In 2017’s Justice League Part One, Oscar winner J.K. Simmons will be taking on the iconic role of Gotham City’s Commissioner James Gordon, making him the first actor to play the part in a live-action film since Gary Oldman did so in The Dark Knight Rises. In fact, Oldman, who was among a slew of brilliant actors that took part in Christopher Nolan’s much-celebrated The Dark Knight trilogy, always stood out as one of the best, turning in an excellent performance in each outing. For that reason, it only seems fitting that Oldman gives advice to Simmons on how to tackle the character in a new interview.
While speaking to Yahoo! Movies, Oldman, on Simmons being hired for the role, said, “God bless him. Good luck, that’s what I say.”
He then shared his insight into the character, “The thing you’ve just got to get used to with Gordon is he’s a really sound detective, first of all. And he’s really incorruptible, which is a kind of wonderful quality to play and sort of, like, true blue. He’s like a Watson, oddly. He’s sort of like Watson to Sherlock, is Gordon to Batman.”
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Commissioner Gordon isn’t usually thought of as being Batman’s sidekick (a job typically reserved for Robin), but it’s interesting to hear that that’s how Oldman views the character in a certain sense. Although the two don’t fight crime together and have different methods of keeping Gotham safe, in many ways, the two rely on one another. Batman would have a harder time operating without Gordon’s consent, and Gordon takes comfort in knowing that there is a “watchful guardian” trying to make the city a better place.
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Originally published April 10, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
