The Ledger tribute

JASON ADAMS: While not his best performance,
Ledger’s supporting turn in LORDS OF DOGTOWN as skater/entrepreneur Skip Engblom has always stuck with me. It
was fun, better than anything else in that movie, and different than
anything else I’d seen him in.

Who knew that the guy I secretly did /not/ hate in 10 THINGS I
HATE ABOUT YOU would turn out to be one of the most exciting prospects
in Hollywood. And I don’t just say this because of his ostensibly
electric upcoming performance in THE DARK KNIGHT. After seeing
2006’s CANDY (in which he played a doomed drug addict) it was obvious Ledger was an actor
with serious talent and demonstrated range, who was just starting a career more concerned with selecting good, challenging roles and
not obvious superstardom. My condolences to his family, friends and
fans, who’ve all been robbed of many great future performances from a gifted
actor.

THE ARROW: I got to “really” appreciate Heath Ledger’s talent via his comedic
display in THE BROTHERS
GRIMM and his poignant performance in BROKEBACK
MOUNTAIN. Both films made me take notice of him, he came into his own with them in
my opinion. I can’t wait to see what he does with The Joker!

On a whole I’ve always liked Heath Ledger, even though I’ve only seen five films of
his. There was an affable quality about him both on and
off-screen that always appealed to me. Such a shame he had to leave us so soon, the lad
was just starting to show us what he could “really do” acting wise.
RIP.

BEN BARNA: It’s a strange thing, to feel the loss of a man
you’ve never met. I’m sorry that Heath Ledger is no longer with us.
We’re blessed that he’s left us with one final performance that will deepen the engraving of his name
on the wall of movie history.

NICK BOSWORTH: I’ve always been a big fan of Heath’s work as an actor and that all
began with a film called THE PATRIOT which was released back in 2000. It
remains as my favorite Heath Ledger film because his natural abilities
as an actor were so apparent whenever he had to stand up against Mel Gibson’s
character throughout the film. From that moment on, I knew we’d see great
things from him.

I’ve always read terrific things about Heath, whether they came from his family
or co-stars. He never let his talents or career blind him in the pursuit to become
a good father, husband or a positive influence wherever he went. His career had
blossomed for years and was only getting better with each performance. The
loss that his fans have suffered including myself is a terrible one and I feel that
we have all been robbed of something very special. Rest well my friend and remember
that all of us are very proud of you.

JIMMYO: This was really hard to write and I don’t know why.
Heath Ledger’s death is a sad, sad, tragic thing. He was fast becoming a
major force in the film world. His quietly powerful work in BROKEBACK
MOUNTAIN seemed to be only the beginning. And much has been said of the
work he completed in THE DARK NIGHT. So it is a shame that we will not be able to
see him grow as an actor and most importantly, as a father. My thoughts go
out to his family and especially to his little girl, Matilda. I hope that
Michelle and her daughter are able to mourn in private and be given room
to heal.

JENNY KARAKAYA: My favorite Ledger movie is
CANDY. It’s a tragically beautiful film in which he showcases enormous comedic and dramatic talent. 

I’m sincerely saddened to see the film industry lose such an incredibly talented, kind and grounded man. Ledger had great potential to be become one of, if not already, Hollywood’s best. 
I’m am grateful to have met him in his much too short lived life.

ALEX KEEN: My favorite Ledger
movie is 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU. I remember seeing the trailer
for this movie and the guy just jumped off the screen. It is really
hard to deliver in the midst of such an artificial genre and Heath
did so with gusto. This movie still ranks as one of my favorite teen
movies and Heath’s performance took this movie to the next level.
The guy had charisma and a swagger that is impossible to replicate.
He will be greatly missed. 🙁

The news of Heath’s passing comes on
the forefront if arguably his most anticipated and undoubtedly his
biggest film ever, THE DARK KNIGHT. He was ready garnering a lot of
praise for his portrayal of the Joker, and I have no doubt that
millions will turn out to see the young actor’s final endeavor. As
the details of this shocking event unfold, please keep Ledger’s
family in your thoughts or prayers- even "stars" feel
sorrow during times like this. Let us all hope that this is the only
Hollywood tragedy we face this year.

JOHNNY MORENO: Favorite film: 10
THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU. Hands down. I’m a huge fan of his and there’s no doubting Heath made much better movies (that I’m also a big
fan of ) but for me the movie captures a point in time I like to reflect on.

Thoughts: Some you see coming (Anna Nicole). Some you kind of see
coming (Brad Renfro). Some you never see coming. What makes this different
is how you were blindsided by the news. Then come the allegations and
speculation of what led up to it and how it might’ve happened and…as a
fan, I’m not even sure if it really matters at this point. It’s just a
shame it had to happen to someone with such potential; a great talent
who parlayed good role after good role. All I can think is, “Shit. Another
one gone too soon.” RIP Heath. My heartfelt thoughts to you, your family
and most of all your little girl.

DAVE MURRAY: I thought he was great in A
KNIGHT’S TALE, even though a lot of people crap all over that one, but for me it was a hell of a lot of fun. Both Ledger and the filmmakers never took themselves seriously. Hell I even liked him in the crappy TV series Roar! But my
favorite would have to be THE BROTHERS GRIMM, just because it was Terry Gilliam and such a messed up movie, and also because Ledger and Damon were awesome in it. The guy had talent, charm, and a killer smile. What more could you want from a leading man?

Despite his fame, he was just starting to show us what he was capable of. With looks to spare and enough acting talent to become one of the greats of his generation, his death is a blow to movies in general, and to genre movies in particular. His turn as the Joker will no doubt be brilliant, a violent force of nature that shows us just what this amazing young talent brought to the game, and also what he could have been in years to come. His is an impressive body of work, but it still feels like it’s not enough. He was another great talent gone before his time, and personally I feel sad for his daughter. Let’s watch his crazy ass take on the Joker and remember him fondly.

JARED PACHECO: It’s hard to pick a favorite Heath Ledger movie because in my eyes he was great in everything. From 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU to A KNIGHT’S TALE to LORDS OF DOGTOWN to THE BROTHERS GRIMM. If I had to choose, I’d say I enjoyed KNIGHT’S TALE the most.

Heath Ledger has been one of my favorite actors for a while. The man was just brilliant. He chose his roles carefully and nixed any ones he didn’t feel he liked. And he always nailed the performance. From his character roles in LORDS OF DOGTOWN and BROTHERS GRIMM to the upcoming DARK KNIGHT, it seemed like Ledger could do it all. He always put his all into a role and was destined to be a great in the business (in my eyes he was already one.). That’s the type of actors you want to see making movies. The guys that love making them as much as we love watching them. A guy with so much ahead of him being taken this early in his life is tragic. I was shocked the second I heard and I’m still shocked, not sure if it will ever settle in. Rest in Piece Heath, you will most certainly be missed. Thank you.

MATHEW PLALE: Heath Ledger, whether he could have known it or not, was at his best
in last year’s I’M NOT THERE as movie-star Bob Dylan. I say it’s his best
because it was his most honest–he was Dylan just as much as Ledger–the
stardom, the paparazzi, the heartbreak, they’re all there.

Ledger could be, at the same time, a heartthrob and a talent. He was
unfortunately seen as merely one or the other to those wearing an eye-patch,
but his combined disheveled sexiness and insistence on individuality in
his roles will keep Ledger in our minds as one of the great, lost young
talents. He’ll certainly be missed.

ADAM QUIGLEY: My favorite of
his films A KNIGHT’S TALE – First time I saw this flick, I remember thinking to
myself, “Well, this is kind of stupid, but that Heath guy really knows
how to carry a picture!” It was the first time I took notice of the actor.
Ever since then, no matter how good or bad the actual film at hand, Heath
Ledger’s performances have remained a bright spot in my movie-watching
world.

People die every day. That’s life. So is it really such a tragic loss
when, out of the thousands of deaths that occur daily, 1 celebrity passes
on? Well, when that one celebrity happens to be Heath Ledger, the answer
is "yes". In the same way that somebody would feel sorrow if a friend were to
die, many of us had come to know and love Ledger both as an actor and a
person, even if he didn’t know any of us. His on-screen talent was undeniable, and it was clear through his interviews that he was an
all-around cool guy. Personally, and admittedly rather selfishly, I’m
just glad he was able to finish filming THE DARK KNIGHT, because his
performance in that will likely be what he’s remembered for… It will be his
legacy… His masterpiece. RIP, buddy. Best wishes to your family and friends.

MIKE SAMPSON: I was never a particular fan of Heath Ledger’s work. Perhaps it’s because my wife insisted of putting on 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU whenever it was on TV and that movie drove me crazy. I was underwhelmed by A KNIGHT’S TALE and THE PATRIOT. And then I saw BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. While I didn’t think the movie was as fantastic as many made it out to be, I was completely floored by Ledger’s performance. An absolute masterstroke of acting. He was flat-out perfect as the tortured Ennis Del Mar. “Good Jesus, I had it all wrong about this kid,” I thought afterwards. I later caught MONSTER‘S BALL, LORDS OF DOGTOWN and I’M NOT THERE and was extremely
impressed with his range. His role as The Joker in THE DARK KNIGHT would have catapulted him into a new level of stardom and it couldn’t have been more deserved. 

That’s the sadness I’ll feel as a fan of his acting. But as a father myself, I hurt more for his young daughter. Acting is a job just like writing for JoBlo.com, performing surgery or taking out the trash. But the real tragedy is that a beautiful little girl will grow up not knowing her father. And that’s a real
sadness.

JAMES THOO: Favorite Ledger
movie? God, I’d love to say THE DARK KNIGHT, and I’m sure that if I were to write this later in the year I would, but for the
time being it’ll have to be A KNIGHT’S TALE. That movie is just about Heath
Ledger feeling like he could be awesome if he got a chance, and then
spending an hour and a half being awesome. It’s about as historically
accurate as Shia Labeouf’s grandfather finding Megatron in the Polar ice
caps, but you don’t care because Ledger is just so good.

If I’m honest, before this happened I would never have said Heath Ledger
was one of my favorite actors, but now, I don’t know why not. I loved him
in 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU and then in pretty much everything else I saw
him in after that. What sticks in my mind about him now, is that on the two
occasions I saw him recently, in I’M NOT THERE, and the trailer for THE DARK
KNIGHT, I’ve seen what I remember him for: just being a fun fucking guy.
It’s the scene in I’M NOT THERE when he tries to ride the motor-cycle,
cheerfully grins back and then drives straight into the wall. It’s the scene
in THE DARK KNIGHT when he shoots the bazooka off like he has not a clue
what the hell he’s doing. I know they’re probably character nuances, because
the man was such a wonderful actor, but I’m sure that they were inherent in
him too.

MATT WITHERS: A KNIGHT’S TALE – I usually prefer darker fare, but this flick was good, goofy fun with plenty to enjoy for the mates and the
sheilas.

As much as I felt like BROKEBACK
MOUNTAIN was an overhyped pile of steaming shite, you can’t get past the fact that this tough, young aussie faced massive career and personal risk head on by playing a gay cowboy. That’s “A Boy Named Sue” tough, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find out Johnny Cash is patting him on the back right now.