Heath Ledger had a strong sense that The Dark Knight would resonate with audiences — and according to Andrew Garfield, Ledger shared that confidence openly.
During his recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Garfield reflected on the time he spent with Ledger while filming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which took place shortly after the Australian actor had finished working on the iconic Batman film.
“He had just done the Joker, he had just finished doing The Dark Knight, and he was so smug about it,” Garfield recalled. “I was like, ‘How did that go?’ and he was like, ‘Yeah, it’s really good.’”
At the time, Garfield was in the early stages of his career, while Ledger had already gained recognition for films like 10 Things I Hate About You, A Knight’s Tale, and Brokeback Mountain.
Garfield humorously shared one of the lessons he learned from Ledger, recounting how the actor reacted to being on the cover of Empire magazine leading up to The Dark Knight’s release.
“I remember his Empire magazine cover came out and he was like, ‘Oh, they used a f—ing s— photo,’” Garfield said.
“And I was like, ‘Are you kidding me, dude? That looks f—ing incredible.’ And he was like, ‘Nah, the pose is all wrong, it looks kinda like a conventional version of what an actor … you’ll see.’ And yeah, I did see.”
Ledger was tragically found dead in his Manhattan apartment at the age of 28 on January 22, 2008. His death was ruled an accidental overdose, caused by a lethal combination of prescription medications.
When The Dark Knight was released in July 2008, six months after Ledger’s death, his prediction was confirmed.
Directed by Christopher Nolan, the film shattered box-office records, became the highest-grossing film of the year, and is still considered one of the greatest superhero movies of all time.
Ledger received numerous posthumous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Garfield, who worked with Ledger only briefly, noted the profound impact Ledger had on everyone around him.
“He was a kind of beacon, it was like a wild animal,” Garfield reflected, adding, “He was so free and so wild and so, kind of dangerous on set in a way that was the kind of thing that is inspiring and spontaneous.
He would say before every take, or one take every scene, ‘Let’s have some fun with this one.’”
At the time, Garfield was a young actor focused on “getting it right,” but he’s since come to appreciate Ledger’s approach.
“I still have lots of mementos of his,” Garfield said. “I remember the first day I met him, he was wearing these amazing camo Ray-Ban sunglasses, and I just said, ‘Oh hey, cool sunglasses.’
And the next day, they were in my dressing room — he had just left them for me. He was just a very generous, beautiful, creative spirit.”
