βI have a strange story to tell you about Heath,β says Purefoy. It goes like this: A Knightβs Tale was filmed at Barrandov Studios in Prague. Here, Purefoy first met Ledger to shoot the scene in which the Black Prince rescues William from the stocks. βHe may appear to be of humble origins, but my personal historians have discovered that he is descendent from an ancient royal lineβ¦β Great scene, especially enjoyable for how Purefoy sells the line: βThis is my word, and as such is beyond con-tes-tation.β
Several years later and Purefoy is back at Barrandov Studios, being crucified for the Jacobean fantasy Solomon Kane. βItβs chucking down with rain, and then weβre going to use rain machines on top of that. Iβm up there on the cross. And a bloke comes up.β He smiles, murmurs, βHeath would appreciate thisββ, and continues.
βA bloke comes up on a cherry picker to bang the nails between my fingers. Heβs there in his high-vis jacket, and he goes, [Purefoy slips into a Czech accent]: βHave you heard the news today? Heath Ledger died.β
βI met Heath on the backlot of Barrandov, and then I heard that he died within ten paces of where I first met him. The coincidence is bizarreβ¦β For a moment, I sense Purefoy has slipped back in time to be with the man on the cherry picker, with Heath. βBut yeah, lovely man. A lovely, lovely man. And a terrible, terrible loss.β
The film turns 20 this year β any plans to commemorate the anniversary? Table reads are very popular at the moment. βThey are, arenβt they? Iβd be very happy to do that. I think the difficulty, obviously, is with Heath dying β the main event, if you like, is not there. It would take a brave person to step in.β
https://squaremile.com/culture/james-purefoy-actor-interview/
