Young Heath Ledger Pt 4
Tags: Heath, Heath Ledger, Heath Ledger interview, Kim Ledger
Heath Ledger Interview
By EC Gladstone
EG: You were telling me when we met at ShoWest that you’d done horse riding before.
HL: Yeah, yeah. I had done it before on a couple of jobs I had done previously, and I uh, I had done occasionally, you know with some friends and stuff like that. Up here in the hills. Up in Beachwood [Canyon], there’s a horse ranch up there. Yeah, and it takes you all through the hills, and up through the Hollywood sign, and it takes you above Griffith Park, to the highest peak you can get up there. And I had a friend who was working at the horse ranch, so every night, they’d shut down at six or seven. We’d go out there, and you know, just jump on the horses and just ride through the night. Through the paths, everywhere. Yeah its cool, its beautiful.
EG: What do you like about it?
HL; About horse riding? Jeez, you know, its like, when you ride a motor bike, its kind of like that, except for you really feel like your riding something in the hills. You feel the power when you’re stroking your filly. I don’t know what I like about it, it’s just fun I guess. I don’t know if I’m going to buy a horse but…
EG: What do you do for fun these days? Do you get to do anything?
HL: I take photos.
EG: Of?
HL: People.
EG: In Prague?
HL: Oh yeah. Loads in Prague, yeah, just can’t stop shooting in Prague.
EG: Just for fun or is it something you think you’d do sort of more
Seriously?
HL: Um, well it’s serious fun.
EG: More than just snapshots?
HL: Yeah, oh yeah, I got like, tons of cameras, and you know, I go through like 20 rolls of film a week. Which isn’t as much as the average photographer, but when you’re working six days a week, it’s quite a lot.
EG: Tell me about The Patriot and working with Mel.
HL: Um, it was a wonderful, wonderful experience in my life, it really was. I mean working with Mel really opened up a lot inside of me, in terms of discovering how to relax with oneself in your working environment. Keeping your head clear and—[to construction workers] fucking shut up! Christ—speaking of keeping your head clear!
EG: That was well timed.
HL: And, you know he’s such a gentleman, professionally and socially, he is really wonderful, and uh, you know that’s it. I mean, all the people- everyone on that movie, Roland and Dean were just fabulous. So chilled out, so relaxed.
EG: When you first went up to the role were you nervous about working with Mel?
HL: I was, yeah, I couldn’t help but be nervous, you know it’s like Mel Gibson. But he puts you at ease straight away, makes you laugh, smile, all that shit.
Continued in part 5
-FF-
copyright 2000, ECG
