When
director Gregor Jordan became involved in "Ned
Kelly", there was only one actor he wanted to play
the title role - Heath Ledger.
The star of such films
as "A Knight's Tale", "Two Hands" and
"10 Things I Hate About You", Ledger was an
obvious choice, says Jordan.
"You need someone
who is the right age, physically tall, strong and
charismatic," he says. "I also wanted him to be
Australian. So when you put that list together, there is
really only one person to play the role."
Ledger
was equally enthusiastic about working again with
Jordan, who had directed him in the Australian hit
"Two Hands".
"Gregor is a really good
friend of mine, I had worked with him before and I knew
it was going to be fun," he says. "And I knew Gregor was
the guy for the job, because he had a very clear picture
on what he wanted. He always does."
For Ledger,
taking on the role of Ned was a strange experience, as
he had grown up in Australia with a great interest in
the legendary outlaw and bushranger.
"I read a
lot about him as a kid and fantasised about what it
would be like back then for him," he says. "In a way I
have looked up to him quite a bit throughout my life, so
it has been quite eerie stepping into his shoes at this
point."
Ledger has read Ned Kelly's so-called
Jerilderie Letter numerous times - a document over 50
pages long outlining the outlaw's grievances and calling
for justice.
He says he remains stunned by "just
how passionate he was in there, and so definite, so
precise, and how sure he was about his cause. It was
very exciting to give life to these words, to give life
to this legend and have a guess at what he was
like."
Despite portraying a figure so well known
in Australia, Ledger says he managed to avoid feeling
too much pressure about how fans of Ned Kelly might
perceive his take on the role.
"I just didn't
allow myself to feel that much pressure. I didn't want
my performance to be polluted by these pressures of
getting it right and making it true and real," he says.
"I had an idea in my head, I read up on him, and I
looked into his eyes. There is a portrait of him two
days before he was hanged - it's all in his eyes, he is
very dignified, he is very proud, and that was enough. I
just trusted my own instinct and went for
it."
Although Ledger has finished working on the
film, he believes playing Ned Kelly has had a strong
impact on his life. "I'll certainly take a piece of Ned
with me. He's certainly going to be carried around in my
heart and my mind for a long time. It's given me the
courage to stand up and be true to what I believe
in." | |
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Naomi Watts’ character Julia Cook is
fictional, but a real woman named Julia is mentioned in
the Jerilderie Letter |
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Heath Ledger as Ned Kelly |
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Heath Ledger on set with director Gregor
Jordan |
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