Gary Oldman Just Shared Demi Moore’s Gutting Response To Him Apologizing For Being “Unprofessional” And “Destructive” On Set When They Worked Together
Gary, who has now been sober for more than 25 years, previously said that he “used to sweat vodka” as he “romanticized” his alcohol addiction.
This article mentions alcohol addiction.
Back in 2021, British actor Gary Oldman spoke candidly about his past alcohol addiction, which blighted his life and career during the 1990s. In 1991, Gary was arrested for drunk driving, and three years later, he checked himself into a rehab to help overcome his addiction. The Slow Horses star has now been sober for more than 25 years.
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Speaking to the LA Times four years ago, Gary recalled: “When I was drinking, I was working and I was remembering lines, so you feel you’re getting away with it, though, deep down, beneath the denial, you know. I would sit down and tell the waiter: ‘I’ll have a large vodka tonic. And can you bring it now because I’m an alcoholic. I need it quicker.'”
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He also admitted that he “romanticized” his addiction at the time, name-checking writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Dorothy Parker as he shared: “All my heroes were drinkers or opium addicts, and you get all misty-eyed about these poets and playwrights and actors who were big drinkers.”
“I used to sweat vodka,” Gary added. “It becomes such a part of you. My tongue would be black in the morning. I blamed it on the shampoo.”
“I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy, to be in the grip of it. It’s hell,” he concluded.
And in a new interview with the Radio Times, Gary, now 67, opened up about how his alcohol addiction made him “so unprofessional” to work with, specifically referencing the 1995 movie he starred in with Demi Moore, The Scarlet Letter.
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Gary and Demi were both in their 30s at the time and played lovers in the movie, with Gary left so “mortified” by his behavior that he apologized to his costar.
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When asked by the publication if “admiration” is “important” to him, Gary shared: “I think the worst thing you can do is inspire disappointment. I was in The Scarlet Letter with Demi Moore, and I had intermittent bouts of boozing during filming. It was towards the end of [my drinking] where I thought: ‘If I carry on like this…’ I was in a very dark place. I drank too much in the lunch hour. It was such a destructive thing.”
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“I got back on the set to do quite a big scene, and I got through it. You wouldn’t really know, but I was quite tipsy,” he continued. “And the next day, I said to [Demi]: ‘I’m so sorry, you must hate me.’ I was mortified that I’d been so unprofessional. And she said to me: ‘I don’t hate you. It’s OK. I’m just disappointed.’”
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Thankfully, Demi’s experience working with Gary didn’t impact their long-term relationship, and the two have appeared on good terms when they’ve crossed paths over the years.
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And in February of this year, Gary shared his joy after recently reconnecting with his former costar in an interview with the New York Post, where he said: “I’ve not really been that in touch with her, but I just actually reconnected with her because I’ve seen her recently. She is such a wonderful person, Demi. She really is very special.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, you can call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and find more resources here.
