This year marks the 10th anniversary of The Dark Knight and, sadly, of star Heath Ledger's passing. The actor's official cause of death was a fatal mix of prescription drugs, leading many to jump to conclusions that playing the character of the Joker took a devastating emotional toll on Ledger. According to co-star Michael Jai White, this image of the performer couldn't be further from the truth.
"It has always upset me that he was put in this category of being a drug-addled, irresponsible type of actor. That gets me aggravated," White shared with The Hollywood Reporter.
Ledger earned a posthumous Oscar for his role, confirming his immense talent. Playing such an emotionally tormented character could heavily impact any performer's personal life, though White detailed how positive Ledger was in between takes.
"It upsets me that Heath gets put in a category, like he was a method actor who inhabited this darkness that consumed him because people write that story in their head," White confessed. "And that couldn't have been further from the truth. Heath was playful. When the director would say 'cut,' he would go back to this easygoing, very affable type of guy. Even when there was a day player or people in shorter roles, naturally they tend to give him his privacy and space, but Heath would be on the one initiating the conversation. He was that type of guy."
