Michael Caine writes in his new memoir, “Don’t Look Back, You’ll Trip Over: My Guide to Life,” that he was actually “terrified” of Heath Ledger on the set of Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” (via NME). Caine played Alfred Pennyworth in Nolan’s Batman trilogy, with Ledger joining the second installment as the Joker.
“The smeared makeup, the weird hair, the strange voice. It was chilling,” Caine writes of his late co-star. “Absolutely floored me the first time I saw him in action – I was terrified.”
Ledger’s performance forced the rest of the cast to “raise our game,” Caine adds. Ledger’s turn as the Joker is regarded as one of the greatest villain performances in movie history. He posthumously won the Oscar for best supporting actor. Ledger died in January 2008 at 28 years old, a few months before the July theatrical release of “The Dark Knight.”
“Heath was only 28 when he passed away,” Caine writes. “I hadn’t even made ‘Zulu’ when I was that age. You think of what he might have gone on to achieve, it’s just heartbreaking”.
“We were all terribly shocked, and it made doing the publicity for ‘The Dark Knight’ that summer much more intense, because all the journalists wanted to talk about his death,” Caine adds. “It still makes me sad to think of it… [it’s] a performance for the ages. Even though his career was cut short so soon, he’ll be remembered as a great actor, I believe.”
Caine went on to reprise his role of Alfred in 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” The actor has frequently appeared in the films of Christopher Nolan, starting with “Batman Begins” and running through hits such as “The Prestige,” “Inception,” “Tenet” and “Interstellar.” Caine also makes a voice appearance in “Dunkirk.”
Caine’s memoir, “Don’t Look Back, You’ll Trip Over: My Guide to Life,” is now available for purchase.
