Story highlights
Gary Oldman gave an apology on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Wednesday
The Kimmel appearance followed a written apology
Oldman was under fire for remarks in Playboy about Jewish people and Hollywood
Gary Oldman is doubling down on his apology for his recent Playboy interview.
The British actor appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Wednesday to say in person what he’s already said to the Anti-Defamation League in a letter: He very much regrets the remarks he made to Playboy about Jewish people and Hollywood.
Gary Oldman apologizes for remarks
“I said some things that were poorly considered,” a subdued Oldman told Kimmel. “Once I saw it in print, I could see that it was offensive, insensitive, pernicious and ill-informed.”
In the Playboy interview, Oldman gives his unfiltered opinion on political correctness and how it’s impacted controversial actors like Alec Baldwin and Mel Gibson, the latter of whom has used anti-Semitic language in the past.
“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. “But some Jewish guy in his office somewhere hasn’t turned and said, ‘That f**king kraut’ or ‘F**k those Germans,’ whatever it is? We all hide and try to be so politically correct. That’s what gets me. It’s just the sheer hypocrisy of everyone.”
Gary Oldman goes off on hypocrisy, political correctness
Within a day of Playboy releasing its interview, Oldman wrote the ADL to tell it he was “deeply remorseful” for what he said. And on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Oldman took the extra step to also apologize to his fans.
“Words have meaning, and they carry weight long after you’ve said them,” he said. “I don’t condone or excuse the words that I used in any context. … I am profoundly, profoundly sorry and deeply apologetic. Especially to the fans, they’ve been so incredible to me, and I really feel that I let them down. … I’m a public figure, I should be an example and an inspiration. And I’m an a-hole. I’m 56, and I should know better.”
Oldman also thanked Kimmel for giving him the opportunity to appear on the show and speak his piece, to which Kimmel replied, “I’m so happy that someone has to apologize on this show, and it’s not me for once.”
