People News
Heath Ledger's Joker role a dark descent
By M&C People Feb 3, 2008, 19:45 GMT
Australian actor Heath Ledger EPA/DANNY MOLOSHOK
Actor Heath Ledger's descent to the darker side of life may have begun a year ago while preparing for his role as the Joker for the upcoming Warner Bros. film "The Dark Knight."
The New York Post reports that preparations for his role had the Aussie actor holed up for six weeks alone as he refined his version of the insane Batman bad guy by experimenting with looks, voices and poses.
The Post claims he also "kept a journal of the Joker's psychology. On one page was a list of things the villain might find funny, including AIDS."
Fans of director Christopher Nolan's film have been eating up the viral marketing campaign unleashed by Warner Bros.promoting the film.
In November, Warner Bros. teased the first six minutes of the movie and left no doubt about where Ledger had taken his character.
Ledger's Joker is chillingly demented, psychotic and mesmerizing.
"I'd say that he is the scariest thing I've ever seen on screen," co-star Michael Caine told Movieweb.
Ledger's meticulous preparation obviously served him well. The Post noted his influences drew "heavily from the anarchistic droogs in 'A Clockwork Orange,' and Sid Vicious."
The Post noted that Ledger and director Christopher Nolan also found the Joker's first appearance in 1940's Batman No. 1 comic, and used it as a visual imprint.
"The corrupted clown face is built into the icon of the Joker, but we gave a Francis Bacon spin to it," Nolan told MSNBC. "This corruption, this decay in the texture of the look itself. It's grubby. You can almost imagine what he smells like."
FX makeup was refined for this role.
The mask is "made up of three pieces. It's a new technology. It's not a prosthetic," Ledger told SFX magazine. "This guy created these silicone pieces, and they stamp them on. It's a lot quicker and super-flexible. You hardly even know it's on your face."
The entire process left Ledger fully exhausted.
"It was an exhausting process," Ledger told MTVnews in a taped interview. "At the end of the day, I couldn't move. I couldn't talk. I was absolutely wrecked."
This exhaustion led him to begin taking Ambien. "Last week, I probably slept an average of two hours a night," he told The New York Times in November. "I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going."
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Older Talkback
page: 1
One should not comment on things out of their realm of understanding, especially given the context and timing. Why say anything at all? You obviously do not understand the process of actors who are driven artists and the realities of being a vulnerable human being and a magnetic celebrity, sought after by all the wrong people, sadly.
I can comment, given the facts and the life in the fastlane lifestyle.
Incredible in it's infinite sadness Heath's death is not a new thing to happen to pop icons going back to the 20's. The pain killers the booze the all night sex parties...Oh I am sure he was with Mary.
His talent will be missed I thoroughly enjoyed A KNIGHTS TALE and I still wait for BatMan The DARK KNIGHT.
Be sad for him, be mournful, understand him all you need to BUT don't be surprised this happened.
It will happen again. IN HOLLYWOODLAND it always does.
Actors are the highest paid people on earth for doing the easiest JOB.
People who emerse themselves into whatever role they're playing are
cooks. Jonny Depp? Yep...a cook. No they do not make dinner..they are cuckoo cuckoo.....I can act and have acted.The only reason I am not famous is I am not dropping everything I have to do in life just to go do something for someone to get an audition. Been there done that. I quit because it's all about the LOOK. Average looking people are not chosen for the big roles. Look at John C. Reilly...a good actor...ugly dude.
He's a big name in Hollywood right now for a comedy about a COOK.
Without backing and time and effort it's not worth it to chase the dream.
I act everyday. I sell trucks. I made a lot of money doing it................KNOW WHY? Acting is easy.
So don't give actors more credit than they deserve. All of them that is. It's the writers who have talent and Directors who make pictures.
Anyway. Heath passing away is a tragedy but stop with this artsy shmartsy nonsense about a deep understanding of the craft. It's easy.
........Ronnie J. from Big K.
page: 1
oh , please...Feb 5th, 2008 - 03:14:02
The guy was partying with some little floosie and having a good old time.
He partied a little too much. He died. That's life in HOLLYWOOD.
It's happened a thousand times before and it will continue to happen.
Stop trying to make up some propeganda type story about his Damaged Psyche because he played a comic book villain.
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