Last of Heath

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Heath Ledger "was always hesitant to be in a summer blockbuster with the dolls and action figures and everything else that comes with one of those movies," the late actor's friend and agent, Steven Alexander, tells Peter Biskind in an upcoming Vanity Fair. "He was afraid it would define him and limit his choices."

Alexander and other confidantes tell Biskind that "one of the reasons Ledger agreed to do The Dark Knight was that it would be such a long shoot it would give him an excuse to turn down other offers. Ledger had a pay-or-play deal on The Dark Knight -- meaning he'd get compensated no matter what -- so he felt he had the freedom to do whatever he wanted as the Joker."

He hoped in fact, that "his performance would be so far-out he'd be fired, and thus become the beneficiary of a lengthy, paid vacation."

Which is why his Joker performance was so great. Because Ledger didn't care. The best creative work always....okay, often comes out of a fuck-it mindset. Worry about what you're going to create or whether or not you'll be good enough and you're dead.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on June 29, 2009 at 1:48 PM

comment #1

cinefan says ...

On the other hand, that was clearly the same mentality which Ed Wood had when he made Plan 9 From Outer Space and we see how that turned out.

Posted by cinefan at June 29, 2009 2:13 PM

comment #2

jbf81 says ...

this article is so ridiculous, it paints Heath like a saint, I HATE THAT. He was a great artist, but full of flaws and mistakes like all of us. I hated how painted Michele in a bad light too, ugh.

Posted by jbf81 at June 29, 2009 2:20 PM

comment #3

p.Vice says ...

Ah, yes. Best when you don't care - just like everything in life, right?

I guess I'm going to have to buck the trend here and say I like my performances when the actor actually kinda gives a shit and isn't trying to get himself fired.

Call me a radical, I know... it's tough living life out on the edge.

Posted by p.Vice at June 29, 2009 2:42 PM

comment #4

DeeZee says ...

"He was afraid it would define him and limit his choices."

Um, he was in a Medieval Times movie and Matt Damon's straight man in 'Grimm! His choices up until then were already fairly limited.

Posted by DeeZee at June 29, 2009 4:02 PM

comment #5

jbf81 says ...

Not to mention that awful film Casablanca with Siena Miller, please, just because the guy is dead we dont need to make him perfect now.

Posted by jbf81 at June 29, 2009 4:44 PM

comment #6

Bilge says ...

A KNIGHT'S TALE was pretty awesome, though. THE FOUR FEATHERS, sadly, was not.

Posted by Bilge at June 29, 2009 4:53 PM

comment #7

roquentin says ...

Clearly "not caring" requires some intuitive translation. That performance isn't the product of cold indifference, and everyone here knows it, so why the polemical facade? Not caring is Al Pacino in 88 Minutes. "Not caring" is crossing over into the freedom of wily invention that characterized Ledger's Joker.

Ledger's final two films defined his career because he proved himself to be capable of becoming the actor of his generation. But that truth can sit beside his more intolerable early films like A Knight's Tale. It took a long time for Ledger to exhibit the real soul he brought to bear in his better quality films. I was genuinely pained, upon hearing of his death, that he didn't get to continue to grow, like Penn, or age out of his talent, like Brando. I think Ledger burrowed into those last two characters in a way that his contemporaries can't, like Gylenhaal and Gosling, because they are usually too caught up in their own boyish narcissism (especially the latter). I have yet to see a parallel talent in my (his) generation.

The man wasn't a saint, but his death cut short a potentially fascinating career.

Posted by roquentin at June 29, 2009 5:12 PM

comment #8

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

I wonder if Nolan has cast Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Inception as a trial run for a potential replacement Joker.

Posted by BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey at June 29, 2009 5:27 PM

comment #9

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

Just read the article preview, which does seem like a bit of a hatchet job on Michelle Williams. Not sure she deserves it; she always comes across quite well in interviews and didn't make a big look-at-me fuss when he died.

He was pretty great though. He made some clunkers, for sure, but his roles in Brokeback, Dark Knight, Candy, Lords of Dogtown, Monster's Ball, 10 Things and I'm Not There were all fucking mint. There are ancient actors who haven't completed as many memorable parts as he did in his short career.

Posted by BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey at June 29, 2009 6:40 PM

comment #10

roquentin says ...

The article preview is clearly a savvy editorial condensation - a ready-for-the-headline breakdown divied up for the gossip machine that seems to accept the narrative spun by Ledger's closest confidantes wholesale. If the article favors these protective "insider" opinions, and therefore traffics in codifying Ledger's image, it'll be a shame. But I would be surprised if this preview reflected the depth of the article. Biskind isn't the most trenchant of writers, but he usually threads his gossip with insightful bigger picture observations. I look forward to reading his full take.

Posted by roquentin at June 29, 2009 7:06 PM

comment #11

Noah Redfield says ...

Obviously Heath wasn't perfect, and his filmography contains more than a few duds, but the point is that his career was just getting started. Several people -- myself included -- had embraced him as one of the best actors of his generation in those last few years: Brokeback Mountain, Candy, I'm Not There, and The Dark Knight. Those are four exceptional performances, and I'm sure he was only going to get better from there. Still holding on for a Parnassus release date.

"On the other hand, that was clearly the same mentality which Ed Wood had when he made Plan 9 From Outer Space and we see how that turned out."

Can't say I disagree. Stanley Kubrick is a genius because he was so extreme in his perfectionism whereas Michael Cimino is a self-indulgent maniac? But that's why the quality of work itself is all that really matters.

Posted by Noah Redfield at June 29, 2009 7:35 PM

comment #12

raygo says ...

Seems like he was somewhat humorless. Young guy with talent and looks should enjoy life a little. I imagine he was awful to live with.

Posted by raygo at June 29, 2009 7:58 PM

comment #13

Alboone says ...

I think you might be right about that notion BBWD. They both eerily resemble one another. And Leavitt is pretty solid. Dude has chops. One only has to catch The Lookout to see the skill involved in pulling out the performance. If he's indeed cast then my hopes for a sequel featuring the Joker will be in good spirits. As long as Nolan doesn't jump the shark and cast DiCrapio in the part...then I'm worried.

Posted by Alboone at June 30, 2009 12:37 PM

comment #14