“I think maybe he felt I achieved it”: Heath Ledger Refused Batman Begins After Losing to Christian Bale Only to Return for $1B The Dark Knight That Won Him an Oscar
Christopher Nolan is an auteur through and through. The man created a niche for himself in cinema and then went beyond and expanded his own oeuvre. Easily, one of the biggest directors in Hollywood, there is hardly any actor who wouldn’t hold a wish to star in a Nolan movie. His forte ranges from science fiction like Interstellar and Inception, to psychological thrillers like Prestige and Memento. Casting in Nolan’s movies also plays a very important role in how the movies turn out to be. Often the director has resorted to re-casting so much so that some actors in Hollywood have become a part of his arsenal, like Cillian Murphy and Michael Caine. But many times, he has sought fresher names. However, even a filmmaker of his stature has faced sporadic rejection from actors now and then, Heath Ledger being one of them.
Heath Ledger turned down a major role in Batman Begins
One of the actors who initially said no to Christopher Nolan was none other than Heath Ledger. The legendary actor did wind up playing Joker in the Batman series sequel, The Dark Knight which also happens to be one of the highest-rated movies of all time.
It is, however, a lesser-known fact that Ledger was initially offered the titular role in Batman Begins, an offer that he refused. The young actor had generated interest in the young director that Nolan was at the time, with his work in movies like Ned Kelly, A Knight’s Tale, and The Patriot. The reason that Ledger refused the role of the DC superhero was ironic, to say the least.
In 2012, the Tenet director revealed what went down in their initial conversation, at the Lincoln Film Center in New York. He said about the 10 Things I Hate About You actor,
“He was quite gracious about it. He said, ‘I would never take a part in a superhero film’.”
No qualms as far as cinematic history is concerned, as Ledger went on to become one of the most iconic Joker, and again ironically, one of the most beloved as well. His tragic demise is something that still rings with pain in the fan’s heart.
Also Read: Here’s Why Christian Bale Still Hasn’t Seen The Batman
How did Christopher Nolan convince Heath Ledger to play the Joker?
At the time though, Christian Bale was then offered Batman Begins and the rest is history. Even Ledger went on to star in Ang Lee’s queer neo-western romantic drama, Brokeback Mountain alongside Jake Gyllenhaal. His role as Ennis Del Mar got him a nomination for an Academy Award for best actor.
Eventually, he agreed to do the role that won him the Academy Award, although posthumously, when he changed his mind about taking “superhero films” in general after watching Batman Begins. The Dunkirk director shared,
“I explained to him what I wanted to do with ‘Batman Begins’ and I think maybe he felt I achieved it.”
Nolan’s upcoming project, Oppenheimer, has already been slated as one of the biggest films in 2023, with a stellar star cast comprising Cillian Murphy, from his trusted arsenal, playing the eponymous protagonist, along with industry biggies like Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Rami Malek, Florence Pugh, and Emily Blunt.
Oppenheimer will release in theatres on July 21, 2023.
Also Read: Why Christopher Nolan Should Direct The Next Fast & Furious Movie
Source: Looper
