Why Eric Roberts Was Told To Avoid Heath Ledger On The Dark Knight
When it comes to cinematic interpretations of the Joker, Heath Ledger's take reigns supreme. For his performance in "The Dark Knight," Ledger posthumously won a best supporting actor Oscar, cementing his status as one Hollywood's greatest performers. He reportedly locked himself away from others to prepare for his biggest role. Ledger also kept a disturbing Joker diary during the creative process. Because of the methods he used to get into character, his "Dark Knight" co-star Eric Roberts was told to avoid Ledger on set. "I had been told, 'Stay away from him ... he's into the character ... he's gone,'" the actor said the podcast "Still Here Hollywood."
In the billion-dollar grossing sequel, Roberts plays iconic Gotham crime boss Sal Maroni, who crosses paths with the Joker and Two-Face (Aaron Eckhart). While Roberts and Ledger's characters don't share much screen time, Batman fans were undoubtedly pleased with a sequel riddled with some of the Dark Knight's most competent and threatening villains.
Despite the reputation that Ledger allegedly had on-set, the Sal Maroni actor had no issues. Roberts even shared an anecdote about how during one of the Joker's monologues, Ledger broke character and asked the cast and crew for feedback. "He was just so charming, likable, so sweet ... all the stuff I had heard about him was not true," he added.
Heath Ledger's co-stars have nothing but nice things to say
It's no secret that playing the Joker changed Heath Ledger for good, but his acting style wasn't a burden on the production. Other "Dark Knight" cast members have positive things to say about the Oscar winner. While speaking with GQ in 2022, Batman actor Christian Bale gushed over Ledger and his rousing performance. "Heath Ledger, oh my God, what a performance. What a pleasure to have gotten to work with him, and just to see him and how much he put himself into the Joker," he said.
Bale was taken aback by Ledger's turn and remembered feeling as if his own performance wasn't up to par. "And so Batman, actually, he's very close to being a villain himself. So, let's never let him become dull by comparison, and unfortunately I was sitting there going, 'I feel a little bit dull by comparison because Heath is just killing this,'" he explained.
While the Joker has plenty of sinister moments in "The Dark Knight," Ledger is loved by all his co-stars. Gary Oldman, who plays James Gordon in the Dark Knight trilogy, had similarly pleasant things to say, describing him as a "great guy" in an interview (via TheCelebFactory). "... Hanging out with him between takes on the set ... I thought he was a sweet kid," he said.