David Bowie's brutal final two words to Gary Oldman before death

David Bowie died in 2016 (Image: Getty)

Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, David Bowie left a long-lasting impact on the music industry before he lost his battle with liver cancer in 2016.

He had been diagnosed with the disease 18 months prior and was told in November 2015, around the time his single Blackstar was released, the cancer had spread throughout his body and was now terminal.

Bowie, who would have been 77 today (January 8), shared a close relationship with Gary Oldman throughout a large part of his life.

The pair had been friends since a chance encounter at London's Duke of York theatre in the late 80s.

Last year, the Slow Horses star, 66, revealed that Bowie's final utterance to him was "F*** off."

The expletive was not directed at the actor and instead was a sign of Bowie's frustrations he was facing with technology.

Bowie was friends with Gary Oldman for more than 25 years (Image: Getty)

The duo would talk over Skype on Sundays before the singer's death. But in their final chat, Bowie struggled to end the call.

The Harry Potter star recalled how Bowie said "alright, talk to you next week" as he clicked the button to disconnect the call.

The Starman hitmaker then said "go away, go away" before pressing the hang up button and saying "f*** off'.

When speaking on The Drew Barrymore Show, Oldman said his friend's last words to him was "really actually, so wonderfully, David".

At the 2016 BRIT Awards, the Life On Mars singer received a powerful tribute, a nod to the countless ways he shaped and inspired the music landscape.

Oldman paid tribute to his friend at the Brit Awards in 2016 (Image: Getty)

Accepting the Icon Award on behalf of Bowie, Oldman reminisced about the late icon's grace under fire, highlighting Bowie's humour in the face of his cancer diagnosis.

The Darkest Hour star told the audience: "He faced his illness with enormous courage, dignity, grace and customary humour - even in dire circumstances. When he wrote to tell me the bad news, he added, 'The good news is I've got my cheekbones back'."

Paying homage to Bowie's reflections on a lifetime in music, Oldman said: "Over his career, David challenged and changed our understanding of the medium, whether in music or life, he emphasised originality, experimentation, exploration, and is his very unique way, he also reminded us to never take ourselves too seriously."