“We are all very lucky we were able to make movies with an actor of that caliber.”
Seventeen years on,Ang Leeis still amazed by the quiet genius ofHeath Ledger.
So Heath’s aura powers the whole story," Lee toldEmpire.
Heath Ledger and Ang Lee on the set of ‘Brokeback Mountain.'.Kimberly French/Focus Features
“He did a lot of preparation, mostly on his own.
And he often surprised me with what he brought to his work.”
“Ennis is alone, eating a slice of apple pie.
Heath Ledger as Ennis Del Mar and Jake Gyllenhaal as Jack Twist in ‘Brokeback Mountain.'.Kimberly French/Focus
But she doesn’t get a word from him.
Throughout the whole scene, Heath does nothing: he just eats the apple pie.
We are all very lucky we were able to make movies with an actor of that caliber.
He had a God-given gift.”
“In his heart, I think Heath knew the character of Ennis deeply,” Lee continued.
“On a technical level, he took direction very well, but worked alone.
He’s not someone you really needed to talk to a lot, because he was very independent.
For me, if the result is right, then I’m happy.
If it’s not, I could tell him, and he would work something else out.”
“When it came to Jake, Heath had a very different attitude towards their work.
Sometimes there was friction not quarreling, but a clash of styles,” he explained.
“Sometimes I would mediate that, but they were both good in different ways.
They would always make the effort to find a way through.”
“He was a natural,” he said.
“He was so good with animals, too.
When he sat on that horse, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind.
He was a cowboy.”
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