Since his death last week we’ve heard any number of touching stories about Heath Ledger, from his devotion to his young daughter to his fierce passion for the movies he worked on, right up until the final days of his life. One of the most touching tributes thus far comes from Chris Nolan, who directed Ledger as The Joker in the upcoming The Dark Knight. Writing in Newsweek, Nolan says that Ledger “was bursting with creativity. It was in his every gesture.”
He describes a series of decisions on the set of The Dark Knight that led to the Joker showing up onscreen on a skateboard. Nolan worried that Batman fans would scoff at the idea of a skateboarding Joker, but even the younger crew members took up skateboarding soon after Ledger did it on the set. “If you'd asked those kids why they had chosen to bring their boards to work, they would have answered honestly that they didn't know. That's real charisma—as invisible and natural as gravity. That's what Heath had.”
Nolan’s tribute is full of little details from his time spent with Ledger, and doesn’t speak in the vague, sweeping terms that many tributes have used in the last week. Nolan clearly admired his actor, both for his talent and for the gentle, gracious attitude he brought with him on the set. Nolan mentions that he’s editing The Dark Knight now, and you can only imagine the pain he feels each day in the editing room, studying the face of a young man gone too soon.
Read the whole article here. It’s short, and better-written and more affecting than nearly everything I’ve read about Ledger thus far.
Comment on “Dark Knight Director Writes Touching Ledger Tribute”
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Heath came to my attention in the movie "A Knight's Tale". It had become one of my favorite movies watching it over & over again. You could see how much fun he had in making this movie just by the glint in his eye!
Fast-forward 7 years. As a Batman fanatic collecting & archiving Batman toys & memorabilia over the last 30 years, I was thrilled to hear that he was given the role of the Joker. Having Christian Bale playing opposite this young charismatic actor had taken the enthusiasm in my heart to a new level. The anticipation in watching this new chapter in the Batman mythos will forever be tainted by the loss of such a bright rising star.
“A man can change his stars!” Change them you did, only to be snuffed out too soon.
Heath, you are forever in our hearts.
I was shocked to hear about Heaths passing. I loved his passion that he had in his movies. He was a wonderful actor and i will miss seeing him on screen. I pray for his family and his little girl who will never know what a wonderful man he was. God Bless You Heath
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January 31, 2008 at 04:11
January 30, 2008 at 23:26