‘Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince,/ And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.’ - William Shakespeare
*Dedicated to the memory of Heath, Philip and Michael.
"A lot of people think ambition or success and they think dollars. My ambition is all in my head. I'm on a f---ing journey. I'm on a walkabout. It's about collecting wisdom of emotions and heart and self and understanding. Being absolutely comfortable with your body and life and the earth, sun, and moon being the only truths. That's what my success is, getting underneath that."
I wasn’t fully aware of Heath Ledger’s immense talents until I watched Monster's Ball (2001). Although he didn’t have as much screen time as he should have, whenever he did appear as the cliche goes, he lit that screen up. His role as Sonny Grotowski, demanded that he be very subdued, introverted and tragically tormented, yet his gaze alone can only be referred to as electric. Still, being the typical 21 year old kid I was at the time, rather than reflect on how good he was in the film, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of Ms. Halle Berry. After all, Monster’s Ball was her film (rightly so) and I regarded Heath's performance as a delightful garnish.
Heath didn’t appear on my radar again, until he turned in his powerful Oscar nominated performance in Brokeback Mountain (2005). His remarkable talent was truly unleashed and the globe started to take notice. And just as he began to ascend to higher heights, the role of a lifetime fell in his lap. As the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008), Ledger blessed the cinematic universe with one of the greatest performances ever caught on camera. Sadly for cinephiles everywhere, it was to be one of his last. His accidental overdose in January of 2008 was so very tragic for numerous reasons. The main reason that resonates the most is that such a bright future was now in the dark.
While predicting the future is a futile endeavor, I feel I can say with some certainty that Heath was well on his way on to another stratosphere not just as an artist, but also as a human being. As an artist, he never lived alive long enough to receive all the praise that would be heaped upon him and cinephiles everywhere were denied the talents of a true giant. No more new performances that could inspire millions. To put it succinctly, he never had the opportunity to walk the carpet at the premiere of one of the films he truly loved performing in. The Dark Knight was released roughly 6 months after Heath passed.
The film itself has now earned its reputation as one of the greatest films released in the past 50 years, and is a monument in its own right. Once it grossed over 1 BILLION DOLLARS, (hear what I did there?) at the box office, that proved how adored this awe inspiring film was. And of course, what we loved most about it revolved around The Joker… a charismatic sociopath who might be level headed one moment and the embodiment of chaos the next. Rightfully so, Heath's stunning performance earned him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. This was the 1st time the prestigious award was given to an actor for portraying a comic book villain. As a man, Heath never had the opportunity to truly know what life was like away from the glaring eye of the public, who began to develop an insatiable curiosity with him. And what was perhaps most upsetting about his passing was that he never had the chance to watch his little girl grow up. As a parent myself, even thinking about that part of this story hurts my heart.
“Success isn't what makes you happy. It really isn't. Success is doing what makes you happy and doing good work and hopefully having a fruitful life. If I've felt like I've done good work, that makes me happy. The success part of it is all gravy.”
The passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman was especially hard for me to come to terms with for quite a few reasons. I watched him in practically every role he played, all the way from Scent of a Woman (1992) to one of his final roles in 2014’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. He starred in some of the finest films I had ever seen, and in most instances his performances were a major reason why those films left an impression on me. The films he made with Paul Thomas Anderson in particular, continue to inspire me. Of those 5 films his roles in Boogie Nights (1997) and of course his Oscar nominated performance in The Master (2011) standout from among the rest.
Not to mention his show stopping performances in, Flawless (1999) (starring opposite none other than Robert De Niro himself), Capote (2005) (for which he was awarded the Best Actor Oscar) and Doubt (2008) , opposite the legendary Meryl Streep. Philip was nominated for Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance in this film. Ironically he was was one of the nominees that lost the award that year, to Heath Ledger. A few other gems from this time were Charlie Wilson’s War (alongside the wonderful Tom Hanks), and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (both released in 2007). Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, was both fascinating to watch & heartrending as well.
Not only was it the final film directed by the remarkable Sidney Lumet, it was also a film, in which Philip portrayed a character he had a very real, very tragic connection to. He starred as a down on his luck, deadbeat, heroin addict who drags himself and his no good brother (played wonderfully by Ethan Hawke), into the depths of darkness. As a recovering addict himself, Philip knew how destructive drugs could be. He knew how easily they could swallow you up and spit you out. Philip ended up losing his war against addiction, and in February of 2014 passed on to another realm. He was ignominiously found in his bathroom, with the syringe still embedded in his arm. That angered me a great deal. A man with such considerable talents and so much left to offer his craft, should have had the help he needed to get over this foul disease.
Alas. Here he was. And over there, he went. I had the good luck of actually interacting with the man once. We were both attending a Big Vision Empty Wallet event in 2012, thrown by my esteemed friends Alex Cirillo and Dani Faith Leonard. He went to the bar and I followed. As soon as his drink was in his hand, I told him about my admiration of his work (trying not to be too much of a fanboy). He seemed to be preoccupied though. He thanked me nonchalantly, lifted his drink and went back to his seat. I thought he looked familiar even beyond his film roles. Then I remembered that Philip was an ardent Knick fan, who regularly attended home games with his son Cooper. The same son who will star in Paul Thomas Anderson’s film Licorice Pizza, (2021). Teaming up with his father’s frequent collaborator and confidant, must have been a difficult proposition for the 17 year old Cooper. However I’m sure Anderson will guide him earnestly and let him know that no matter how the film turns out, he’s already won. Because he is after all his father’s son.
“I love my characters. I play them with 100% honesty; there's no holding back. I understand where they are coming from.”
The reason why Michael K. Williams was such a formidable performer, was because of the intensity and unadulterated energy he brought to whatever role he portrayed. He didn’t view a character as being beneath him. He didn’t particularly care about how major or minor the role was. He gave 110% of himself to every character he portrayed. Regardless of how much screen time he had, he wouldn't be seen as the weak link in the cast. So in due time, cinephiles and filmmakers alike adored him. Michael’s talents weren’t only confined to film and TV. His prowess as a dancer and choreographer were what opened the doors for him to pursue his on screen career. And what a beginning to a career that turned out to be. I mean just consider this fact... Michael had minor roles in Bullet (1996) starring the iconic 2Pac Shakur (who practically discovered Michael), as well as in Martin Scorsese's film Bringing Out the Dead (1999).
Working around these people, and his career had just started. Remarkable. Many however will remember Michael as Omar Little from The Wire, or perhaps as Chalky White from Boardwalk Empire. The first time I remember noticing his abundant talent was when I watched him in 12 Years a Slave (2013). Following this role, he started to appear in more and more projects that I gravitated towards. Ranging from Inherent Vice (2014), The Night Of, When They See Us, Motherless Brooklyn (2019) and most recently in Lovecraft Country. The charisma and the authenticity that he brought to each scene he was in, was truly a sight to behold. He lifted up each project with courage and sheer talent.
Even in those scenes when his characters might have seemed weak willed, or effeminate, he played the role with force and bravado. One of the aspects that I so admired about his considerable talents were how he could go from completely still and observant to menacing and or intimidating within the literal blink of an eye. He was the type of actor that filmmakers leaned on and more often than not, he delivered.
A lifelong resident of Brooklyn NY, where he was born and lived, I think what separated Michael from most of his peers was his willingness to support and give back to his community as much as he could. He served as the ACLU ambassador to the Campaign for Smart Justice. He established Making Kids Win. An organization whose primary objective is to build community centers in urban neighborhoods that are in need of safe spaces for children to grow and learn. These contributions alone are a major reason why his grievous passing at the tender age of 54 is even more intolerable. As we all do, Michael did come with a few scars.
The most prominent came as a result of having a bit too much “liquid courage” (his own words). On his 25th Birthday of all nights. As his BAC began to climb, Michael fought a fruitless fight over something trivial. He was quickly overpowered and had a large scar carved onto his flawless face. That woke him up and set him off towards the path of wanting to do better. And for the past 29 years, he was going down that path with purpose and we loved him for it. Unfortunately for all of us though, addiction cuts deep. And any time you miss your mark, you’ll get cut. Those wounds might not ever heal. In September of 2021, Michael's nephew discovered his uncles body. Cut by the blade of addiction. Never to heal again. A King of Brooklyn, a true NYC Legend was sent to his final destination. Fortunately however, he left an extensive filmography of all his phenomenal performances. A Wire directly to his memory, that won’t ever be severed.
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Throughout this article, I’ve been using Heath’s, Philip’s, and Michael’s first names as though we had known each other our entire lives. And in a strange sense, that’s how I feel. Similar to all 3 men, I love film passionately. The 3 of them were also New Yorker’s. They were energized and inspired by this wonderful metropolis. And as fate would have it, all 3 men also spent their final moments alive, in NYC. All 3 were battling addiction. And I know for a fact, we have all battled our own demons. That however is where our similarities end. Sadly Heath, Philip and Michael were taken from us because of the scourge of drugs. However I’m still here. And for as long as I am, I’ll continue to sing the praises of these 3 giants. Grateful that their films are still here for us, to watch and cherish.