Kelly Macdonald: ‘I want to be on Slow Horses – I’m obsessed with Gary Oldman’

Kelly Macdonald is currently starring in one of the biggest and best shows of 2026.

And yet, when I called Kelly to chat about the show, she couldn’t stop talking about a different show: Slow Horses.

She wondered why she hadn’t been cast in it yet, and honestly, given her on-screen talent and her 2021 role as DCI Joanne Davidson in Line of Duty, we can’t help but think the same thing.

Kelly’s latest series, Lanterns, is a thrilling sci-fi detective story set in the DCU. It follows two Green Lanterns (basically, space cops), Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), as they investigate an extraterrestrial mystery in small-town America. 

She plays Kerry Kane, the local sheriff who questions the Lanterns’ jurisdiction and finds herself drawn into the conspiracy.

To say Lanterns has been a massive hit would be an understatement. The show currently boasts an impressive critics’ score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and had one of the biggest HBO Max launches ever.

While she’s yet to star in Slow Horses, her passion for the spy thriller is part of the reason why she was cast in Lanterns.

‘I was incredibly excited,’ she told Metro. ‘James Hawes, the first block director, reached out, and he said: “Look, I’m gonna send you a script. I really hope you like it.  It’s very exciting. These are the people involved; have a read and see what you think.”

‘I already knew I wanted to do whatever it was because I love James, and I had given him a hard time previously for not having me cast in Slow Horses because I love that show. We love it as a family. I’m obsessed with Gary Oldman as well.’

But while James’s association may have been what caught Kelly’s curiosity, it was the quality of the script that caught her attention. 

‘I was very, very happy when he reached out and then when I read the script,’ she explains.

‘The writing was so great, the characters were so clear, and Kerry is sort of a dream role. I felt very lucky to be in contention at all.’

And when Kelly signed on to the show, she felt even better once she met her co-star and on-screen love interest, Kyle. 

‘Kyle is the easiest person to get on with, and it’s so helpful when number one on the call sheet is a really good human because it has a trickle-down effect.

‘He just wanted to have a great time, and he does so much work, but he makes it look effortless because he’s so well prepared. I got really lucky getting to work with him.’
‘He’s definitely mischievous,’ she continued.’ It’s so funny because Aaron is quite similar to the John Stewart character. 

‘He’s very no-nonsense, quite serious and straightforward, while Kyle is fairly Hal Jordan-ish.  I think they’ve hit on a really sort of special combination of characters.’

Kelly, of course, is also very special – during my interview with Kyle, he sang her praises – as her impressive filmography proves. 

Still, arguably one of her most iconic roles was in Line of Duty, where she played Detective Chief Inspector Joanne Davidson and with the BBC cop show about to return to our screens, I was curious if she’d be keen to get her old warrant car out of storage. 

‘I always think if the character’s not dead, then it’s always a possibility, isn’t it?’ she laughed. ‘And Bobby Carlisle, my fellow Trainspotting castmate, is in this new one, so that’s really exciting to me, a fellow Scot.’

Of course, as we’ve already said, when we’re talking about the future there’s only really one show on her mind: Slow Horses.

‘I love the Barbican anyway,’ she joked when I asked how quickly she’d get to Slough House if an offer came through to take part in the show.

‘My first flat in London was just around the corner from the Barbican. I think we were down in London and walked sort of through while they were filming there, but I love Slow Horses. My family loves it. That would be a no-brainer.’

So if anyone from Slow Horses is reading, do give Kelly a call; we think it would brighten up her day… like a lantern. 

Lanterns is available to watch now on HBO Max and Now TV in the UK.