4. Heath Ledger - The Joker
Heath Ledger was a diverse actor, often choosing roles that defied convention and obvious blockbuster success. He featured in the excellent, yet frothy, Ten Things I Hate About You and immediately changed tack - and gears - to play alongside Mel Gibson in the
lets-bash-the-English film The Patriot. From there he jumped back into the teen-girl zone with the atrocious A Knights Tale before doing another 180 and taking a role as a bullied son who blows his brains out in the Halle Berry led heavy drama, Monsters Ball. So really no one should have doubted him when he was cast as The Joker in The Dark Knight. Yet the naysayers and doom mongers were not to be denied (as they had the collective brain power of a dead sheep) and so dusted off their
Michael Keaton is not Batman placards (which had been Tip-Exed out and replaced with
Daniel Craig is not Bond) and took to the streets en masse to protest that such a coveted and iconic role - personified by Jack Nicholson - could be given to the poodle-haired Australian. What were Hollywood producers, directors, executives and casting agents thinking? They only
work in the industry for a living - not like these outraged fans who group together to suck the life out of all thats good in the world. Usually over a super-sized milkshake at their favoured internet café. And how did Ledger react to such criticism from the hordes who still lived with their parents and read comics all day? Oh, nothing much. Apart from turning in a stellar performance and making the role his own. The image of his lipstick smeared character was iconic even before he sadly passed away - such was the power of his performance. And did the pitchfork wielding villagers finally learn their lesson and learn to trust the Hollywood insiders who make films for a living? Finally? Of course not. They didnt even hold their hands up. Instead theyre doing the rounds for Tom Cruises casting as Jack Reacher in One Shot. Thats right - the same Tom Cruise who already proved the cretins wrong with Interview With The Vampire.
Ah, theyll say,
but this is different. No, it isnt. Now hurry up, your super-sized milkshake is melting.