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At this time exactly 14 years ago, there were few bigger topics of conversation in Hollywood than Heath Ledger. The Australian actor had passed away in January 2008, following an accidental overdose on a number of prescribed medications.
About six months later, one of his very final roles hit the screens, as Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight was released in cinemas around the world. Ledger’s performance as the Joker in the movie garnered widespread interest from film aficionados globally, and was then followed by endless praise from fans as well as critics.
It was a massive credit to the actor that he so stood out, considering he was part of a very star-studded cast in The Dark Knight. Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Morgan Freeman all played different roles in what would become one of the most celebrated modern superhero films.
As well as those who watched the movie, the cast members themselves had only good things to say about their experience working with Ledger.
One thing appeared to stand out about Ledger’s star turn in The Dark Knight: the stunning transformation that he underwent to become the Joker.
What Kind Of Roles Had Heath Ledger Played Before The Dark Knight?
Heath Ledger had taken on some serious roles before his memorable feature in The Dark Knight. However, it could be said that none of those were as heavy as his Joker in the DC production.
Two other films that also make the list of Ledger’s most notable work are 10 Things I Hate About You and Brokeback Mountain. The first was a romantic teen drama that also starred Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Ledger was only 19 years old when he appeared in the movie, but he was widely praised for his performance in it. One review at the time described him as being ‘effortlessly charming.’ 10 Things I Hate About You went on to gross north of $60 million at the box office, from an original budget of $13 million.
In Brokeback Mountain, Ledger portrayed a sheepherder by the name Ennis Del Mar who falls in love with another man: Jake Gyllenhaal’s Jack Twist.
Ledger also starred in movies like The Patriot, Lords of Dogtown, Candy and Monster’s Ball alongside Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton.
Heath Ledger Was Afraid Of Playing The Joker In The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger’s Joker has come to be seen as one of the very best portrayals of the iconic character. Before him, however, there were a few actors who had also nailed the part in other productions.
Cesare Romero particularly stood out in this regard, having played the part in a TV series called Batman in the 196os. Jack Nicholson also became the Joker in a similarly titled film in 1989, where he faced off with Michael Keaton as the Batman.
Ledger was originally overwhelmed by the idea of following in such legendary footsteps. Nonetheless, he harnessed this fear that he had, and used it to produce a performance that would posthumously win him an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA for ‘Best Supporting Actor.’
“I definitely feared it,” Ledger told Empire Magazine in 2007. “Although anything that makes me afraid I guess excites me at the same time.”
“I don’t know if I was fearless, but I certainly had to put on a brave face and believe that I have something up my sleeve. Something different…” he added.
How Did Heath Ledger Transform Into The Joker?
Thanks to the work he put in for his transformation into the Joker, Heath Ledger is now often considered one of the top method actors in modern film history. Before anything else, the actor started by familiarizing himself with the character, and then embedding him into his own psyche through meditation.
“It [was] a combination of reading all the comic books I could that were relevant to the script and then just closing my eyes and meditating on it,” Ledger said in the interview with Empire Magazine.
To execute the metamorphosis, the star locked himself away in a hotel room for weeks on end. He would later reveal that this extreme action nearly took him to the brink. “I ended up landing more in the realm of a psychopath — someone with very little to no conscience towards his acts,” Ledger continued. It was this version of his character that he brought to life on screen, a Joker that he described as ‘an absolute sociopath, a cold-blooded, mass-murdering clown.’
Sadly, fans wouldn’t get to see Ledger for much longer on screen after that; his only other subsequent movie was The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, also released after his death.
