‘Heath was spectacular’
By Bayani San Diego Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Posted date: March 26, 2008
MANILA, Philippines—No question about it, Heath Ledger was “hot.”
This is according to recent Manila visitor Crystal Bourbeau, a manager at Mandate International—a company of Lions Gate, which is behind Ledger’s last film.
Bourbeau is among the few who have seen footage of the late actor’s performance in “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.”
“Heath was spectacular,” said Bourbeau. “He had always been a wonderful actor, but especially so in this film. It would be a tragedy not to share this movie with the world.”
Ledger had been working on the flick in London when he passed away suddenly in his New York apartment in January.
Production was thrown into a quandary. “The film is split between reality and fantasy. Fortunately, Heath had finished all the reality scenes,” Bourbeau said. The creative team, led by director Terry Gilliam and producer Samuel Hadida, invited A-listers Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law to play “transformed” versions of Heath in the fantasy worlds.
“They jumped on board quickly,” Bourbeau said. As luck would have it, all three proved available for the shoot in Canada, which began this month.
“They are absolutely doing it for the love of Heath,” said Bourbeau.
“Thrilling,” she described the movie. “It reminded me of [Gilliam’s] ‘The Adventures of Baron Munchausen’ with its fabulous sets and costumes.”