They say that fame comes at a cost, and not many know about the truth behind this expression as well as the late Heath Ledger. It has been nine years since the talented actor was taken away from us, and now might the perfect time to create a documentary that can cherish and relive the life of one of Hollywood's best. Spike TV has been creating some memorable documentaries in the recent past, and they will look to launch “I am Heath Ledger” in the coming months.
A joker in a mountain
It is clear from the trailer of “I am Heath Ledger” that the documentary will look to cherish the life of a phenomenally talented actor instead of focusing on the events that led to this talented soul being stripped away from our lives.
This might be the right direction to go, because there clearly was a lot of method to the actor’s madness and it is best to revel in the former facet instead of the latter.
The documentary will look to repurpose hours of footage shot by Ledger himself, and superimpose these personal moments with interviews from friends, family members, and co-workers. We hear from the likes of Ang Lee, Naomi Watts, Ben Harper and many more industry professionals who offer an insight into the mind of a once-in-a-generation actor.
What to expect
Heath Ledger would have turned 38 this year if he was still with us. That number should offer a lot of perspective on the actor's life. In an extremely short but fabled career, he offered us incredible performances in films like “Brokeback Mountain”, “Monster’s Ball”, “10 Things I Hate About You” and of course “The Dark Knight”.
What really made Ledger stand out among his peers was his intense need to push beyond his own limitations. He was always extremely talented, but he never took his talent for granted and wasn’t afraid of losing himself in a quest to deliver a gripping performance. His story might serve as a cautionary tale in some eyes, but to most, he represents an artist unafraid to pay the ultimate price for the sake of his art.
“I am Heath Ledger” will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 23rd, and it set to receive a limited release on May 3rd. The documentary will also debut on Spike TV on May 17th, and here is a look at the emotional trailer below.
