Heath Ledger, the Joker, and Actors' Brains

So, there's an entire field of people who study what happens to our brains when we do creative pursuits.

One of the experts is a guy named Dr. Steven Brown, who works at the McMaster University in Canada. And he got a bunch of actors, stuck them in an MRI machine, and got them to play Romeo or Juliet, depending.

What he discovered was interesting.

Brain activity in part of the frontal lobes went down. Actors, when they are fully in character, literally turn off part of their sense of self.

And some actors engage in method acting. Which means that they embrace the character 24/7, for an extended period of time. They let the character dictate what they eat, what they sleep.

Which brings us to Heath Ledger. Ledger locked himself in a hotel room for six weeks, during which time he was the Joker. Full time. His performance was incredible. He had rituals that were designed to keep the Joker in check, mind, and apparently switched back fine during filming.

But before the film was completely edited, Ledger was dead, of an accidental overdose. Before his death, Ledger said that he could no longer sleep, and he may have had walking pneumonia, caught while filming his next role. While insomnia was a problem he had had, it was apparently worse.

There has long been speculation that the intense method acting played to inhabit a psychotic character may have contributed to Ledger's death.

What if he couldn't switch himself back on all the way?

And, related, we have Jared Leto, who also insisted on method acting the Joker. His harassment of his coworkers, of which the "best" part was sending a live rat to Margot Robbie (Don't worry. She kept the rat until her landlord found out and told her to get rid of him, at which point she gave the rodent to Guillermo del Toro. The rat is fine).

Leto's antics may have affected the ratings of Suicide Squad - I know quite a few people who refused to see it when it came out. And his solo movie has apparently been shelved.

Is there something about the Joker? Maybe, but Mark Hamill, the iconic voice of the Joker is just fine. So, maybe it's something about method acting.

Or about certain actors.

The discovery that acting actually affects your brain is something we need to think about. Should casting directors be very careful who they cast to play villainous and/or insane characters? Actors tend to have an ego - is this a reaction to having to turn off who they are - and should casting directors be looking for the right kind of ego for certain characters?

Should actors who have played intense roles be required to get therapy? Should they put it in their contract that post-shooting therapy is paid for by the company? How should therapists who are already treating actors use this information?

Drama is a vital part of the human experience and is, in some ways, sacred to who we are. And most actors walk off the set, turn back into themselves, and are fine. We just might need to give a bit of help to those who lose themselves in a role a little too much.

And maybe keep a bit of an eye on the next Joker, Joaquin Phoenix...