Prince William presented veteran actor Sir Gary Oldman with his knighthood at Windsor Castle – and the Oscar winner revealed the heir to the throne’s cheeky quip
Gary Oldman shares funny comment from Prince William
Oscar-winning actor Sir Gary Oldman revealed the savage joke Prince William cracked while presenting him with his knighthood.
The veteran actor received his honour for services to drama, and the London-born film star, 67, said he felt “very emotional” after accepting the honour from William at Windsor Castle. He has currently been on screens in the TV series Slow Horses, which is based on the Slough House book series by British writer Mick Herron.
And it appears the prince told the actor, as he bestowed the honour, that every time he sees him on screen as veteran MI5 agent Jackson Lamb in Apple TV’s Slow Horses, “I just want to give you a good wash”, Sir Gary said. The actor said he joked in reply: “Well, I think I’ve scrubbed up OK today.”
Sir Gary is known for his versatile acting, having portrayed a range of figures from former prime minister Sir Winston Churchill to Sex Pistols member Sid Vicious.
After being awarded the knighthood, Sir Gary said: “It was emotional. Very emotional. We spoke (for) a minute, but I almost couldn’t find my voice.I think I feel very honoured, very humbled and flattered, I think in equal measure.
“It compares to nothing else. It’s a singular event, that is what it is. I thought the Oscar was a big deal. No disrespect to the academy, but it sort of pales in comparison to this. It’s just been wonderful.”
Of his conversation with the prince, Sir Gary said: “He mentioned The Fifth Element and Churchill of Darkest Hour. He said he was very happy that I was here today and that it was him that had the opportunity to present me with (the honour).
“A fan of Slow Horses. And he says, ‘every time I see you, I just want to give you a good wash’. And I said, ‘well, I think I’ve scrubbed up OK today’. He’s a fan yeah.”
His career in the early 1990s saw him play Lee Harvey Oswald, the alleged assassin of US President John F Kennedy, in 1991’s JFK and the titular vampire in Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1992.
Across the Noughties and into the 2010s he appeared in some of the Harry Potter films as Harry’s godfather, Sirius Black, and also starred as Gotham City Police lieutenant Jim Gordon in Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012).
He was lauded for his performance as George Smiley in 2011 film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which saw him earn Bafta and Oscar nods.
He was unable to secure the leading actor gongs, however, until his role in The Darkest Hour which saw him sweep the 2018 awards season, winning an Academy Award, Bafta and more.
Also among the personalities honoured by William yesterday were Bafta-winning actress Samantha Morton and 2022 Euro-winning Lioness Rachel Daly. Morton, 48, known for her roles in Longford and The Serpent Queen, will be made an OBE for services to drama and to charity.
