Heath Ledger became a teen idol with roles in 10 Things I Hate About You and A Knight's Tale. But his choices after that were too eclectic to hold onto that audience and thank god for that because now hes had his best year ever. He started off starring in the Terry Gilliam film The Brothers Grimm, delivered a mesmerizing performance in Lords of Dogtown and finished off the year with a role as Ennis, the gay cowboy, in Brokeback Mountain. A role that has garnered him his first Oscar nomination
Check out the official website for Brokeback Mountain
Daniel Robert Epstein: I read in Details magazine that Jake [Gyllenhaal] doesn't believe the characters are gay. What do you think?
Heath Ledger: I think it's a touchy subject. I think if we answer that then there will be a lot of disappointed people. Essentially its two men that fall in love. It's hard to escape that. I think maybe thats what Jake meant. I wanted to tell a story of someone who transcends the label of gay or straight, who is just a human being whose soul falls in love with another soul in the vessel of a man. I think Jake's character was more relaxed and comfortable in his situation and willing to express it, whereas Ennis was more confused.
DRE: Do you think Ennis was always confused?
HL: I don't think Ennis was a person who asked any questions. Once he met Jake's character it was an innate reaction.
DRE: Was Ennis ever in love with Alma [Michelle Williams]?
HL: I think he believed he was and that he felt like he should be. At the end of the day, I don't think it was the love he had with Jack.
DRE: Had they not met at the mountain do you think he would have led a normal life?
HL: Yeah, maybe he would have denied himself.
DRE: What was the process for creating this character?
HL: Just a lot of preparation because I really wanted to investigate him thoroughly. I had to ask a lot more questions than Ennis had ever asked himself. Therefore I knew a lot more about him than he ever will. So after discovering his battles, what he was battling against and why he was so unable to express and love, I found that I wanted him to be clenched. Any form of expression had to be painful. I put a lot of thought into that. Also the aging was a really important aspect. If we couldn't pull that off then we're up shits creek without a paddle.
DRE: Nowadays there is a gay rodeo cowboy circuit. Did you look into that to find out what was going on in the gay community within the cowboy world back then?
HL: I don't think there was anything back then. I thought Annie Proulxs short story and the script that Larry [McMurtry] and Diana [Ossana] wrote was so beautifully thorough and descriptive of the time and of these characters that I didnt need to do much research. In terms of being a cowboy or a ranch hand, I grew up in western Australia around a lot of farm folk. There's something very universal about people who spend all day and night on horseback. Right down to their physical aspect. Once they get off the horse it still looks like there's a horse between their legs.
DRE: I'm sure you've been offered cowboy movies before, read them at least. Is there a difference between a cowboy movie and a Larry McMurtry cowboy movie?
HL: Sure. His novel Anything for Billy is something I'm interested in. He's actually put together a screenplay of that. It's a beautiful book. But I'm not actually a fan of the Western genre. I never grew up watching cowboy and Indian films. I'm not really a huge fan of John Wayne and all that.
DRE: Is there anyone you based your character on?
HL: George Bush [laughs].
DRE: Do you think he'll watch this movie?
HL: Probably in private [laughs].
But to answer your question, I really didn't have a model for the character. It was very obvious from the screenplay and from the short story how it had to be played.
DRE: When this story was optioned they couldn't find anyone to take the role on. Why were you willing to jump in there?
HL: It's the most complex and internal character that I have ever been offered to play. It would take a more mature performance for me to complete this character. It was the perfect script and Ang Lee was the perfect director. It was a story that hadn't been told, which is extremely rare in this industry or anywhere really. I think the story of love, in general, is a little recycled and stale. I knew I'd be crazy to turn it down.
DRE: Did you have any hesitation?
HL: Not really. Obviously I had to think about it and go "Oh geez" but it wasn't that huge of a problem for me. Everyone always asks "what was the most difficult aspect of the movie for you?" It was making out with Jake Gyllenhaal [laughs]. It's a really obvious answer to give. At the end of the day once we got the first take out of the way. It was like "oh okay, alright whatever". Let's finish the day, let's continue. All the mystery had been taken away and we're still acting, it's a movie so lets get on with it.
DRE: Is he a good kisser?
HL: Yeah. He's a really good kisser [laughs].
DRE: Are you like Ennis?
HL: Not at all. I'm very expressive and I've investigated love. I'm in love with love. It's never been a problem of mine. If anything, I wish I could have taught Ennis a thing or two. It's frustrating that I couldn't. I didn't walk away thinking "Oh right, men can fall in love." It's something I always knew and respected and never had a problem with it.
DRE: Do you think their love would have been that strong if they were with each other all the time?
HL: I guess so. I haven't put that much thought into it. It definitely made it more exciting for Jack but the fact that it was forbidden didn't necessarily make it more exciting for Ennis. I'm not sure how he would fare in New York City [laughs].
DRE: You had a film this year that didnt connect with the audiences, Lords of Dogtown. It seems you were channeling Val Kilmer for that role.
HL: Everyone says that.
DRE: What attracted you to that?
HL: I grew up skating and surfing as a kid. Having met Skip, I found that he is bigger than life. I still talk to Skip when he calls me out of the blue. He's sending me skateboards for my daughter.
DRE: Do you feel that this has been your best year?
HL: Yeah, I guess so. It's definitely been the first year where I've been throwing everyone else's opinions and choices out the window and made my own. It was a long time coming. It definitely started off in another light. I was somewhat spoon fed so things were handed to me on a platter but I didn't really like what was on the platter. I was never really happy with the direction I was being pushed in. It took a while to go off and stamp it out a little bit and kind of be bad and make bad choices and be a little ruthless in order to take the gloss off everything. Then finally it was Terry Gilliam who came around and gave me the shot [with The Brothers Grimm]. As soon as Terry gave me the shot, everyone else was like, "Ok. If Terry is giving him one, then we might give him another shot."
DRE: You also fell in love.
HL: Yeah I did. That's the best thing I got out of it. We are forever grateful.
DRE: Did that add to the chemistry of the characters relationship?
HL: Not for us. Michelle and I are very professional people. We were there to make the best possible film and story. We didn't walk around all day holding hands. We had a very serious story that we were all passionate about telling.
DRE: Do you like living in New York?
HL: I love living in New York. I love Brooklyn. I'm a better person for being there.
DRE: How is being a dad for the first time?
HL: It's incredible. It's incredibly humbling. It's the most selfless act you can ever encounter in your life. Yeah, it's brilliant and beautiful.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
Check out the official website for Brokeback Mountain
Daniel Robert Epstein: I read in Details magazine that Jake [Gyllenhaal] doesn't believe the characters are gay. What do you think?
Heath Ledger: I think it's a touchy subject. I think if we answer that then there will be a lot of disappointed people. Essentially its two men that fall in love. It's hard to escape that. I think maybe thats what Jake meant. I wanted to tell a story of someone who transcends the label of gay or straight, who is just a human being whose soul falls in love with another soul in the vessel of a man. I think Jake's character was more relaxed and comfortable in his situation and willing to express it, whereas Ennis was more confused.
DRE: Do you think Ennis was always confused?
HL: I don't think Ennis was a person who asked any questions. Once he met Jake's character it was an innate reaction.
DRE: Was Ennis ever in love with Alma [Michelle Williams]?
HL: I think he believed he was and that he felt like he should be. At the end of the day, I don't think it was the love he had with Jack.
DRE: Had they not met at the mountain do you think he would have led a normal life?
HL: Yeah, maybe he would have denied himself.
DRE: What was the process for creating this character?
HL: Just a lot of preparation because I really wanted to investigate him thoroughly. I had to ask a lot more questions than Ennis had ever asked himself. Therefore I knew a lot more about him than he ever will. So after discovering his battles, what he was battling against and why he was so unable to express and love, I found that I wanted him to be clenched. Any form of expression had to be painful. I put a lot of thought into that. Also the aging was a really important aspect. If we couldn't pull that off then we're up shits creek without a paddle.
DRE: Nowadays there is a gay rodeo cowboy circuit. Did you look into that to find out what was going on in the gay community within the cowboy world back then?
HL: I don't think there was anything back then. I thought Annie Proulxs short story and the script that Larry [McMurtry] and Diana [Ossana] wrote was so beautifully thorough and descriptive of the time and of these characters that I didnt need to do much research. In terms of being a cowboy or a ranch hand, I grew up in western Australia around a lot of farm folk. There's something very universal about people who spend all day and night on horseback. Right down to their physical aspect. Once they get off the horse it still looks like there's a horse between their legs.
DRE: I'm sure you've been offered cowboy movies before, read them at least. Is there a difference between a cowboy movie and a Larry McMurtry cowboy movie?
HL: Sure. His novel Anything for Billy is something I'm interested in. He's actually put together a screenplay of that. It's a beautiful book. But I'm not actually a fan of the Western genre. I never grew up watching cowboy and Indian films. I'm not really a huge fan of John Wayne and all that.
DRE: Is there anyone you based your character on?
HL: George Bush [laughs].
DRE: Do you think he'll watch this movie?
HL: Probably in private [laughs].
But to answer your question, I really didn't have a model for the character. It was very obvious from the screenplay and from the short story how it had to be played.
DRE: When this story was optioned they couldn't find anyone to take the role on. Why were you willing to jump in there?
HL: It's the most complex and internal character that I have ever been offered to play. It would take a more mature performance for me to complete this character. It was the perfect script and Ang Lee was the perfect director. It was a story that hadn't been told, which is extremely rare in this industry or anywhere really. I think the story of love, in general, is a little recycled and stale. I knew I'd be crazy to turn it down.
DRE: Did you have any hesitation?
HL: Not really. Obviously I had to think about it and go "Oh geez" but it wasn't that huge of a problem for me. Everyone always asks "what was the most difficult aspect of the movie for you?" It was making out with Jake Gyllenhaal [laughs]. It's a really obvious answer to give. At the end of the day once we got the first take out of the way. It was like "oh okay, alright whatever". Let's finish the day, let's continue. All the mystery had been taken away and we're still acting, it's a movie so lets get on with it.
DRE: Is he a good kisser?
HL: Yeah. He's a really good kisser [laughs].
DRE: Are you like Ennis?
HL: Not at all. I'm very expressive and I've investigated love. I'm in love with love. It's never been a problem of mine. If anything, I wish I could have taught Ennis a thing or two. It's frustrating that I couldn't. I didn't walk away thinking "Oh right, men can fall in love." It's something I always knew and respected and never had a problem with it.
DRE: Do you think their love would have been that strong if they were with each other all the time?
HL: I guess so. I haven't put that much thought into it. It definitely made it more exciting for Jack but the fact that it was forbidden didn't necessarily make it more exciting for Ennis. I'm not sure how he would fare in New York City [laughs].
DRE: You had a film this year that didnt connect with the audiences, Lords of Dogtown. It seems you were channeling Val Kilmer for that role.
HL: Everyone says that.
DRE: What attracted you to that?
HL: I grew up skating and surfing as a kid. Having met Skip, I found that he is bigger than life. I still talk to Skip when he calls me out of the blue. He's sending me skateboards for my daughter.
DRE: Do you feel that this has been your best year?
HL: Yeah, I guess so. It's definitely been the first year where I've been throwing everyone else's opinions and choices out the window and made my own. It was a long time coming. It definitely started off in another light. I was somewhat spoon fed so things were handed to me on a platter but I didn't really like what was on the platter. I was never really happy with the direction I was being pushed in. It took a while to go off and stamp it out a little bit and kind of be bad and make bad choices and be a little ruthless in order to take the gloss off everything. Then finally it was Terry Gilliam who came around and gave me the shot [with The Brothers Grimm]. As soon as Terry gave me the shot, everyone else was like, "Ok. If Terry is giving him one, then we might give him another shot."
DRE: You also fell in love.
HL: Yeah I did. That's the best thing I got out of it. We are forever grateful.
DRE: Did that add to the chemistry of the characters relationship?
HL: Not for us. Michelle and I are very professional people. We were there to make the best possible film and story. We didn't walk around all day holding hands. We had a very serious story that we were all passionate about telling.
DRE: Do you like living in New York?
HL: I love living in New York. I love Brooklyn. I'm a better person for being there.
DRE: How is being a dad for the first time?
HL: It's incredible. It's incredibly humbling. It's the most selfless act you can ever encounter in your life. Yeah, it's brilliant and beautiful.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
VIEW 12 of 12 COMMENTS
scam said:
man, i really miss heath.
Bigger loss than Michael Jackson.
That's right I said it. Not comparing the two just sayin'.