Gary Oldman’s Eerie Oscar Prediction for Heath Ledger

Gary Oldman, who’s no stranger to picking up awards himself, has just landed another Golden Globe nomination for his role as the shambolic MI5 boss Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses. He’s long been considered a national treasure, but there’s another story that shows just how sharp his instincts are. Back in 2008, Oldman predicted Heath Ledger would take home an Oscar for his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight. While he might not actually be psychic, Oldman was right there on set, playing Commissioner Jim Gordon, and saw Ledger’s work up close.

Ledger’s portrayal, filmed only a couple of months before his tragic death in New York, quickly became the stuff of legend. Even during production, the cast and crew knew they were witnessing something special. Michael Caine, for one, was so taken aback by Ledger’s performance that he forgot his lines. When the film hit cinemas just over half a year after Ledger’s passing, Oldman didn’t hold back in his praise.

“I think he will get a posthumous Oscar nomination, and he could win it. It’s as good a performance as anyone out there has turned in. He was brilliant.”

As it turned out, Ledger’s family accepted the Best Supporting Actor Oscar on his behalf the following year, along with a Golden Globe.

Ledger’s Lasting Impact

Though Ledger had already made waves with his role in Brokeback Mountain, earning several Best Actor nods, it’s his take on the Joker that’s become his defining legacy. The character stands as one of the most memorable and twisted villains in film history. When Nolan accepted the posthumous Golden Globe for Ledger, he remarked,

“After Heath passed on, we saw a hole ripped in the future of cinema.”

Oldman himself is no stranger to the Oscars, having finally won Best Leading Actor for his turn as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour back in 2018, after three nominations. His career has spanned decades, but he’s still finding new ways to surprise audiences.

Oldman’s Recent Work and Subtle Tributes

These days, Oldman’s been making waves with Slow Horses, which has become a massive hit. He’s currently filming the sixth season, and fans have noticed a cheeky nod to Ledger’s Joker in the latest episodes. There’s a scene where Jackson Lamb mentions headbutting a pencil on a table—a clear wink to the Joker’s infamous trick in The Dark Knight.

Beyond the series, Oldman’s lending his voice to the much-anticipated video game Squadron 42, now in post-production. He’s also set to direct Flying Horse, a biopic about Eadward Muybridge, the English photographer who pioneered moving pictures. Muybridge’s ‘horse in motion’ from 1878 is still recognised as one of the earliest examples of film, showing Oldman’s ongoing fascination with the history of cinema.