The Best Director

Chapter 268: Yang & Heath Ledger

“You don’t understand, you don’t get it! This is an incredible opportunity, there’s nothing better…”

In the chic hotel suite, Heath Ledger paced the living room excitedly, incessantly insisting he had to play in “Firefly.” Watching Heath, who was almost dancing with excitement, his and his sister Kate Ledger’s shared agent, Steve Kenley, sighed to himself. Wasn’t the role of the male lead in “Spider-Man” also a great opportunity? He gave it up because he lacked confidence and was adamant that it was “not suitable,” that “Spider-Man is like a bottle of cola, but the taste of cola really isn’t anything special.”

Now Wang Yang had suddenly stuffed two roles his way, throwing him into a tizzy! Steve, sitting on the sofa, shook his head slightly. In 1998 they had considered the male lead in “High School Musical,” but Wang Yang had eliminated them without an audition. However, Heath still co-starred with Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon Levitt in the high school comedy “10 Things I Hate About You,” emerging as a rising star in Hollywood.

“The Patriot” and “Knight Warriors” further propelled Heath to new heartthrob status, with a promising future ahead; but having turned down an opportunity like “Spider-Man,” then following up with the war movie “Four Feathers” in 2002 and two new films “Kelly Gang” and “The Sin Eater” in this year, all performing unremarkably, his career seemed to be heading towards a low point.

The upcoming round of new movies was crucial, a decisive battle to either bounce back to the peak or fall into the abyss. Heath himself had chosen the roles in “Brokeback Mountain” and “Firefly” that Wang Yang handed him.

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Play a gay cowboy? Not only was Jake Gyllenhaal ridiculed, the media also listed Heath Ledger as “foolish,” seeming to imply that any association with “Brokeback Mountain” meant bad luck. “Brokeback Mountain” was in fact a good decision to challenge acting in an artsy film; and “Firefly,” with Wang Yang directing a big-budget sci-fi movie, was naturally a rare opportunity as well.

But for the “blue gloves,” Steve felt that it might need deliberation; it was like a brainwashed lunatic by a cult or an abnormal thinker… not a lunatic, yet not quite sane either. Mainly, Brad Pitt had refused the part, which somewhat influenced his judgment. The success of “Firefly” didn’t ensure the success of the blue gloves, nor did it guarantee the actor’s success. An actor needed to find their own path. There were still “The Mayor of Casterbridge” and “Casanova” to consider…

“I’ve had enough of those meaningless roles, had enough of auditioning over and over again.” Heath had stopped pacing, looking at Steve with an excited expression, saying, “I should have played in ‘High School Musical,’ not ’10 Things I Hate About You.’ I should have worked with Wang Yang a long time ago! That possibility wasn’t even there! But this time, I want to play in this movie, this character, oh God, it’s driving me crazy…”

He paced back and forth again, covering the sides of his head with his hands, muttering, “What is he thinking? No, no, I can’t think too much, I have to finish ‘Brokeback Mountain’ first, but I can’t wait to try the blue gloves… No, wrong, wrong, I can’t wonder what the blue gloves really mean, I have to accept, I have to analyze why, I have to analyze why…”

“It looks like you’ve made up your mind.” Watching Heath falling into a frenzy, Steve Kenley spread his hands, offering no persuasion. He couldn’t feel that because Brad Pitt had refused Wang Yang, “Pokémon” and “Firefly” were done for, he really was a bit intimidated by that “first refusal.”

Heath Ledger muttered to himself for a while before he snapped back to reality with an “Oh,” his tone determined, “Yes! I can’t miss this role no matter what! But Wang Yang didn’t say it was definitely me, he has to consider it too.” He raked his fingers through his hair, thinking about today’s audition and what Wang Yang had said, suddenly flashing a dimpled smile, “I feel like it’s me! Yes! But first, I have to play Ennis well, Ennis, Ennis…”

“I’m leaving, don’t think too late into the night,” Steve stood up and walked to the door before leaving, only then did he hear Heath Ledger say leisurely, “Bye!” Steve shrugged, opened the door, and left, “Bye.”

“I’m going to dismantle this role, break it down into every detail…” Heath Ledger stood and thought for a while, then suddenly snapped his fingers, sat down excitedly on the couch, brushed the miscellaneous items off the coffee table, picked up a pencil, and started writing on the paper. The suite became silent at once, filled only with the sound of writing and the occasional barely audible muttering. The white paper was being filled with detailed dismantling and analysis, bit by bit.

Heath Ledger’s feeling was not wrong; Wang Yang was very satisfied with his audition, even questioning, “Why did they consider Brad Pitt first?” It seemed that indeed the influence of movies like “Interview with the Vampire” had shaped some fan mentality. Now, Heath Ledger was unquestionably adept in terms of comprehension, acting skills, and physical presence; his performance in “The Dark Knight” further proved his explosive ability, and he definitely had more to offer than just the audition.

Wang Yang thought Heath Ledger must belong to the method acting school, probably approaching the role of “Joker” by pushing himself toward a split personality, much like Natalie did for “Juno,” to achieve that kind of explosive power. Of course, this could mean getting too deep into character, struggling to break free, which was a scary thought. What if he couldn’t snap out of character, leading to a drastic change in temperament… With this in mind, Wang Yang wondered if Jessica’s difficulty in getting away from who she was meant that ignorance was bliss?

“What’s up?” Jessica, who was combing her hair at the vanity, noticed his gaze and flashed an intrigued smile, “Do you have an issue with my hair?”

“No, I love it,” Wang Yang couldn’t help laughing as he half-lay on the bed, watching her comb her brown hair, while reminiscing about today’s audition. Not bad! Really not bad… Meanwhile, Jessica played with the strands of hair on her forehead, her eyes straining upwards, she asked, “Yang, do you think I would look good with some red highlights? I’m not talking about the wedding, but for promoting ‘The Devil Wears Prada’…”

With a slap on the bed, Wang Yang made a decision out of the blue, “It’s Heath Ledger! We should’ve hired him for a movie long ago.”

Under the cloak of romance, the negotiations proceeded exceptionally smoothly, quickly reaching a preliminary agreement for collaboration. This once again proved the famed speed of “Miracle Yang,” who again demonstrated his swiftness and “I’m not short of actors” approach. In less than two or three days after being rejected by Brad Pitt, “Firefly” announced to the media and the public that they had found their “Blue Glove,” the second actor to join the cast: 24-year-old Heath Ledger. (