Heath Ledger once named his favourite movie of all time
Whilst the passing of Heath Ledger was a tragic loss that came much too soon, the Australian actor was able to achieve an incredible body of work in such a short career. In his ten years of appearing on screen, his talents saw him working with acclaimed directors like Christopher Nolan, Todd Haynes and Ang Lee.
From lighthearted swashbuckling comedies to arthouse biopics, Ledger’s diverse acting catalogue earned him an Academy Award nomination at age 26 for his performance in Brokeback Mountain and a ‘Best Supporting Actor’ win in 2009 for his iconic role as the Joker in The Dark Knight, which sadly had to be awarded posthumously.
Originally hailing from Perth, Ledger starred in several independent Australian films before moving to the US in the late 1990s to pursue his acting career further. Not long after, he secured the supporting lead in Gil Junger’s 1999 teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You, which then saw him go from strength to strength.
Despite maintaining a prolific rate of work in his short-lived career, it would appear that the actor’s passion for cinema wasn’t cultivated at home, with Ledger explaining how there were very few films that his parents allowed him to watch. However, one of the films that made the cut had such a profound impact on the Dark Knight actor that he regarded it as his favourite film of all time.
Speaking with Cindy Pearlman for her 2007 book You Gotta See This: More Than 100 of Hollywood’s Best Reveal and Discuss Their Favourite Films, Ledger cited an all-time classic as his top movie. “I have to say The Wizard of Oz,” the actor stated. “I saw it about ten times when I was little.”
Victor Fleming’s film, released in 1939, followed the fantastical adventures of Dorothy after being whisked away by a tornado to the magical land of Oz. So deep was the impression that The Wizard of Oz made on audiences, quotes like “We’re not in Kansas anymore” and songs such as ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ are famous across the globe, and it’s recorded as the most watched film of all time by The Library of Congress.
“It was the only film my parents allowed me to see as a kid,” the actor said. Ultimately, The Wizard of Oz was his definitive piece of cinema that epitomized for Ledger what extraordinary power the medium offered: “I just love the magic of it.”
Several years after his passing, a prequel was made entitled Oz the Great and Powerful, directed by Sam Raimi and starring James Franco as the titular wizard. Whilst Ledger didn’t live to take part in the franchise he held so dear to his heart, with Raimi’s film coming out in 2013, Ledger’s last ever performance saw him dabble with the magical, starring in Terry Gilliam’s 2009 fantasy, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.
As for the land of Oz itself, after several discussions about potential reboots or sequels, it was confirmed last year in August that Kenya Barris, writer for the recent version of White Men Can’t Jump and director of this year’s You People (starring Jonah Hill), would be helming a modern reimagining of The Wizard of Oz for Warner Bros.