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Gary Oldman slammed for anti-Semitic comments, apologises
Jewish groups blasted British actor Gary Oldman, who played commisioner Jim Gordon in The Dark Knight, on Tuesday for alleged anti-Semitic remarks defending Mel Gibson and suggesting that Hollywood is run by Jews.
Jewish groups blasted British actor Gary Oldman on Tuesday for alleged anti-Semitic remarks defending Mel Gibson and suggesting that Hollywood is run by Jews.
The Dark Knight star made the comments in an interview with Playboy magazine, talking about Gibson's notorious 2006 anti-Semitic rant at a US sheriff's deputy who had arrested him for drunken driving.
"Mel Gibson is in a town that's run by Jews and he said the wrong thing, because he's actually bitten the hand that I guess has fed him -- and doesn't need to feed him anymore because he's got enough dough," Oldman told the magazine.
"I just think political incorrectness is cr**," he added.
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The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Jewish lobby group said the 56-year-old actor "should know better than to repeat tired anti-Semitic tropes about Jewish control of Hollywood."
"Gary Oldman's remarks irresponsibly feed into a classic anti-Semitic canard about supposed Jewish control of Hollywood and the film industry," said ADL national director Abraham H. Foxman.
"Mel Gibson's ostracisation in Hollywood was not a matter of being 'politically incorrect,' as Mr Oldman suggests, but of paying the consequences for outing himself as a bigot and a hater.
"It is disturbing that Mr Oldman appears to have bought into Mr Gibson's warped and prejudiced world view."
Oldman later apologised for his statement. "I am deeply remorseful that comments I recently made in the Playboy interview were offensive to many Jewish people. Upon reading my comments in print, I see how insensitive they may be, and how they may indeed contribute to the furtherance of a false stereotype," the statement said.
