Hard to take — Gary Oldman on Heath Ledger and Philip Seymour Hoffman's deaths

Here's one for those who appreciate a genuine bit of candour at a film festival – Gary Oldman, no less, got a bit emotional at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) while remembering the late Heath Ledger and Philip Seymour Hoffman. These two, let's be honest, were titans in the acting world, gone far too soon.

Oldman Remembers Ledger and Hoffman

During a panel at TIFF, Oldman didn't just mention his work alongside Ledger in The Dark Knight (2008) – he went deeper, talking about real friendship and the sting of losing two rare talents not long apart. According to Oldman, one of his strongest memories tied to Ledger was simply being mates off set, not just sharing screen time dressed as Gotham's best and worst.

Douglas, you told me. You were the one that broke the news to me. I was in utter, utter [shock].

That bit came after he paused during his comments, turning in the audience to single out his longtime manager, Douglas Urbanski, about the moment he heard the news. You can tell, even years on, it still hits hard for Oldman.

Back at the 2009 SAG Awards, Oldman was actually the one to accept on Ledger's behalf – another night when emotions ran high. He described Ledger as an extraordinary young man, brimming with talent, and thanked the room for recognising that, on behalf of both the actor's family and the The Dark Knight cast.

The Loss of Two Giants

Ledger's performance as the Joker alongside Oldman's Commissioner Gordon is the one people always talk about, and rightly so – he even won a posthumous Oscar for it. Hoffman, meanwhile, gave a blistering turn that same year in Doubt (2008), picking up his own Oscar nomination. Remarkably, both men were at the absolute top of their craft right before their untimely deaths.

He was an extraordinary young man with an extraordinary talent, and it is wonderful that you have acknowledged that and honored that talent tonight. On behalf of Heath, his family, and his family on The Dark Knight, I thank you.

Heath Ledger died at just 28, on 22 January 2008, of an accidental drug overdose – multiple prescriptions, a tragic end. Philip Seymour Hoffman passed away six years later, on 2 February 2014, aged 46, from a similar cause – acute mixed drug intoxication.

Oldman summed up that sudden loss, calling Ledger and Hoffman 'extraordinary talents' and making it clear the industry lost something irreplaceable 'within a relatively short amount of time.'