| Lines like this break the heart of any man who has ever dreamed of roller-skating nude with Rollergirl. But Ledger, who is unfazed about describing screen testing with Schwarzenegger as like "getting a rock to give", takes it all in his stride. What's more, he does it not as "The New Mel Gibson" or "The Next Russell Crowe" but as Heath Ledger. "I don't get the same kick out of acting as I do, say, racing cars," he says. "I care about learning my craft and furthering it, but I don't give a damn whether a film makes money. I like to go into a project with fear. That's why actors are a strange breed. I never look back in regret, but if I didn't act I'm one of those guys who probably wouldn't do anything." Draining his glass, Ledger leans in close, knowing it's his last line before he exits and knowing that a real star leaves an audience with a riddle before he goes "shaking his booty" in a disco downtown. "I don't particularly want to win an Oscar," he says. "I'd rather be sitting on a beach. All I want is to keep it open, keep surprising people and keep those who think they know me on their toes. I don't aspire to be anyone or do anything. I found that out when I almost drowned. It opened--and sobered--me right up. Nowadays, I just want to wake up each day. That's enough." |
| Elle continued... |