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When The Dark Knight was released last summer, critics and audiences were overwhelming in their praise for what would become the second-highest grossing film in history.  The film had its detractors, of course, as all films do, but even the nay sayers seemed to align themselves with the proponents when it came to one thing: Heath Ledger.  The Aussie's performance of The Joker was universally lauded and earned him a posthumous BAFTA, Golden Globe and Oscar among many other awards.  It would be surprising then to hear that Ledger tried to get fired from the blockbuster, but that's exactly what Vanity Fair has supposedly revealed.

The Vanity Fair piece, entitled "The Last of Heath," was written by contributing editor Peter Biskind, perhaps best known by film fans as the writer of the books "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls" and "Down and Dirty Pictures."  Extracted from interviews with Ledger's vocal coach, Gerry Grennell, Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus cinematographer Nicola Pecorini, director Terry Gilliam and others, the article casts Ledger as a tragic figure - a naturally private person who struggled with insomnia, pneumonia, the stress of a failing relationship and apathy towards becoming "a matinee idol," yet someone who found joy and escape in his extensively exhausting work. 

In regards to Ledger trying to get out of the role that would punctuate his too short career, his friend and agent Steven Alexander tells Biskind, "Ledger had a pay-or-play deal on The Dark Knight—meaning he’d get compensated no matter what—so he felt he had the freedom to do whatever he wanted as the Joker. According to Pecorini, Ledger hoped his performance would be so far-out he’d be fired, and thus become the beneficiary of a lengthy, paid vacation."  Everyone knew how physically worn Ledger was near the end, but hearing a piece of information like this is eye-opening to the extent the actor was willing to go to escape the things that were afflicting him.

To read the rest of the piece, visit Vanity Fair.