Heath Ledger is certain to win viewers' hearts and critics' praise as Mel Gibson's ready-for-a-Revolution son in The Patriot — he's certainly already won the fickle heart of Hollywood. The fair-haired actor (whose full name is the ever-so-romantic Heathcliffe) is the hottest thing to come out of Australia since Russell Crowe — and he has the film offers to prove it. Declining to star as Spider-Man, he'll take over for Jude Law in Four Feathers after he finishes the slapstick comedy The Knight's Tale, which he's currently filming in the Czech city of Prague. After making a well-received American film debut last year in 10 Things I Hate About You, Ledger nabbed the coveted role of Patriot's Gabriel Martin, who, according to Gibson, is the character who's really at the center of this historical epic.

Like a Real Father and Son

Ledger admits it was intimidating to step up to the plate in a film with Australia's biggest success story. "[I was] extremely nervous," says the 21-year-old actor. "I was literally shaking in my boots. After all, he was the one who bridged the gap between the two industries [Australia and Hollywood] for us and showed it was possible." Dean Devlin, Patriot's producer, comments, "Heath had a reverence for Mel almost like a father and son, and the first day, he was a nervous wreck and went home depressed. The next day they were boxing and he was fine; anything Mel threw at him he threw back."

Learning From Mel

Ledger says he learned much from Gibson. "I learned a lot socially and professionally about the industry and the way he tackles it. I learned about relaxing on set, and not over-preparing and not over-thinking throughout the day. In terms of concentration and keeping your head clear and fresh. And keeping your performance fresh. He's laughing and joking until 'Action!' And then he's right there. And he's such a gentleman — and that surprised me. I know everyone in his position is not as friendly as he is, a blockbuster [star] and levelheaded."

What seems so natural — the way both Gibson's and Ledger's accents match — was simply coincidental. "We weren't looking for another Australian," said Devlin. "I first saw [the 1997 TV series] Roar where Heath plays a Mel Gibson-like character and couldn't [help] but think he captured Mel there. He has this quality where he feels like a man, even though he's a boy."

Ledger was 17 when he made Roar, which was shot in Australia. It was the role that got him an agent, who sent the lad to Los Angeles. But his career actually began when he was 10, in his hometown of Perth on Australia's western coast. His parents, now divorced, were hardly showbiz types. "My dad's in the engineering industry, he designed a crusher for the iron mines and my mum works in a day job," says Ledger. The young actor stayed in Perth until he was 16 and then skedaddled off to Sydney.

Sudden Stardom 'A Little Sad'

Ledger doesn't seem thrilled about his burgeoning celebrity. "It doesn't frighten me, but it's a little sad, the death of something. Your personal life becomes exposed and people want to know a little too much and you've got to give a little but hold on to something."

His next film, Four Feathers, is a 19th-century Rudyard Kipling-esque tale of cowardice, self-sacrifice, and redemption that the British love. It's been filmed at least four times, most notably in 1939. "It's an incredible script, a poem, really beautiful. The first time I read it," Ledger says, "I knew this character and knew I could play him. It's funny, people will bring scripts to you, even your agents, and [will say,] 'You'll be great for this!' and you can be silly and say, 'You think? Oh yeah, yeah.' And you get lost in a trap. You have to realize you can't play everything. You've got to be smart. The way I look at choosing a role is, if I was to direct it, would I choose myself? A lot of times I look at the movie and the whole thing and I wouldn't cast myself in that. Even if it had a really good script."

After Four Feathers, the newly minted celeb says, "I'm prepared to do nothing for a year." Not if his agent has a say in it, we'll bet.

- Stephen Schaefer

June 27, 2000

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