10 things to love about Heath
PERTH, Australia — As I sit in front of the computer in Corey Wills’ home in Perth, Australia, I think about Heath Ledger’s family, who live just a few blocks away.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Corey, Heath’s best friend James Keet and his girlfriend Jacqui Hoang and I were sitting in front of a café in Claremont, chatting as we sipped chai latte and orange juice and munched on vegetarian pizza, watching people walk by. Two ladies walking by stopped and said hello to James. The two were enjoying mother-daughter bonding that afternoon and browsing through some shops for post-New Year’s sales. As they left, Jacqui turned to me and said: ”That’s Heath Ledger’s mom and sister.” I was pleasantly surprised by how down-to-earth they seemed, looking so un-Hollywood.
When news of Heath Ledger’s death hit Perth, I wondered why I felt so distraught. I obviously never met the actor, but James was so close to Heath that listening to stories about him made me feel that I knew a more intimate side of Heath, far from the stoic and uncongenial side that he sometimes displayed in television interviews.
James was in Bali, Indonesia when he heard the news and the following day, he took the next flight to Los Angeles to meet up with Heath’s family and friends and to attend the memorial service. As James waited in transit in Singapore, he poured his heart out and, via his Blackberry, told me more than a few things he remembers about his friend.
“I have known Heath for over 12 years, well before he was famous. We’ve had so many crazy experiences together that I don’t know where to start.”
James started off a little bit angry, understandably because he had just read an article in a Singaporean paper saying that Heath was a heroin addict. “I will confirm that this is total bullshit! I was with him last Christmas and the New Year and he was as clean as a whistle. He has never touched heroin. That story is nothing but lies.”
And then James began to reminisce. As I read through the stories and his thoughts about his friend, I felt moved by feelings of sadness, happiness and laughter.
1. James first met Heath through the friends of his ex-girlfriend at a party in Applecross, a suburb in Perth. Through the years, they grew closer, as they were both going through rough times after ending relationships with their respective girlfriends. “We cried on each other’s shoulders, and we just needed an escape,” says James. After the two went out to clubs, they would go surfing at night at the City Beach under the big floodlights at the fishing jetty.
2. Even before Heath gave his critically acclaimed performance in Brokeback Mountain, James remembers Heath being a great actor way before he shot to stardom. “One time, we were out the back of my house and dared each other to break roof tiles with our nonexistent karate chop skills. We were both hesitating, unsure of our ability to complete the challenge when my house phone started to ring. As I walked into the house, I heard a loud shout, ‘Hi-yaaaah!’ followed by a big crack. When I got off the phone and walked outside, Heath had a proud look on his face as I glanced at two pieces of a roof tile broken into half. Then he said, ‘Now it’s your turn.’ I was so amazed that he did it that it took me 30 minutes of psyching myself up to do the same thing. Satisfied with his performance, Heath finally said with a big grin, ‘Nah, mate. I broke it with my foot.’”
3. Heath enjoyed surfing, rollerblading, skateboarding, and even gave up professional racecar driving for his acting career. James remembers Heath being such a talented hockey player, “If he didn’t become an actor, he would’ve played hockey in the Olympics. He was that good. This guy was so talented. It’s so sad.”
4. “Man, Heath was really good with the ladies. A real chick magnet. He taught me a few tricks which never worked. He told me where to put my hands to get them interested in me, and he taught me a few pickup lines so I would end up with a slap on my face. He was a big-time joker. Always playing tricks on his friends just for a laugh.”
5. Heath focused on his ambition. In the mid-‘90s, Heath and James both headed to Sydney for a holiday, living on one-dollar slices of pizza in the rough side of town, King’s Cross. They were too young to rent a car, so they got fake IDs to hire a car so they could head to the beach. When it came time to return to Perth, Heath told James that he was going to stay to try his luck at acting. “I thought he was crazy at that time,” James recalled, “but I had faith in him that he would do well.”
6. Heath had good memory skills. He would ask James to come over to his house to read scripts to him so he could memorize his lines. “He soon gave up on me because I’m actually a little bit dyslexic, and I couldn’t read or act to save my life. He even memorized my lines and said these for me!”
7. Heath never forgot where he came from. When Heath exploded into stardom, he always remembered his family and friends. He was so generous that he even flew all his friends from Perth to attend his movie premiere in Los Angeles and walk the red carpet. “He never forgot for a minute where he came from. He was such a great friend that he would always offer to help me out when times were tough with my business,” James added.
8. Heath had great taste in fashion and art. He was always taking photographs and coming up with amazing shots. James testifies to Heath’s eye for art and décor: “He managed to make his home in Los Angeles look so cool, but still homey. He even had a yoga room.”
9) “Heath would not kill himself; it’s not like him. He was a strong man with a level head. Before he left Perth a few weeks ago, he was in good spirits and called to ask me if I wanted to go down to the beach for a swim but I couldn’t make it because I had just injured my knee and could barely walk. The night before he left, I went over to his house in Perth and had his mom’s famous spinach pie. Now I wish I had gone to the beach with him,” James said with regret.
10. Heath would always stand by a friend. This is not the first time James has lost someone dear to him. His dog, Plush, was his constant companion and when he passed on, Heath called James to make sure he was all right. “He and Plush had a lot of good times, too. He had a heart of gold. He would never leave you and would always stick up for you. At least now I know that Plush will look after him.”
James concludes his memoriam by telling me, “Raya, it really makes me sad thinking of the past. But I guess it is a way of getting it off my chest. I haven’t been sleeping since I received this news so I’m hoping that writing this will help.”
As the entertainment industry and fans mourn Heath, flowers, candles and letters continue to pile in front of the building of his Manhattan apartment, where the actor spent his final hours before meeting his unlikely death. One fan wrote, “Heath, how could anyone find 10 things to hate about you? We couldn’t find one bad thing.”
