April 4th, 2017; Heath Ledger would’ve been 38 years old today.
Despite being nearly a decade after his death, the loss of a very talented human being still affects society greatly. But even though we suffered a tragedy, we’re fortunate enough to have his awesome filmography left behind. And as of today in honor of Ledger’s birthday, Spike TV released a first preview for the documentary I Am Heath Ledger; premiering on May 17th.
The documentary captures footage of the Academy-Award winning actor and his life – mostly shot by himself with his own cameras. It also is set to include interviews with Naomi Watts, Djimon Hounsou, Emile Hirsch, Ben Harper, director Ang Lee of Brokeback Mountain, and the Ledger family.
You can check out the preview below:
“He wanted fame, and then when he got it, he didn’t want it.”
Heath suffered from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs and was found dead in his apartment in New York City on January 22nd, 2008. Six months later, The Dark Knight hit the box office where Ledger’s sensational performance left the world speechless. Even in present day, his role as the Joker is considered to be one of the greatest of all time.
He may not have wanted his fame once he got it but he sure as hell deserved it. However, no great performance is worth the loss of someone so talented; he couldn’t even handle his own talent. It’s unfortunate.
Like most method actors, Heath Ledger portrayed the Joker in an incredible way – if only he knew it would drive him to become it.
His death has often been paralleled to the psychological turmoil he quote on quote acquired from the Joker; his family members have made an effort to shoot down the rumors numerous times but truthfully, we’ll never know for certain.
On the brighter side, please enjoy this video of young Heath singing Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You; his breakout (and one of his most iconic) roles in 10 Things I Hate About You.
Happy 38th Birthday, we miss you terribly.