The tragic death of The Dark Knight’s Heath Ledger is still one of the most depressing events in Hollywood. The actor notably portrayed Joker, which both earned him an Oscar and effectively ruined his life altogether. The actor had himself claimed that playing the role had been both physically and mentally tolling for him.
Meanwhile, Harry Potter star Gary Oldman gives credit to the Batman franchise for saving his life. The project helped him get closer to his children while earning more than enough money.
Gary Oldman Found Hope While Working On Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy
During his interview with The Drew Barrymore Show, actor Gary Oldman shared that when he was struggling with his divorce, Harry Potter and The Dark Knight saved him:
“At 42 years old, I woke up divorced and I had custody of these boys and so that in itself was hard because there was a shift in the industry where a lot of productions were being [filmed in] Hungary, Budapest, Prague, Australia, you know, all of these places… Thank God for Harry Potter. I tell you, the two — Batman and Harry Potter — really they saved me because it meant that I could do the least amount of work for the most amount of money and then be home with the kids.”
After the separation, he refused a lot of movie offers to focus on his children, but when The Dark Knight and Harry Potter came along, they gave him the chance to work and still be able to come home to spend time with his kids. He added:
“I’d fly in for a day, I’d do a shoot a day. To [Nolan’s] credit, he stayed on schedule, and I would go home for three days, come back for two, go home for a weekend, come back for one day… otherwise, I just felt they’re being brought up by a nanny.”
Oldman was already an established actor before his roles as Sirius Black and Jim Gordon. After working on The Prisoner of Azkaban, he teamed up with Christopher Nolan for The Dark Knight, which proved to be the peak of his career.
Gary Oldman Praised Heath Ledger’s Performance As Joker
Heath Ledger’s performance as the Clown Prince of Crime was hailed as one of the most impressive portrayals of the character. Even Gary Oldman thought it was difficult to surpass that in his interview with MTV News:
“I think it was smart of Chris to go with a lesser-known villain rather than – because Heath’s performance, first of all, we love the Joker in Batman. Heath’s performance was so dazzling that you got to think, ‘How the hell do I top it?’ Instead of going for Riddler, instead of going for Penguin, he’s gone a slightly different way with the story.”
Indeed, Ledger took the role to heart and suffered for art’s sake. He died of an accidental overdose of medications trying to suppress his anxiety and severe insomnia. His death will forever cast a shadow on Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy.
Unlike Oldman, who found hope and inspiration in the movie, Ledger found darkness and isolation that tremendously affected his mental health.
