Friends open up about Ledger

Heath Ledger is the cover story of Entertainment Weekly. His friends and co-stars open up about the actor’s life and work, and kind of tell their side of his story. Basically, this is the first cover story about late actor since his accidental premature death on January 22, 2008.

The Patriot actor/director Mel Gibson, The Four Feathers actor Wes Bentley, 10 things I Hate About You actress Julia Stiles, A Knight’s Tale producer Todd Black, The Dark Knight star Gary Oldman and others tell about Heath Ledger they knew.

They talk about his work, his performances, and great talent he probably didn’t know he had.

Heath was the pied piper. If you were sad, he took care of you. If you were happy, he made you happier just by dancing or talking or laughing. Fear didn’t enter his psyche. He would say whatever was on his mind. If he didn’t like you, you would know it, and if he liked you, you would know it.”

Friends say he wasn’t scared to make daring choices (like playing a gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain), he was passionate about his work, life and he was a very doting and caring farther for Matilda, his daughter with actress Michelle Williams. They say he used to take things pretty close to heart, and even suggest he died of a broken heart after separating from Williams.

And as to his brilliant performance in The Dark Knight and his outstanding portrait of The Joker and possible Oscar nod, they said:

If Heath does get an Oscar nomination, I can just picture him up there, looking down and going, F—!” Gary Oldman said.

Heath used to say, ‘This time I’m going to give them such a hard time — they’ll have to cry to get an interview.’ He knew he’d done something special. But he was saying, ‘This time I’m going to lead the dance,’ cinematographer Nicola Pecorini noted.

We’re cutting Parnassus [Heath’s last film] now, so it’s like I work with Heath every day. He’s in fine shape, at least in the world I’m inhabiting at the moment. It just doesn’t make sense. Every day goes by and I think, He’ll be back in a second,” Terry Gilliam, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus director, added.

We all miss you, Heath.

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