Summary:
- Hollywood veteran Eric Roberts fondly recalled his time working with the late Heath Ledger during the filming of The Dark Knight, praising him as a “sweet and lovely” person.
- While rumors suggested that Ledger could be a bit hard to reach while filming, Roberts had nothing but respect for the late actor.
- The main lead Christian Bale also held Ledger in high regard and praised his exceptional Joker performance.
No matter what, you just got to love Heath Ledger.
Recently, Eric Roberts, who played the mob boss Sal Maroni in 2008’s The Dark Knight, recently shared some heartwarming memories of working with Heath Ledger. Contrary to the intimidating aura that surrounded Ledger due to his intense portrayal of the Joker, Roberts found him to be an exceptionally kind and approachable colleague.
In a surprising twist, Roberts recalled that he was warned to stay away from Ledger when the actor got into character for The Dark Knight. However, despite being cautioned about Ledger’s deep immersion into his Joker role, he discovered quite the opposite.
“What a lovely person he was. I had been told, ‘Stay away from Heath … he’s into the character, oh my god, he’s gone’ …It wasn’t like that at all. He was perfectly fine,” Roberts reflected in a discussion with Still Here Hollywood.
He fondly recalled a rehearsal session where Ledger delivered a three-page monologue with such commitment, and afterward, he even humbly sought feedback from his peers. “He turns to us and he goes ‘How am I doing?’” Roberts recalled, dispelling any myths of Ledger’s inaccessibility during filming.
It simply didn’t take Roberts long to realize that the Casanova alum was actually pretty “sweet and normal” in real life as well.
He was just so charming, so likeable, so sweet, so normal. All the stuff I heard about him was not true and he was a lovely person. He was a real loss,” Roberts added.
Roberts wasn’t the only one impressed by Ledger’s demeanor and talent. Christian Bale, who starred as Batman, also praised the late actor’s dedication to the role of the Joker.
“Heath Ledger, oh my God, what a performance. What a pleasure to have gotten to work with him, and just to see him and how much he put himself into the Joker,” said the American Psycho actor, praising Ledger’s immerse-into-the-character ability. Bale also added how Ledger’s performance was so good, he felt his Batman portrayal was “dull in comparison.”
The 50-year-old then stated just how proud he was of The Dark Knight overall, and how it was “a pleasure to have gotten to work with Heath.” Alright, where are the invisible ninjas chopping onions?
Ledger’s legacy continues to be celebrated for his contributions to the film industry, with iconic performances in 10 Things I Hate About You and Brokeback Mountain, among others. His career, though tragically brief, was marked by 18 films, including two released posthumously, leaving an indelible impact on fans and colleagues alike.
