”I was mortified that I'd been so unprofessional” — Gary Oldman reveals he apologized to Demi Moore for his drinking problem on ‘The Scarlet Letter’ set

English actor Gary Oldman reflected on his time working with Demi Moore, revealing that he once apologized to the actress. In a recent interview with Radio Times magazine, published on Monday, 28 April 2025, the Darkest Hour star discussed his role in the film Parthenope, where he plays real-life author John Cheever.

During the conversation, he was questioned on the importance of admiration. The actor remarked that the worst thing anyone could do was "inspire disappointment." He recalled having "intermittent bouts of boozing" while shooting The Scarlet Letter alongside Demi Moore. Talking about one of the days when the 67-year-old shot a scene while being "quite tipsy," he continued:

"And the next day, I said to her, “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."

Moore and Oldman starred in the 1995 romantic historical drama The Scarlet Letter, based on the book of the same name. The Oscar-winning actor played Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale opposite Moore's Hester Prynne, who is forced to wear the scarlet "A" for adultery.

"I used to sweat vodka"—Gary Oldman reflects on his alcohol abuse and sobriety

Reflecting on his drinking, Gary Oldman told Radio Times magazine that he was in a "very dark place," adding that it was a "destructive thing." Noting that he shot the film towards the end of his struggle with alcoholism, he explained that the incident made him think, "If I carry on like this..."

According to a January 1995 article by the LA Times, Oldman struggled with alcohol abuse during the early 1990s, with the actor getting arrested for driving drunk in 1991. However, sometime in 1994, the actor checked himself into rehab. In a March 2021 interview with the outlet, the actor revealed he had been sober for almost twenty-four years.

"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," Gary Oldman stated.

Noting that at one point he "romanticized" his alcoholism, the actor explained that many of his heroes were "drinkers or opium addicts." He added:

"I used to sweat vodka. 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."

In recent years, Gary Oldman has played several characters who struggled with alcohol abuse. This includes playing the titular screenwriter in the 2020 American biographical drama on Herman J. Mankiewicz, Mank. He also has been starring as the washed-up MI5 agent Jackson Lamb in the Apple TV+ series Slow Horses. In a 2021 interview with the LA Times, the actor described Lamb as:

"Rude, flatulent, knocking on the door of alcoholism, a smoker, not PC, overweight, no real dress sense, greasy hair, bad teeth..."

The actor also played real-life boozy author John Cheever in Parthenope. When Radio Times questioned Gary Oldman if it was his intention to play a lot of villains in the 1990s (True Romance, Léon: The Professional, The Fifth Element, and Air Force One, among others), he quipped:

"It was all fun for a while. And then I did Mank, then Slow Horses and then Cheever. I put a stop to the villains. Now I’m in my alcoholic period!"

Earlier this year, Gary Oldman praised Demi Moore while talking to the New York Post during the 2025 Screen Actors Guild Awards. He revealed that they lost touch over the years but recently reunited. Calling her "wonderful" and "special," the Batman actor explained he was "happy" for accolades she received for her role in The Substance.

Parthenope is set to release in the U.K. in May 2025.