How Gary Oldman Really Feels About The Fifth Element

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Gary Oldman had decades worth of moviemaking under his belt, with dozens of memorable roles during that stretch. Many love his Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan's beloved "The Dark Knight" trilogy to his Oscar-winning performance as Winston Churchill in "Darkest Hour," but for a great many viewers, his role as the villainous Zorg from 1997's sci-fi classic "The Fifth Element" stands out more than just about anything else he's ever done.

Directed by Luc Besson and featuring Bruce Willis in the lead role as Korben Dallas, the movie takes place in the far future of 2257. It centers on a taxi driver (Willis) who is unwittingly handed the task of saving a young girl who is part of the key that will ensure the survival of humanity. It was a breakout moment for Milla Jovovich, who plays the young girl in question, Leeloo.

For as much as "The Fifth Element" is viewed as a '90s favorite amongst genre fans, it's not a movie that Oldman was particularly proud of. He didn't have much nice to say about it for many years. But why? And have the actor's feelings changed at all with nearly 30 years of distance between himself and Zorg?

At the time, Gary Oldman was directing his own movie "Nil by Mouth," which eventually came out in 1997 as well. But the actor had to take some time off from that project to film "The Fifth Element," which took a lot of work for him to get into character. As he explained in an interview with the German press at the time:

"I took something like eight weeks off from my film, shaved my head again, wore a funny plastic helmet with a bit of hair hanging off it, and false teeth, and a scar, and a limp, and rubber. And, you know, maneuvered my way around the 23rd century for eight weeks."

The actor doesn't seem jazzed about it in the interview, but he did call it a "very spiritual" movie, one that is about "good old-fashioned, good conquering evil." Even though "The Fifth Element" is widely regarded as one of Besson's best movies, Oldman just didn't see it that way.

"Oh no, I can't bear it," the actor responded when asked about the movie in an interview with Playboy in 2014 (via AV Club). While he didn't elaborate much at the time, all of the rubber and hair shaving didn't seem to help Oldman cherish the experience.

Oldman delivers a wild performance as Zorg; from his distinctive look to his wacky Southern accent, it sticks out in the way a Nicolas Cage performance can stick out when he's cranked up to 11. That's a big part of why people love it. As for why Oldman doesn't care for the movie? It's worth understanding that he only did the movie as a favor to Besson.

"I was directing a film, and Luc Besson was one of the producers and had initially helped me with raising financing," Oldman explained in an interview with Far Out Magazine. "I was singing for my supper. [Luc] called. He said, 'I need you to do a movie.' I didn't read the script — it was a favor."

Not only had Besson and Oldman worked together on "Leon: The Professional," but they were friends. Besson helped get Oldman's movie made and, as a result, the actor felt like he owed the director a favor. Besson told his side of the story to Entertainment Weekly in 2017, saying the following:

"With Gary [Oldman, as the villain], it was a friendship and collaboration. I wanted to produce his film Nil by Mouth on the one hand, and I had the role for him in 'Fifth Element' on the other hand. I ask, 'Do you want to do Zorg?' and he said yes, he was happy to do it."

Whether or not Oldman was "happy" to do it might be a bit of a stretch. At the very least, Oldman felt it was the right thing to do since Besson helped get "Nil by Mouth" off the ground. But it's not as though it's a role he had any desire to play, save for that sense of obligation.

Mind you, Oldman's "can't bear it" comments came over a decade ago. As the actor is pondering retirement, have his feelings changed at all? A little bit, yes. While it would be hard to accuse Oldman of heaping praise on "The Fifth Element," he's certainly found a way to appreciate it more in recent years.

"Let's put it this way, if I was watching it with my wife, Gisele, we'd probably stick around. And she has convinced me that it's a better film than I think it is," Oldman said on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast earlier this year. The actor went on to further explain why his view of the movie and his performance as Zorg is a little tainted.

"All I take from that is I'm contaminated because I was the one who had that haircut, and I was the one who was wearing rubber. So, others can experience it in a sort of different way. I get a little triggered when I see it. And I go back to that place of Jean Paul Gaultier and rubber. Which Bruce didn't like either. You know the orange vest that he wears in it? [whispers] He hated it. He hated it."

In fairness, it's not always easy to judge one's own work. Oldman is also not a fan of his performance in "Sid & Nancy," another movie that quite a few people enjoy. At minimum, time has softened the actor a bit on this beloved relic of '90s sci-fi. He may not love it, but he can certainly, at the very least, bear it now.

You can grab "The Fifth Element" on 4K, Blu-ray, or DVD from Amazon.