The New York Times posted a feature article about Heath Ledger in which he discusses his involvement in the new Todd Haynes Bob Dylan story I’m Not There, but of course the subject of The Joker and The Dark Knight came up, not even the “Times” is above trying to get their hands on something the fanboys will rush to read.
Heath wasn’t extremely chatty about the role, but the article makes reference to Ledger’s “Joker diary” in “which he began compiling four months before filming began. It is filled with images and thoughts helpful to the Joker back story, like a list of things the Joker would find funny. (AIDS is one of them.) Mr. Ledger seemed almost embarrassed that the book had been spotted, as if he had been caught trying to get extra credit in school.”
Ledger commented on the part, describing his character as a “psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy.”
He continued saying, “Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night… I couldn’t stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going.”
That really is all there was to gather out of the article as far as The Dark Knight goes, but you might want to check out the entire article here, or at least read this piece I wrote based on another “Times” article talking about I’m Not There. I am yet to see it, but good things are being said about the quirky little feature and I can’t wait to get my chance.
