Friday, January 6, 2006
Original Interview from December 2005

Heath Heats things Up
Ledger proves his abilities in 'Brokeback Mountain'
By Janelle Riley
Back Stage West



Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger), right, and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) share a cowboy romance in "Brokeback Mountain."

When Heath Ledger burst onto the scene in his first film in 1999, critics and audiences immediately knew there was a star in the making.

Sure, "10 Things I Hate About You" was a goofy teen comedy - but it was well-made and extremely entertaining fluff. And it featured striking performances.

Ruggedly handsome, funny, and confident, Ledger carried himself with an arrogant swagger that no other onscreen teen heartthrob possessed. He was Brando: The Teenage Years.

For years Hollywood tried to build films him, casting him in period piecesor as the sensitive romantic.

It's ironic, then, to consider that the actor is receiving the best notices of his career for playing the polar opposite of those roles: a quiet, closed-off cowboy in Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain."

As Ennis Del Mar, a ranch hand who unsuspectingly falls into a lifelong forbidden relationship with another man (Jake Gyllenhaal), Ledger is flawless.

In the achingly beautiful love story, Ennis endures youthful confusion, a loveless marriage, and the fear of accepting his true self. It's also a controversial film since the topic is gay cowboys.

It's a performance that has people seeing the actor in a new light - one that includes the kind of accolades that come with statuettes. "I can't think about that," Ledger murmurs dismissively when asked about the awards talk surrounding him. "I really can't."

It will be harder to ignore as the buzz grows deafening; GQ all but declared him the winner of the best actor Oscar, and critics are throwing out raves using words such as "revelation" and "extraordinary." While "Brokeback" certainly gives Ledger a chance to show his skill, such remarks aren't entirely fair, considering the standout performances he's given, as in "The Patriot" and "Monster's Ball." Even in his lesser movies, such as "The Four Feathers," Ledger is compulsively watchable and committed to the role. Even his most underrated film, "A Knight's Tale," features a sharp performance by the actor.

Still, he tends to agree with his critics. "I don't think I could act back then," he says of his early performances. "And I still have far to go. I don't ever want to consider myself a good actor, because, well, I think I'm not. And I think it allows you to be lazy; you start to think you're hot...."

All the praise seems to embarrass the soft-spoken actor. He seems much more interested in talking about other changes in his life - specifically his month-old daughter with girl- friend and "Brokeback" co-star Michelle Williams.

Talk to him about his work, however, and he has trouble maintaining eye contact. "I'm not as good as I want to be," he says. "I don't think I'll ever be as good as I want to be, but I'll keep striving for it."

It would seem impossible for anyone, even Ledger, to deny his abilities; this year alone he headlined four films with radically different performances. He lent his laid-back charm to the role of a skateboarding guru in last summer's "Lords of Dogtown," then played the bookworm sibling to Matt Damon in Terry Gilliam's all-over-the-map "The Brothers Grimm."

In addition to his role in "Brokeback," he is on the big screen in "Casanova," in which he again plays a verbose charmer.

His role as the legendary lover couldn't be more different from portraying Ennis, and it's jarring to realize it's the same performer in both films. He's glad the films are coming out at the same time, not because it showcases his diversity but because it cuts down on his press workload.

"I guess it's good because I get to double up all the interviews," he offers. "I can kill two birds with one stone."

Ledger, who was born almost 27 years ago in Perth, Australia, says he's prone to second thoughts when accepting a role.

"The general rule of thumb for me is to hesitate before taking any role on," he says. "I definitely did with ('Brokeback' and 'Casanova').

"I recognize there's a bit of a pattern to me, so it doesn't worry me as much when I back away."