Episode #170 | 04.16.24 | SOURCES

Heath Ledger: Cowboys, Junkies, and Maniacal Clowns

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In this episode

Heath Ledger’s preparation for and disappearance into his movie roles is legendary, and it’s what helped him play repressed cowboys, junkies, and maniacal clowns equally well. His research led him to junkies who taught him how to properly shoot up using a stolen prosthetic arm and fake blood, and to a personal diary full of cut-and-paste madness. The paparazzi, however, mocked Heath’s method, and took their very public quarrel with him to duplicitous lengths when he was baited with drugs at a notorious Hollywood hotel.

*illustration by Avi Spivak @avispivak

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