Emile Hirsch recalls working with ‘Wild Man’ with heart of gold Heath Ledger on 'Lords of Dogtown'

Mumbai, November 14 (IANS): Actor Emile Hirsch has paid a heartfelt tribute to late actor Heath Ledger, recalling his larger-than-life personality, artistic approach to acting and the unforgettable memories they shared while filming ‘Lords of Dogtown’.

Describing Ledger as a fearless performer with a sensitive side and a hilarious sense of humour on Instagram, Hirsch remembered how the actor effortlessly made everyone around him feel special, adding that working with him was perhaps the most fun he had ever had on a film set.

Hirsch wrote in the caption section: “Heath Ledger was the man. There's just no other way to describe him- when us young actors playing the Z Boys met him- the awe was instantaneous. The dude had insane b***s- he wasn't afraid of anything it seemed- but also was this super sensitive artist with a hilarious sense of humor.”

“And when he talked about people, you could tell he really cared.”

He said Ledger was a great example of his character.

Hirsch recalled an incident: “One day our makeup woman tripped in the lunch tent and went down to the floor- before I could even blink, Heath was down on the ground, helping her up and making sure she was okay. During the shoot, one weekend Heath had a party- it was at his really dope house in Los Feliz.”  

He added: “We all went to what I'm sure for us was the coolest party we had been to in our lives- Heath as the wildman host- so much so that we missed skate practice the next morning. We showed up late, and we all had to pay the price as we got dragged by everyone. Heath just laughed afterwards.”

Hirsch went on to share more: “His trailer was always a party scene: he'd set up beach chairs and like tiki torches and a cooler and speakers blasting music- not exactly a tortured method actor like people would later try and peg him as.”

“Heath had a very artistic- almost scientific- way of looking at acting, it seemed to me- I remember reading him saying how acting was like playing with a boombox- you're just adjusting the dials until you get the music you like. He'd not be afraid to watch playback, analyzing what he was doing in real time and making adjustments to it.”

“Some of our rehearsals included: us just going to Venice Beach and Surfing and then skating in the parking lot. Oh yeah, and chilling and blasting music. And eating burgers. Yeah, that was probably the most fun movie to make- maybe ever? To Heath- we miss you Mate!”