The release of "The Dark Knight" - and the critical raves regarding Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker - brings to mind a comment made by Jack Nicholson, who originally played the role in the 1989 movie version of "Batman."
The New York Daily News reported that Ledger thought that landing the demanding role was a dream come true, but Nicholson allegedly warned him that the role could take a dangerous toll.
Indeed, Nicholson - and who was furious he wasn't consulted about the role - offered a cryptic comment when told Ledger was dead, the newspaper reported.
"Well," he said, "I warned him."
Nicholson may be flashy, brash and outspoken, but his credibility is rarely called into question. Indeed, the comment may point to the physical and mental expense actors suffer when they assume a role that plays to the dark side of their soul.
For method actors, especially, assuming any role that requires using deep emotional energy can have an even larger impact. The acting style requires the person to wrap themselves in a character's personality - sometimes to the point of strangling themselves.
Marlon Brando, in fact, pointed to that issue when he decided to no longer pursue demanding roles after "Last Tango in Paris." After that, he only took easy roles - his performance in the blockbuster "Superman," for instance - that did little to improve his stature but raked in a lot of cash.
Last year, Ledger told reporters he "slept an average of two hours a night" while playing "a psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy," the Daily News reported.
"I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going."
Prescription drugs didn't help, he said in the story. Later, they ended his life.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Did Heath Ledger's commitment to his craft come back to haunt him?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
We may never know what led to Heath Ledger's accidental death. (That it was accidental was the coroner's determination.) It has too often been asserted in the mental health system that persons should largely avoid stressful or demanding situations since they are generally considered "triggers." This construct largely ignored the fact that so many of the rewarding aspects of a full life involve stress, invoke fears, produce anxiety, etc. Consider, for example, a new home, a new job or getting married.
We could equally posit that this role actually prolonged Heath Ledger's life since actors find a great deal of reward in challenging roles that require the use all the skills they have so carefully honed. This would include roles which require considerable physicality and immersion into the psyche of the character. Could his death have been, in part, a consequence of the let down from a role which was so demanding?
We can only be certain of this tragic loss and are left to speculate as to a greater cause beyond that disclosed in the coroner's report.
I can relate to Heath Ledgers basic dealings with anxiety stress disorder which works hand in hand with insomnia. Insomnia can make you crazy... you're body is so tired yet your mind won't shut off... you want so badly so sleep and you can't... it took 47 years for me to find a doctor that finally came up with the correct diagnosis. Anxiety Stress Disorder. The medication he prescribed was spot on. It helped me cope and finally for the first time in my life I slept... Heath had the wrong medication and it sounds like the wrong diagnosis, and he mixed meds which is bad. I cried when I saw The Dark Knight the 1st time because he delivered the performance of a lifetime which would have catapulted him into super stardom and mega bucks.... His sisters Kate's comment that her heart was broken is burned into my memory forever. My heart is broken as well. I cry for him and his family. He is now a legend... like James Dean and Marilyn Monroe... He will never be forgotten. His death was tragic and accidental. Perhaps he was too young to really understand the magnitude of his anxiety and the things that exasperated it. His death was untimely and my heart goes out to his family. It is apparent that he was very close to them all. Life is unfair, but Heath Ledger was a gift to us all and a much appreciated talent. He will be sorely missed and to Jake G. I say this... remind yourself of the love that you to shared as friends and it will get you through your grief. You won't ever be "over it" but knowing the love you shared for each other, will get you through it. Go see the Movie, it wiil help you heal.... God Bless Heath Ledger
I am anonymous #2.. I have yet to watch a Heath Ledger film that has not brought me to tears. He was excellent at choosing his roles. He was an excellent method actor... He is sorely missed by me. He had so much more to offer, so much work yet to be done. He was a good daddy... one of those tragedies that just don't make sense, but GOD knows what he is doing. We can't bring him back, only cherish what we have on film. But my heart continues to break... I love you Heath Ledger, GOD rest your soul, you impacted my life,,,
Post a Comment