Film fans and Hollywood colleagues were shocked when Heath Ledger died in 2008 at the age of just 28 as a result of an accidental dose of medication – and thus missed the peak of his career. Heath Ledger was celebrated worldwide for his legendary performance as the devilish Batman villain Joker in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” and was even posthumously awarded the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
However, his final film role was different. Before his death, he was in front of the camera for Terry Gilliam’s fantasy adventure “The Cabinet of Doctor Parnassus”. However, unable to finish filming, Gilliam resorted to a transformation trick within the plot with the help of star trio Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell to complete the film.
But it was not just because he lost his leading actor that the loss hit the director of ’12 Monkeys’ and ‘Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas’ particularly hard at the time, as he now says again in an interview. explained: “Heath was the best – such a great actor,” said Gilliam, who had already filmed “Brothers Grimm” with Ledger a few years before “Parnassus.” “He was always finding new ways to deal with a scene. His death in the middle of the production of ‘Doktor Parnassus’ remains one of the most painful moments of my life.”
Ledger’s death is also so painful for Gilliam because he is sure that the actor would have had a great future ahead of him: ‘Heath would have been the biggest star in the world and then this absurd, tragic death prevented all that. “I still miss him,” the filmmaker mourned .
Heath Ledger’s friend Matt Damon has said similar things several times in the past, describing his ‘Brothers Grimm’ co-star as the best actor he’s ever worked with. And we’re also sure: Even though Heath Ledger was already in demand before ‘The Dark Knight’, his unforgettable performance in the comedy blockbuster would have ultimately catapulted him to the top of Hollywood.