Ledger May Never Film in Australia Again

WENN | CBS 2 Chicago
14-16 May 2006



HOLLYWOOD - Even though he’s a native Australian, actor Heath Ledger is considering giving up homegrown movies after years of being harassed by the paparazzi there.

“I don’t know WHEN I’ll be coming back,” Ledger has reportedly told friends in Sydney.

The “Brokeback Mountain” star had several very bad run-ins with paparazzi recently, and while filming “Candy” in Australia. The actor felt very harassed by several extremely intrusive Sydney-based photographers.

Director Neil Armfield reveals that Ledger's difficult relationship with the press is making it virtually impossible to film, as well as live, in Australia. The actor, who spends most of his non-working time in Brooklyn with fiancée Michelle Williams and their baby daughter, is currently hiding out in Los Angeles.

Armfield tells moviehole.net, "He just felt that it was too soon to come back to Australia. It's very sad.

"A couple of paparazzi (here in Australia) have sort of realized that they can get a bit of a rise out of him.

"He's a boy…. and they attacked him.

"We were in the middle of the third take (during a scene), and this guy jumps out of the crowd--and he gets out his camera, and yells out, 'Flash!' It was the middle of the take, so therefore, he ruined the take…but then he adds, 'Gotcha, Ledger!' and he takes off up the street.

"Heath chased him and the guy tripped over, so he (the photographer) ends up going to the police and telling them that it was physical abuse, which it wasn't."



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Sources:
World Entertainment News Network (WENN)
CBS 2 Chicago