'Heath Ledger Knocked My Tooth Out Jousting With A Broom': How We Made A Knight's Tale

Brian Helgelandauthor, director

I wrote and directed the Mel Gibson movie Payback however got fired during post-production. It was my first movie as director and I believed my profession was over. It was throughout this downtime that I wrote A Knight’s Tale. I beloved the concept that jousting tournaments have been medieval sports activities, however I had by no means figured out what to do with it. I believed in regards to the concepts underpinning it: a peasant who desires to be a noble was like a screenwriter eager to be a director. It’s a man making an attempt to be one thing he has no proper to be.

The studio had a shortlist of actors for William/Sir Ulrich, on the prime of which was Paul Walker. I met him however he appeared too modern, like a man who ought to be driving race vehicles – which he did so nicely in The Fast and the Furious. I simply thought: “You’re not going to pull this off.” Heath Ledger was a rising star on the time. I met him at a restaurant in LAX airport and he had this lengthy leather-based case with him. “What’s in the case?” I requested. He mentioned: “It’s my didgeridoo.” “Can you play it?” I requested. He mentioned: “Of course I can.” And he began blowing on it like a white Australian Miles Davis. Everyone was wanting. I fell in love with him in that second and supplied him the half.

I wrote the a part of Chaucer for Paul Bettanythough Sony needed Hugh Grant. I’ve bought nothing in opposition to Hugh however I believed the tone could be skewed if it was him and three different guys. The film has since been written about by Chaucer students – they like it.

We jousted for actual with re-enactors from a Las Vegas jousting present. But we made the hauls of balsa wooden so they would not kill anyone. The artwork division made compartments in them and put raw spaghetti in: when the hauls broke, they exploded and the pasta went up within the air wanting like splinters. We put the Nike emblem on Sir Ulrich’s armor as a joke. Years later, somebody at Nike informed me how a lot they beloved it. I believed: “We could’ve got so many free sneakers!”

‘He bought a tattoo mid-shoot’ … Heath Ledger and Brian Helgeland on location. Photograph: Cinematic/Alamy

Heath bought fairly bashed up. He’d proudly carry his shirt and there’d be large abrasions. After the film got here out, we have been demonstrating how to combat his agent. He had a broom and I had a mic stand: he hit me within the mouth by chance and knocked my tooth out.

It bought reviewed badly. Someone criticized the rating – not the trendy songs however the rating itself, as a result of it has electrical guitar. I mentioned: “Should it have violins and french horns? Because they didn’t exist in 1370 either.”

Heath mentioned A Knight’s Tale was like a picture album of how a lot enjoyable he had making it. It’s about preventing the facility – and that speaks to immediately very nicely.

Paul Bettanyperformed Chaucer

I auditioned and the studio mentioned: “We don’t get him.” Brian flew me out for an additional audition and so they nonetheless did not get it. Finally he mentioned: “If you don’t cast him, I’m not making the movie.” And as a result of that they had Heath hooked up, who was the most popular factor going after 10 Things I Hate About Youthey went: “All right, we’ll let Brian have Paul in this fucking movie.”

So Brian began my Hollywood profession. He was like a shining knight. I knew precisely what it was prefer to be an unrecognized artist. I used to have a philosophy for each time I used to be nervous earlier than an audition. I’d suppose: “All you have to do is fake confidence for 15 minutes.” That was the premise of Chaucer for me: faux it till you make it.

There are numerous jokes in Chaucer’s first speech however we have been in Prague and the extras did not converse English, so they only stared at me. We drew up these large playing cards that mentioned “Applaud” or “Laugh” in Czech. I got here away pondering I’d actually killed it once they laughed. I used to be amazed at my personal shallowness.

‘Hey, bare man!’ …Ledger and Bettany as William and Chaucer. Photograph: Egon Endrenyi/AP

I used to be very nervous in regards to the naked scenes. Before we shot, the costume staff knocked on my trailer with a sock on a hanger. I requested: “What’s this for?” They mentioned: “To put on your junk in case you’re embarrassed.” I mentioned: “The only thing more embarrassing than walking down the street naked is doing it with a sock on your penis.” Mercifully, it was a heat day. After all of the roles I’ve performed, which incorporates Vision for Marvel, I largely get “Hey, naked guy!” shouted at me on the street.

Heath bought a tattoo mid-shoot. It was a tiny circle with a circle round it after which a larger circle round that, like a goal. He mentioned: “That’s me in the middle. That circle is the Earth, and the other circle is the universe.” I mentioned: “You’ve put yourself right in the middle? I’ve never been that confident!” But he was that assured in essentially the most joyful, profitable approach.

So a lot has been mentioned about Heath and darkness, however the second you noticed him, he simply radiated gentle, happiness and pleasure. He was a ball of creativity and charisma, so very alive that even immediately it is troublesome to think about him lifeless. I usually discover myself questioning what stunning issues he would have made.

A Knight’s Tale is a movie about a boy from nowhere who modifications his stars and I like that. It’s stuffed with optimistic messaging. It was a magical time.