Prior to the heartbreaking passing of Heath Ledger in 2008, he emerged as an initial contender for a prominent role in George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road. From an excerpt taken from Kyle Buchanan’s Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road, George Miller and the production and casting team members engaged in a conversation about the intricate casting process behind the 6-time Oscar-winning film.
As various names were floated, the mere mention of these contenders triggers imaginative reinterpretations of the existing Mad Max characters, propelling our thoughts into an arena of spectacular and audacious possibilities.
Heath Ledger Could’ve Been Mad Max
One of the prominently discussed actors was the front-runner, Heath Ledger. Miller revealed engaging in frequent conversations with Ledger about the role before his untimely and tragic demise. Beyond Ledger, a myriad of captivating options were considered, although ultimately not realized, for both the characters of Max and Furiosa (portrayed by Charlize Theron).
According to George Miller, Heath Ledger was the primary individual on his radar. Whenever Ledger visited Sydney, they engaged in discussions, ranging from general topics to eventually delving into Mad Max. Tragically, Ledger’s untimely passing occurred, a loss Miller lamented not only for the Mad Max project but primarily due to the remarkable person that Ledger was. He emphasized Ledger’s exceptional humility and profound curiosity.
“The person who was foremost in my mind was Heath. Every time he’d come through Sydney, he’d pop in and we’d talk generally about things and then we started to talk about Mad Max. We lost him, which was such a pity — not for Mad Max but because he was an exceptional person. He had a very powerful sense of inquiry and was amazingly humble.”
The role eventually went to Tom Hardy, who also gave a captivating performance. He shared the screen with Charlize Theron, who played Furiosa.
Heath Ledger Had A Fallout With Mel Gibson
Despite Mel Gibson’s subsequent notoriety as one of the most polarizing figures, he once held a reputation as a highly esteemed actor. This was particularly evident in his collaboration on the 2002 war/action film The Patriot, in which he shared the screen with the late Heath Ledger. In the film, Gibson assumed the role of Ledger’s father, while the The Dark Knight actor portrayed his eldest son. This dynamic forged a mentor-mentee bond between the two, with the actor behind the iconic portrayal of the Joker harboring deep respect for the seasoned veteran.
Nonetheless, their camaraderie took an abrupt halt when Ledger opted to take on the role of a queer character alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in the highly controversial film Brokeback Mountain, instead of partnering with Gibson. This choice stemmed from Gibson’s belief that the movie could potentially cast a detrimental shadow over Ledger’s burgeoning career. In fact, the Braveheart star even directed harsh words toward the LGBTQ community, inadvertently shaming the late actor for his involvement in the Oscar-winning film.
Mad Max: Fury Road is available for rent or purchase on Google Play.
Source: The Brag
