festival for this generous honour.

“To receive an award bearing the title global icon is both enormously flattering and faintly alarming.

“In all seriousness, I am touched by this generosity and thankful to all those whose creativity, trust, and collaboration have shaped my journey.

“My warmest thanks to the festival, and I very much look forward to being with you in Edinburgh.”

Along with receiving the award, the London-born actor will also appear in conversation with radio presenter Edith Bowman in Edinburgh.

Oldman has appeared in five seasons of Slow Horses and will star in the sixth when it is released on September 16th.

The star is known for his versatile acting style, having portrayed a range of figures from former prime minister Winston Churchill to The Sex Pistols’ Sid Vicious.

He was nominated for an Oscar and a Bafta for his role playing George Smiley in the 2011 film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, but did not win the leading actor awards until The Darkest Hour, in which he swept the 2018 awards season, winning an Academy Award, Bafta and more.

Oldman has also starred as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter film franchise and in other films including JFK (1991), Leon: The Professional (1994) and The Fifth Element (1997).