Related
The Patriotdirector Roland Emmerich has revealed detail about Heath Ledger ’s smoking drug abuse while shoot the film . Released in 2000,The Patriot ’s star - studded mold included role player like Mel Gibson , Jason Isaacs , Heath Ledger , and Adam Baldwin . It is further spot by being one of the few orotund - budget filmsabout the American Revolution . The blockbuster hit was nominated for several Academy Awards and also put up to elevating Ledger ’s career .
Ledger play Gabriel , the Word of Gibson ’s fictional character , who is dedicate to achieving independency from Great Britain . A majority of Ledger ’s scenes sport himacting opposite Gibsondue to the fact that their characters are not only related , but also serving as soldiers in the same whole . However , while the fight against the Redcoats was waging on camera , Ledger was press a personal battle offscreen .
Related : The Patriot True Story : What Really hap In Mel Gibson ’s Movie
Even at a untested age , the actor struggled with anxiety issues . unluckily , Ledger begin to smoke on set to help cope . It became such an topic that a manufacturer had to talk to him about it . Although he was tell that he postulate to discontinue , Ledger refused to comply . Emmerich , the film ’s manager , recently talk about the incident in an interview withYahoo ! amusement . While Emmerich did n’t explicitly state it , he implied that Ledger was smoking weed . Emmerich hark back :
“ He was so young … He was just still a child and he brought one or two of his friends to the set . And they were smoking a lot of stuff . So , at one point , Dean Devlin , my producer , had to [ interfere ] , and it did n’t work . So , we had Mel let the cat out of the bag to him about it and that worked … [Heath ] was super nervous about star opposite Mel Gibson , which [ was ] his all - meter favorite actor … That was just fantastically nerve - wracking . He want to calm his nerves . ”
The up - and - coming actor was only 20 years old while working onThe Patriot . Emmerich made the decision to hire Ledger , however , Gibson had advocated for another finalist to take the role . This fact and that Gibson was his favorite actor may have only magnify his vexation . as luck would have it , theBraveheartactorquickly number to terms that Ledger was the correct man for the occupation and was even entrusted to help curb the young star ’s on - set riding habit . That was apparently enough to block off Ledger ’s smoking on the moving picture ’s set .
Sadly , Ledger ’s life history was cut unretentive only eight years afterwards when he passed aside due to an inadvertent prescription drug overdose shortlyafter shootingThe Dark Knight . Several anti - anxiety practice of medicine were found mixed in his system when he died . Though Emmerich says Gibson managed to help Ledger on the solidifying ofThe Patriot , mental wellness issues are often life - longsighted struggles . The life history that seemingly make Ledger so much pain in the ass is now considered some of cinema ’s groovy acting .
Next : A Knight ’s Tale Director Reveals Heath Ledger Chose The Dance Scene Music
beginning : Yahoo ! Entertainment