Sizzling hot young
actor Heath Ledger (The Patriot) stars in A Knight's Tale, an
innovative medieval actioner, which opened in the U.S. in May. The busy actor has
already finished the anticipated Shekhar Kapur remake of the 1939 film The
Four Feathers co-starring Kate Hudson and he's ready for some down time.
We spoke with him about his new film, leading lady,
acting technique and dating another celebrity (actress Heather Graham).



You play a squire posing as a knight. The jousting scenes were impressive.
Was any of that you?



Yeah, some of it. They wouldn't let me hit people or get hit but anything up
to that point (of the actual blow) yeah. There's a technique to using the lances
properly and the ones we had were made of (light) balsa wood. We trained for
about three weeks charging at a dummy with a little stick. One poor stunt guy
was hit in the head twice with a lance and had 15 stitches. His jaw was just
taken back here (indicates side of his face).



When you were first offered the script did you know it was going to have
this modern music? (Note: the film's soundtrack isn't the usual symphonic score.
Modern rock classics are a big part of the action).



Yeah, it was written. It was on script; all the songs. It's really smart what
he (Director /writer Brian Helgeland) did with the music. By not using a historically
correct score, he broke down the barriers and gave us (actors) a broader playground.




Any of your favorite classics in there?



Yeah, there's a couple. "Golden Years" by Bowie I think is very good.



You and the squires on the road…kind of like a crazy road trip movie. Was
there any ad-libbing going on there?



Oh, yeah. Whenever the camera was rolling Mark Addy ("The Full Monty") and Alan
Tudyk would put on an extra 15 thousand feet of film.



What is your acting technique?



Don't have one. At the end of the day it all comes down to instinct and my instincts
are the one thing that guide me through every decision professionally, socially
also. You read through the script a hundred times. It's imprinted in my head
during rehearsal. There's a point where you just let it go.



How was working with Brian Helgeland (director)?



Wonderful. He's a lovely man. Absolute pleasure. He wanted to share his vision;
tell his story. There was mutual respect. He got us out there (Prague) three
weeks before to rehearse and we just drank for three weeks. He cast a group
of people he knew were going to click together as friends. Our job was to translate
that friendship onto screen. I think you feel that.



How did you feel when they said, Okay the girl who plays Jocelyn has never
acted before? (Note: "A Knight's Tale is Heath's leading lady Shannyn Sossamon's
first film).



Shannyn has a natural talent. She hadn't been taught anything and technically
there were a lot of things she didn't understand. I helped her and she helped
me performance-wise. She was giving back. Not one-sided. That's very important,
whatever (kind of film) you're doing.



This film is about changing your stars, your destiny and your life is changing
quickly as well.



Yeah, I guess so. I have gone out there and reached for the stars like William
(his character in the film) did, I guess. You find parallels (to your own life)
in every job you do. You have to. In order to portray something you have to
do it with some element of truth and honesty.

Is there some
fear that this sudden fame could end as fast as it began?



No. It's not a fear. There is a thought that that could happen and, you know
what? There's an end to everything. In my point of view, fine, I got in there,
I had a sniff and I got out. That would be absolutely fine with me.

What would you do?



Live and take photos. I take a lot of photos.



Are you up now for some really modern comedy?



Yeah. Jeans and a car! I'm not doing anything now. I'm going to sit around and
do nothing for six months if I can. (After three films in a row!)



When you're not working, what do you do, catch up, wash your clothes…what?




Yeah (laughs), wash clothes, exactly what I want to do! Your first couple of
days back in your home and you're standing in the kitchen shivering, starving
and the kitchen's full of food. Or you're standing next to the washing machine
on the phone to your mom complaining that the clothes won't just jump into the
machine and fold themselves onto your bed. You can't do anything for yourself
for three days. I'm looking forward to doing all those things again and taking
photos and outdoor activities and stuff, sports.

If
you were dating a girl who worked in a fast food restaurant it would have attracted
a lot less attention (than dating actress Heather Graham). Does it blow you
away that everybody wants a piece of that part of your life?



Yeah, but that's the way the media works. To them, it's a story. I don't let
it bother me. You have to find the comedy in it. You have to. Why let them get
to you?

Lynn Barker

Ms. Barker is an MPAA-accredited film critic and entertainment writer based
in Hollywood.