Do you really win an Oscar by trying to get yourself fired?
There's a insane story floating around the web right now, instigated by the late Heath Ledger's agent who has come out with the outlandish claim that Ledger was actually trying to get himself fired from The Dark Knight with his unique and "out there" performance as The Joker. Which of course is utter insanity because simply put, you don't win an Oscar by trying to get yourself fired. No sir. That's not how it works.
According to Ledger's agent Steven Alexander and cinematographer/friend Nicola Pecorini, the actor had a pay-or-play deal on "Knight," which means that he would be compensated no matter how terrible he ends up being. This gave Ledger the freedom to do what he wanted with The Joker.Ok, that bit sounds not only plausible but actually probable. An early interview with Chris Nolan I remember reading claimed that Ledger came to the director with a clear understanding of who The Joker was and how he was going to play him, so it can't have been so "out there" that Nolan wouldn't have offered him the gig for fear it would be too much, but I can certainly understand Ledger believing that Warner Bros. would be apprehensive when they saw the dailies of the performance he was crafting. So in that case, it was a smart deal for Ledger, no doubt. But not one that means he wanted to get himself fired. The rest of the story, which remember we have to presume is exactly what Ledger's agent said and not half made up by the mag, is just nonsense...
But the real decision to take the role was because of the film's unusually long shoot, which would give Ledger an excuse to turn down other offers. And since he was guaranteed to collect a paycheck, Ledger was hoping that his performance would be so "far-out" that he would end up being fired and become the beneficiary of a lengthy, paid vacation. His agent added that while Ledger wanted to get paid, he didn't want to be part of the massive blockbuster that "The Dark Knight" turned out to be. " was always hesitant to be in a summer blockbuster, with the dolls and action figures and everything else that comes with one of those movies," Alexander explained. "He was afraid it would define him and limit his choices."Again, the "limit his choices" quote I can believe, as Ledger was being groomed as a blockbuster star from day one with The Patriot and A Knight's Tale and it just wasn't working for him. He found his ability in smaller, more meaty character driven drama's with less pressure of making a big box office return. Ledger was never a blockbuster man. He was always more of an actor's actor, than a summer marquee man. But sabotaging the biggest role of his career for an easy pay day? That's clearly not how Heath Ledger crafted his career.