Heath Ledger: A last act
By George Lang
Source: NewsOK
NEW YORK — On a chilly Saturday in November 2007, as journalists and stars gathered at New York's Regency Hotel to talk about Todd Haynes' ambitious Bob Dylan biopic "I'm Not There," few had reason to believe they would be seeing 28-year-old Heath Ledger for the last time.
It is natural to scour memory and recordings for anything foreboding when a life and career receive an unexpected coda. But Ledger was in a good mood on Nov. 11, 2007, and there was nothing foreshadowing about his wry wit that day.
"I don't think you need to be a Dylan genius in order to appreciate it as a story, as a film, the experience of it," Ledger said. "Because it is a film — it's not a quiz, there's no Q&A afterward. Quite frankly, I think the less you know the better off you're going to be, because you're not going to be straining yourself, trying to digest every single line of dialogue. You just strap yourself in and enjoy the ride."
Toward the end of the news conference, one journalist asked the assembled actors if there were other musicians they would like to play one day after taking on Dylan. Bruce Greenwood said he would play any blues singer, while 14-year-old Marcus Carl Franklin expressed an interest in Jimi Hendrix.
Ledger left everyone that day with a big, warm laugh. One worth remembering.
"Tina Turner," he said while grabbing director Haynes' arm. "But not unless this one was making it."
- - - -
A discussion on this article has been opened. CLICK HERE.
Thanks, Nina.