Gary Oldman And Jack Lowden Share Their Intel On Spy Series ‘Slow Horses’

A freshness laced with a familiarity makes the Apple TV+ spy series Slow Horses something of an irresistibly engaging watch – and it’s achingly British.

Based on author Mick Herron’s acclaimed and popular book series, it’s the first taste of what could be a long-running franchise for the streamer. Slow Horses boasts an ensemble cast led by Gary Oldman as the deliciously monikered Jackson Lamb, the leader of a bunch of flawed agents who have dropped the ball and found themselves at Slough House, the bottom of the intelligence barrel.

I had five minutes to catch up with the legendary English actor and Scottish co-star Jack Lowden to discuss what Slow Horses brings to the spy game and Oldman’s plans for Lamb in the future.

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Simon Thompson: Slow Horses managed to embrace all the tropes of John le Carré and classic British spy content from the 70s while also being very contemporary. I’m guessing it’s that blend that appealed to both of you?

Gary Oldman: It was precisely that. It has the pedigree of le Carré and Mick Herron, who has written the books that the series is based on, has been pretty loud about his love for the genre. It has a taste of the stuffiness from the 70s, but it doesn’t take itself so seriously. The show is peopled with these characters that I think the audience can relate to. They’re spies, but they’re like you and me, these ordinary people with all their flaws. Mick’s also injected the genre with this wit and humor. I had to do very little work with Jackson Lamb because it was all laid out. It’s very detailed in the books, and all I had to do was come along and give him a physicality and a voice. Mick’s very specific in his writing. And what the show’s writer, Will Smith, has done has its own specificity.

Thompson: Jack, was it the same case for you with your character, River Cartwright?

Jack Lowden: No, I brought it all.

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Oldman: (Laughs)

Lowden: River is like a stroppy teenager. He’s flying high when you meet them, then he’s thrown to the bottom of the barrel and never envisaged himself there. He’s always thought of himself as the smartest person in the room, while Lamb definitely thinks he is. Many of the characters feel the same thing, so it’s a lovely mix to have everybody in the room thinking that they’re the smartest person there, but River can’t quite believe that he’s ended up in such a dump.

Oldman: He’s very entitled, isn’t he?

Lowden: Oh, hugely.

Oldman: He basically spends six episodes in a bad mood.

Lowden: Yeah, he’s in a huff for all six. It was pretty hard to maintain that strop level for that long (laughs).

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Thompson: There are a number of Jackson Lamb and Slough House books already. Does that mean there are more seasons planned?

Oldman: Well, it’s been a little confusing because the first season is 12 episodes, and when you see the final episode, there’s a teaser for Dead Lions.

Lowden: That’s the next book in the series.

Oldman: That’s already in the can. It’s two books a season, so we’ve done Slow Horses and Dead Lions. If we are picked up and allowed to continue this journey, we’ll do another two books. and it’ll continue like that. As you say, there are plenty of books in the Jackson Lamb and Slough House series already, and Mick’s still writing.

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Thompson: It sounds like the spy game could keep you busy for a while?

Oldman: It’ll help keep the lights on (laughs).

Slow Horses is streaming exclusively on Apple TV+ with new episodes dropping each Friday.