In 2008, Heath Ledger played the Joker in The Dark Knight, which remains one of the most memorable depictions of the character that can be found on either the movie screen or one of the other mediums out there. Unfortunately, it was in 2008 as well when Ledger died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, meaning that it has been close to a decade since his passing. Still, he remains a much beloved figure by a significant number of fans, as shown by the recent interest in unearthed interviews about the actor that were published in a book about the Batman fandom called 100 Things Batman Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.
How Far Did Heath Ledger Go Playing the Joker?
Said interviews were conducted with Christopher Nolan, who directed The Dark Knight, as well as Christian Bale, who played Batman opposite Ledger’s Joker. Both men described Ledger as someone with an enormous enthusiasm for the role, thus further supporting the stories of the sheer effort that he put into his preparations.
For example, Bale recounted one occasion when he and Ledger were filming a scene in which Batman was supposed to be beating on the Joker. Inside the narrative, the Joker was supposed to be enjoying his treatment, but the interesting part is that outside of the narrative, Ledger seemed to have enjoyed playing the part just as much. In fact, Bale described Ledger actually encouraging him to hit Ledger for real in spite of the fact that Bale was maintaining that the scene would look just as good even if he did not actually make contact. Furthermore, Ledger was so into the role that he actually started slamming into the walls of the set with such force that some of the tiles bore visible signs of the impact, which is something that speaks volumes about how hard Ledger was hitting them. Beyond that, Bale also mentioned that while Ledger was always in character whenever he was in full costume as well as full makeup, he was also a great person to hang out with whenever he was not. Summed up, it is clear that Ledger was an actor who deserved the Oscar that he received for his performance in The Dark Knight, which further highlights the loss that happened close to a decade ago.
How Did Playing the Joker Affect Heath Ledger?
Speaking of which, the sheer enthusiasm that Ledger put into playing the Joker led to a lot of rumors that the role had a negative impact on his state of mind. However, that claim has been discredited by a recent documentary about the actor called I Am Heath Ledger, which managed to stand out in that it had the support of Ledger’s family. In particular, it is interesting to note that Ledger’s older sister Kate Ledger stated in unequivocal terms that Ledger found it a joy to play the Joker, meaning that it had nothing to do with his unfortunate death whatsoever. As a result, the rumors that sprung up about the role that Ledger played seem to be nothing but the result of coincidental timing, meaning that it is long past the time when they should have come to a stop.
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