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* BillingDisplacement: Because everyone after Creator/GaryOldman is listed alphabetically by surname, Kathy Burke's name comes first despite having a smaller role than others like Creator/BenedictCumberbatch and Creator/ColinFirth.
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** Creator/ColinFirth and Creator/MarkStrong co-star in a movie where one plays a kindly schoolteacher haunted by his past, and one plays a depraved turncoat spy selling international secrets to the Soviets. [[spoiler: Sounds pretty typical, unless you know that Strong's the schoolteacher and Firth's the evil spy]].
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** Creator/ColinFirth and Creator/MarkStrong co-star in a movie where one plays a kindly schoolteacher haunted by his past, and one plays a depraved turncoat spy selling international secrets to the Soviets. [[spoiler: Sounds [[spoiler:Sounds pretty typical, unless you know that Strong's the schoolteacher and Firth's the evil spy]].
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** A sequel based on ''Literature/SmileysPeople'' was in the works but eventually was dropped after the rights to the novel reverted to Creator/JohnLeCarre's estate.
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** Creator/GaryOldman was offered a gray-haired wig to wear for his role, but declined it in favor of bleaching his hair for a more natural hairdo for a middle-aged persona like Smiley.
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** Creator/GaryOldman was offered a gray-haired wig to wear for his role, but declined it in favor of bleaching his hair for a more natural hairdo for a middle-aged persona like Smiley. He also gained weight to visually reinforce Smiley as someone who takes a slow and cerebral approach to spycraft.
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* ActorInspiredElement: Creator/GaryOldman went to Old Focals, an eyeglass store in Pasadena, California, to search for the right glasses to fit George Smiley: "Glasses are funny things. For Smiley, they're iconic. It's like Bond's Aston Martin or vodka martini." Oldman tried on hundreds of glass frames before he found the appropriate ones.
* AllStarCast: Creator/GaryOldman, Creator/BenedictCumberbatch, Creator/ColinFirth, Creator/TomHardy, Creator/CiaranHinds, Creator/TobyJones and Creator/JohnHurt.
* AwesomeDearBoy: Creator/BenedictCumberbatch stated that playing a spy was his dream job - "you are NEVER what you seem."
* CastTheRunnerUp: Creator/JohnHurt was an early choice for George Smiley in pre-production, but he was later given the role of Control.
* DyeingForYourArt:
** Creator/GaryOldman was offered a gray-haired wig to wear for his role, but declined it in favor of bleaching his hair for a more natural hairdo for a middle-aged persona like Smiley.
** Creator/BenedictCumberbatch as well - Guillam's hair is blonde, while Mr. Cumberbatch is naturally a ginger.
* FakeScot: Creator/TobyJones as Percy Alleine.
* InMemoriam: The film is dedicated to screenwriter Bridget O'Connor, who completed work on the film before her passing away from cancer.
* PlayingAgainstType:
** Creator/ColinFirth and Creator/MarkStrong co-star in a movie where one plays a kindly schoolteacher haunted by his past, and one plays a depraved turncoat spy selling international secrets to the Soviets. [[spoiler: Sounds pretty typical, unless you know that Strong's the schoolteacher and Firth's the evil spy]].
** Creator/GaryOldman is best known for playing very hammy villains, so playing a heroic stoic like Smiley, is a complete 180 for him.
** Likewise, Creator/StephenGraham, normally known for playing LargeHam characters, plays the mild-mannered Jerry Westerby.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Creator/ParkChanWook was offered the film at one point. In 2017 he eventually tapped to direct a six-part MiniSeries adaptation of Creator/JohnLeCarre's ''The Little Drummer Girl''.
** Creator/MichaelFassbender was originally cast as Ricki Tarr, but he had to back out because he was busy filming ''Film/XMenFirstClass''.
** Creator/DavidThewlis was considered for Roy Bland.
** Creator/RalphFiennes was considered for Bill Haydon.
** Creator/JaredHarris was originally cast as Percy Alleline, but had to drop out because of scheduling conflicts with ''Film/SherlockHolmesAGameOfShadows''.
* WordOfGay: In the novel, Peter Guillam was in a relationship with a female musician named Camilla. In the movie, he is a homosexual in a relationship with a man, according to Creator/BenedictCumberbatch, a creative decision that works well within this movie:
-->Sexuality was a very powerful tool then. Guillam keeps his homosexuality secret because he is so open to blackmail. It necessitates a certain amount of secretiveness, which goes hand in hand with spying.
----
* AllStarCast: Creator/GaryOldman, Creator/BenedictCumberbatch, Creator/ColinFirth, Creator/TomHardy, Creator/CiaranHinds, Creator/TobyJones and Creator/JohnHurt.
* AwesomeDearBoy: Creator/BenedictCumberbatch stated that playing a spy was his dream job - "you are NEVER what you seem."
* CastTheRunnerUp: Creator/JohnHurt was an early choice for George Smiley in pre-production, but he was later given the role of Control.
* DyeingForYourArt:
** Creator/GaryOldman was offered a gray-haired wig to wear for his role, but declined it in favor of bleaching his hair for a more natural hairdo for a middle-aged persona like Smiley.
** Creator/BenedictCumberbatch as well - Guillam's hair is blonde, while Mr. Cumberbatch is naturally a ginger.
* FakeScot: Creator/TobyJones as Percy Alleine.
* InMemoriam: The film is dedicated to screenwriter Bridget O'Connor, who completed work on the film before her passing away from cancer.
* PlayingAgainstType:
** Creator/ColinFirth and Creator/MarkStrong co-star in a movie where one plays a kindly schoolteacher haunted by his past, and one plays a depraved turncoat spy selling international secrets to the Soviets. [[spoiler: Sounds pretty typical, unless you know that Strong's the schoolteacher and Firth's the evil spy]].
** Creator/GaryOldman is best known for playing very hammy villains, so playing a heroic stoic like Smiley, is a complete 180 for him.
** Likewise, Creator/StephenGraham, normally known for playing LargeHam characters, plays the mild-mannered Jerry Westerby.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Creator/ParkChanWook was offered the film at one point. In 2017 he eventually tapped to direct a six-part MiniSeries adaptation of Creator/JohnLeCarre's ''The Little Drummer Girl''.
** Creator/MichaelFassbender was originally cast as Ricki Tarr, but he had to back out because he was busy filming ''Film/XMenFirstClass''.
** Creator/DavidThewlis was considered for Roy Bland.
** Creator/RalphFiennes was considered for Bill Haydon.
** Creator/JaredHarris was originally cast as Percy Alleline, but had to drop out because of scheduling conflicts with ''Film/SherlockHolmesAGameOfShadows''.
* WordOfGay: In the novel, Peter Guillam was in a relationship with a female musician named Camilla. In the movie, he is a homosexual in a relationship with a man, according to Creator/BenedictCumberbatch, a creative decision that works well within this movie:
-->Sexuality was a very powerful tool then. Guillam keeps his homosexuality secret because he is so open to blackmail. It necessitates a certain amount of secretiveness, which goes hand in hand with spying.
----
