|
|
TWO NEW FILMS
ARE TURNING HEATH LEDGER INTO HOLLYWOOD'S LATEST HOT AUSTRALIAN IMPORT
By Amy Longsdorf
Wednesday,
May 9, 2001
As Heath Ledger strides through the lobby of an Upper East Side hotel, no one gives the Aussie heartthrob a second look -- even though his mug is plastered everywhere,on billboards promoting his latest movie, "A Knight's Tale."
Call it the calm before the storm.
Not since Matthew McConaughey was christened "the next Paul Newman" has the Hollywood star-making machinery been working so hard to boost the profile of an up-and-comer.
"I've always been -- and always will be -- an actor," says Ledger over breakfast. "I'm being created into a star. That's out of my control. It's the studio's decision. Sure, it's a little intimidating, nerve-racking, scary. It's a whole bunch of things. When you're faced with any life-changing experience, you feel like saying, 'Let's stop here and just sort of figure things out.'"
The scrutiny that accompanies sudden success doesn't sit well with Hollywood's new Knight in Shining Armor. When he went home to Perth recently for the first time since gracing the covers of Vanity Fair and Movieline magazines, he discovered a few changes.
"There were girls screaming my name," he says, shaking his head in disbelief. "To be honest, it was a hassle there, and very intrusive because it's your hometown. If you want any place to be the same, it's your home city. And it wasn't. That was hard."
Since suiting up as a Revolutionary War hero in last summer's "The Patriot," the actor has been called "the most exciting import from Down Under since Russell Crowe." Starring roles in "A Knight's Tale," which opens Friday, and November's "Four Feathers" are likely to turn Ledger into an even hotter commodity.
"He reminds me of Clint Eastwood and Bruce Willis," says "Knight's Tale" director Brian Helgeland. "When you look at Heath, you see someone who is incredibly self-possessed. It's hard to find that level of confidence in a 21-year-old, but Heath has it in spades."
As soon as Ledger read the script for "A Knight's Tale," he found himself drawn to the medieval tale of a thatcher's son who disguises himself as a nobleman in order to take part in jousting tournaments. With the help of his friends (Mark Addy, Alan Tudyk, Paul Bettany), the lowly squire becomes a champion.
"It presented a smorgasbord of entertainment," says Ledger of the flick. "It was jam-packed with comedy, romance, and action. At the same time, you think, 'How the hell are we going to pull this off?' It was a challenge to make a consistent-flavored meal. But after I talked to Brian, I saw that his passion and vision was just oozing out of him. I knew it would be fun."
Ledger, in his first leading role, found himself asked to pull off some complicated stunts. While the actor was never allowed to joust -- the insurance company prohibited it -- he did a number of charging scenes atop a giant, Czechoslovakian war horse.
On one occasion, he came within an inch of shattering his leg. "My horse just started running straight at a fence. Somehow I managed to get my right leg up around my ear to the other side. And then the horse just splintered this post where my leg would have been."
Ledger has always been fearless. He left home, bound for Sydney, at age 16 in hopes of making it as an actor. "The train of life was flying by and I had to jump on it," he says. "I had 69 cents in my bank account, but nothing could stop me."
Once in Sydney, Ledger quickly landed a role on an Aussie TV show. After making his film debut in the teen drama "Blackrock" (1997), he decided to try his luck in the United States. The role of Julia Stiles' boyfriend in "10 Things I Hate About You" led to a pivotal part "The Patriot."
Working with Mel Gibson was a great education for the young actor. "Mel doesn't sit you down and patronize you with a speech," says Ledger. "But I learned a lot through observation. He doesn't take himself or his position in the industry seriously. He walks to the beat of life in such a wonderful way."
Since finishing "The Patriot," Ledger has learned that not all film sets are as much fun as the ones Gibson presides over. Making "Four Feathers" alongside Wes Bentley and Kate Hudson in the Moroccan desert was "extremely tough," Ledger says. "But I like going onto a movie set in a state of fear. On this one, I had fear constantly bubbling up in my gut."
Although he now resides in Los Angeles, Ledger finds himself longing for the hometown he was so desperate to escape.
"I just miss the Australian sense of humor," he says. "We're very dry and sarcastic in Australia. If I tell any joke in L.A., people think I'm serious. So I've quit telling any jokes. I miss my friends, the family, the weather, the beach."
Since finishing "A Knight's Tale" and "Four Feathers," Ledger is eager to spend a couple of months relaxing.
To that end, he turned down the title role in Sony's "Spider-Man," which is expected to be one of next summer's blockbusters.
Not even a multimillion-dollar paycheck could persuade Ledger to sign on the dotted line. "I really can't stand money and what it does," he says. "I never let that influence me. I never have, and never will. I wouldn't have been happy doing 'Spider-Man.'
"You know,
if it doesn't work out for me in Hollywood, that's OK, too. I'll always
be able to say that I came to town, had a sniff around and then got out
of here. That could be a really good thing, actually."
Copyright © 2001 North Jersey Media Group Inc
-|-|-|-|-|-