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By
Veronica Mixon
May 4, 2001
The
tender love story with catchy rock music and contemporary
themes is set during medieval times. Heath plays
a peasant who poses as a knight in order to compete
in lucrative jousting matches. This historical
tale follows recent trend set by Leonardo DiCaprio's
Romeo and Juliet and young Heath is poised
to be the next big thing.
After
stealing the thunder from fellow countryman, Mel
Gibson in last year's hit film, The Patriot,
the 21-year-old actor has graced the cover of
numerous magazines including "Vanity Fair."
He has emerged as the youngest leading man amongst
his generation on the big screen. The handsome,
blonde six-footer, unlike many of his peers, is
quite simply an intriguing male presence. He stands
shoulder to shoulder with his other countrymen
Gibson, Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman.
"It's
a secret invasion," jokes Ledger when asked about
the Aussie dominance in Hollywood. "We sent some
spies over about ten years ago and they set it
all up."
Nevertheless,
Ledger is still quite modest about his fast rise
and even gets a bit touchy when you call him a
movie star. "I've always been an actor and I'm
being created into a star. That's out of my control.
That's the studio's decision. It's a little intimidating.
It's nerve wracking, it's exciting, it's a whole
bunch of things because - it's like anything when
you're faced with what could possible be a life-changing
thing. There's a period when you're figuring stuff
out."
Ledger
has been working steadily on back-to-back films
for the past eighteen months including three months
in Morocco filming "Four Feathers" opposite Kate
Hudson and Wes Bentley. So, he wasn't around for
most of the hoopla that took place in the States.
But, when he returned to Australia, he immediately
noticed a difference.
"It's
a bigger deal there. It was a hassle, intruding
and invading and strange because it's your hometown.
If there's any place that you want it to be the
same, it's home. And, it just wasn't," he laughed,
still surprised. "It would make the front page
of the newspaper in West Australia that I ate
fettuccini on Tuesday in some restaurant."
Did
Mel Gibson give him a heads-up while shooting
The Patriot because the veteran actor,
who is at the top of his game, certainly knew
what was about to happen? "He didn't sit you down
and patronize you," says Ledger. "But I learned
a hell-of-a-lot from observation. Of course, professionally
- whatever techniques and by observing him in
action. Socially, I observed that he really dances
through with just a big smile. He's someone who
is really trapped in it. At the end of the day,
he's someone who is left in his car when everyone
else goes off to the party and you drive him home.
But, he can find humor in it. He doesn't take
himself or his position seriously."
Heath
Ledger was born in Perth and at the age of ten,
he enrolled at the local theater company. At sixteen,
he was fed up with school and left home, heading
to Sydney to pursue his career. "I didn't think
twice about it. It's a break out thing and my
parents couldn't talk me out of it." While he
crashed with friends, Ledger grew up. "You realize
I'm an individual person and I can start thinking
for myself. I've got to go find out what life's
about."
He
worked in two highly reputable Australian theatre
companies, the Globe Shakespeare Company and Midnight
Youth Acting Company. He also worked on a number
of television series like Clowning Around,
Bush Patrol and Home and Away. In
1997, he starred in Universal and Fox Television's
Roar opposite Keri Russell. This led to
work in the States and his first American feature,
10 Things I Hate About You opposite
Julia Stiles.
Ledger
admits he knew little about jousting and even
less about being a knight but didn't worry since
the story deals with contemporary emotions. "My
tip on jousting - don't get hit!" he laughs. "Anyway,
they wouldn't let me ride a bicycle insurance
wise."
Despite
his long shooting schedules in Prague, where the
"Knight's Tale" cast bonded over beer and the
solitude of the Moroccan desert while filming
"Four Feathers," Ledge is involved in a high-profile
romance with actress, Heather Graham. Ten years
his senior, the "Boogie Nights" star met Ledge
at a party while making a movie in Perth.
"It's
not a professional relationship," explains Ledger,
who point out that they don't consult each other
about career choices. "The funny thing about it
is as much as people ask the question - because
people want to know - people understand when I
say, I'm not telling you."
In
fact, despite the outrageous media speculation
like the recent story that said he kicked down
a cockpit door and forced an airline pilot to
let him call Graham, Ledge remains mostly mum
about their relationship.
Since
he turned down "Spiderman," Ledger has no immediate
plans. "I really just want to do nothing especially
after all of this," he laughs. "Believe it or
not, I could just look at a wall. I'll be content."
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