The trailer for I Am Heath Ledger has hit online and the consensus seems to be that the heartbreak is strong with this one. While there’s little doubt about what led to Ledger’s demise and his family’s feelings about it, the trailer does highlight just the type of actor we lost almost ten years ago.
The documentary comes from Spike and is the latest to examine a figure we’ve lost too soon. They’ve covered the life of JFK Jr. and Chris Farley in past years, with the latter being hard to watch at times. Each is highlighted by interviews with those closest to the subject and this one seems no different, featuring fellow Aussie actor Ben Mendelsohn, director Ang Lee, and his sister Kate.
Ledger’s tragic death shocked many in 2008, right before his career-defining role as The Joker from The Dark Knight cackled into theaters — a role he’d end up posthumously winning a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the following year. Ledger’s father blamed the actor’s career for his abuse of prescription meds, popping the medications in order to keep going and live up to demands.
The documentary is set to premiere on Spike May 17th but will see a world premiere at Tribeca on April 2nd and a limited theatrical run on May 3rd. It’s definitely going to be a tough one to watch for some folks, but also a good way to remember the good moments from his career.
(Via Spike)
