Garfield recalled that Ledger, fresh off his acclaimed role as the Joker in The Dark Knight, exuded confidence on set. “He had just done the Joker... and he was so smug about it,” Garfield noted. He reminisced about asking Ledger how the filming went, to which Ledger replied, “Yeah, it’s really good.”
At the time of their collaboration on The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus, Garfield was still an emerging actor, while Ledger was already celebrated for roles in films like 10 Things I Hate About You, A Knight’s Tale, and Brokeback Mountain. Garfield recounted a conversation about a cover photo of Ledger in Empire Magazine, where Ledger expressed disappointment about the image choice. “He was like, ‘Oh, they used a f---ing s--- photo,’” Garfield said, recalling his disbelief at Ledger's criticism of what he thought was a great shot.
Tragically, Ledger passed away just months before The Dark Knight was released. He was found dead in his Manhattan apartment at the age of 28 on January 22, 2008, due to an accidental overdose. Despite his untimely death, the film went on to become a massive box-office success and was hailed as one of the best superhero films ever. Ledger received numerous posthumous awards, including an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Garfield described Ledger as a “beacon,” noting his free-spirited and wild nature. “He was so free and so wild and kind of dangerous on set, which was inspiring and spontaneous,” Garfield shared. He recalled how Ledger encouraged everyone to have fun before each take, highlighting his generous and creative spirit.