George Miller, the director of Mad Max: Fury Road, has revealed that the late Heath Ledger was set to play the eponymous role in this year’s dystopian blockbuster…
Speaking to the Daily Beast, the filmmaker revealed that he and Ledger spoke on various occasions about a possible Mad Max reboot.
“Every time Heath would come through Sydney, he’d call in and we’d chat about Max,” explained Miller.
“He had that same thing that Mel and Tom Hardy have – that maleness, charisma, and restless energy, which you need to play a relatively still character.”
Ledger is immortalised by his magnetic performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight, as well as gripping performances in the likes of Brokeback Mountain and I’m Not There.
The actor tragically died in 2008 at the tender age of only 28. Miller reveals that his passing ultimately led to Tom Hardy taking up challenge of portraying Max in the film.
“The world lost someone great when [Ledger] went. Tom was the next to walk through the door that had that vibe,” revealed Miller.
Sadly, we will never know what Ledger could have brought to this and other roles.
