Heath Ledger talks about playing the Joker in “The Dark Knight”

I gotta say that it at first creeped me out to re-listen to the interview I did with Heath Ledger about a year before he died from a prescription drug overdose. The idea of repackaging his thoughts on “The Dark Knight” initially struck me as a bit exploitive considering the hype around his acclaimed performance in the Batman flick that opens Friday.

I interviewed Ledger in December 2006 when he was promoting the independent Australian film “Candy,” which features one of the many memorable performances by the actor. Ledger had just been cast as the Joker, and I couldn’t help but wonder what the guy would bring to character who had been portrayed by everyone from Cesar Romero to Jack Nicholson. We didn’t discuss the role for very long, but I think what’s repackaged in this brief podcast at least provides a glimpse into the performer’s uneasiness with the expectations that come with starring in a blockbuster.Dark%20Knight.mp3

Both fans and industry insiders are speculating that Ledger will receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination for his anarchistic take on Batman’s most celebrated nemesis. And might he even pull a Peter Finch, who died in 1977 before winning the best actor Oscar playing troubled TV news anchor Howard Beale in the movie “Network?” (Finch’s unforgettable performance achieved its immortal status when his enraged talking head successfully convinces his audience to collectively open their windows and bellow “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!”)

But what I am instead left with is how much Ledger seemed committed to following his own path, to taking roles that intrigued him or fed his creative side. Remember, after breaking out in the very mainstream “A Knight’s Tale,” Ledger made a conscious choice to skip over the big-budget popcorn movies and do the likes of “Monster’s Ball,” “Brokeback Mountain” and “The Brothers Grimm.” His interpretation of the Joker, though a character from a huge film franchise, is in the spirit of his other creative choices.

Ledger seemed to have his eyes on his future, on a career that would continue to surprise him as much as his fans. And hearing him speak about it all these months later, I’m left with the sadness of knowing that we’ve undoubtedly missed out on a slew of great, unrealized performances.

Original here