While Accepting Golden Globe, Christopher Nolan Remembers Heath Ledger

When Christopher Nolan won Best Director at the Golden Globes for the historical drama Oppenheimer, he chose to focus on the only other time he had been on that stage and the actor central to it.

Heath Ledger.

Nolan has been nominated for a Golden Globe seven times. But his last time accepting an award was different.

And it wasn’t for him.

The Messenger reports, “As he picked up his award he said that the only time he had been on the stage was in early 2009, to accept on behalf of Heath Ledger for his work as The Joker in the superhero pic The Dark Knight. Ledger, of course, died in 2008 at the age of 28 before The Dark Knight was released.”

The story added, “He called that night ‘complicated and challenging for me,’ then added that in the middle of speaking he caught the eye of Robert Downey Jr., who gave him ‘a look of love and support, the same look he’s giving me now.”

Despite his role as The Joker becoming legendary, there were skeptics.

As Screen Rant noted, “Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight introduced a new version of the Joker, played by Heath Ledger, who ended up becoming one of the best versions of the character to date…”

Some Were Not Sure About Ledger Playing The Joker

“Given the popularity of the character and its previous portrayal by Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton’s Batman, whoever was cast as the new Clown Prince of Crime in The Dark Knight was going to be criticized,” the story continued. “Fans and industry professionals were skeptical about Ledger, who was known as a teen icon and a dramatic actor, playing a character like the Joker, and he was even deemed ‘inappropriate’ by many.”

It added, “Ledger surely delivered an unexpected and darker version of the Joker that challenged the image that the audience and the media had of him, and all the non-believers ended up praising his incredible performance.”

He certainly did deliver.

And what a wonderful moment from Christopher Nolan in remembering the brilliant actor.