Heath Ledger

Happy birthday, Heath. ☀️ 42!!

You’re infinite as the universe you held inside.

For some reason, nobody made a decision about giving us access to Heath Ledger right up until the moment I entered the hotel to interview him with Chris, the writer. He was a star and his film had lots of buzz so there were two levels of publicists involved in handling him and one of them - the Canadian one, and apparently the more junior of the two - seemed to have no problem with us getting a few frames after the interview.

As ever, I searched for the "Anton corner" - that space where the window light flattens out and turns warm and flattering, and upped the ISO in my Canon to get sufficient sharpness.

I introduced myself to Ledger, who was polite and happy to simply stand in the corner I'd chosen and take my minimal direction. Aware that I was probably sneaking frames, I tried to work fast. 

These are all of the frames I shot of Heath Ledger, from the moment I raised my camera and focused...

...to when the other - apparently more senior - publicist burst into the hotel room and told us to stop.

Ledger watched while she wagged her finger and made angry noises, then looked at me and shrugged. This was the price of stardom, it was implied, and he'd have to get used to it. I thanked him, we shook hands, and he followed the angry publicist out of the room. Three years later he'd be dead.

Heath Ledger for Movieline magazine.

The Motel session (Los Angeles, CA), April 2001.

Some unseen pictures posted by the photographer Ben Watts.

📍: 5th and Sunset LA Studios