❛ perth ❜ | heath ledger

november 20, 2004

    THANKSGIVING WAS ON THE 23rd, but nobody on production was worried about missing out on the American holiday. Peter had called his sister to remind her that he and Maggie would be throwing the celebration in their Manhattan apartment, but she never responded to his calls.

    For the remainder of the weekend Lennon had spent her time in her hotel room crying and listening to Jeff Buckley. His rendition of 'Hallelujah' was particularly a favorite of hers. Heath never called her either, but she wasn't surprised— or expecting it. Jake told her that Heath kept asking to have her call him, but the two knew Lennon wouldn't be talking to him on her free will.

    So it was awkward to say the least when filming presumed Monday morning. Lennon's presence was notably absent around any of Heath's shots, and she was only around him when Ang had asked her to redirect a shot.

    After a long emotional talk with Jake, Lennon decided that he was right. She couldn't quit, not over a boy. The idea that Brokeback was in talks of getting Oscars nominations was only another reason to not back out on the project. Jake had been at her beck and call throughout the weekend in an attempt to make sure Lennon didn't feel so lonely and sad. As much as he wished he could replace the void of Heath, he knew that cuddling her and rubbing her back was nothing more that a comfort mechanism.

    Lennon had even set the record straight with Jake, as nauseous as it made her.

    "We fucked, Jake. Like, actually fucked." She had told him, "I feel so stupid, he's literally dating Michelle—"

     "What?! And you still slept with—"

    Lennon dug her nails into her skin annoyed that she was even explaining what happened, "no. I found out after the fact. I honestly feel so sick."

    "You look paler than usual. But, what happened? Like you just went to his room and fucked, or...?"

    "No." She held her hand to her head, "he called me and asked me if I wanted to smoke with him. So I figured why not? He was rude on set and maybe hanging out with him would help me get to the bottom of his issue."

    Jake tilted his head, "but it didn't."

    She shook her head 'no,' as she remembered sitting across from Heath on his bed, "correct, it did nothing. So we just got to talking and... I don't know? It happened really quick and honestly I was too high to care that he was giving me hickies. But, when I woke up in the morning I thought 'what the fuck?' Like what does this make us, ya' know? And he said a bunch of bullshit and I called him out on it and then bam... he said Michelle is his girlfriend."

    "But," Jake furrowed his brows, "I thought you asked him before and he said they weren't together? What changed in a few days?"

    "I don't know and I don't really want to know."

Lennon stood beside Ang as they routinely waited for the makeup artists to finish powdering Jake and Heath's noses. They were filming the two by their makeshift campsite and had luckily gotten through the scene in a few takes. It was the middle of the day and not as cold as usual, but rain was on the forecast. Soon enough Christmas would be nearing and filming would be wrapped, but until then Ang needed Lennon on her A game to help him film.

Ang called cut after going over the scene, "That was great, Heath. Jake do you think you could make your tone a little more... concerning? If that makes sense?"

With a distinct change in his tone, the scene was filmed to Ang and Lennon's liking and soon enough everyone was allowed to go back to their trailers. Instead of going straight inside, she stood for a while admiring the view of the mountains in which they had surrendered as their own. The scenery was breathtaking and the wind had given a sense of serenity to the angsty atmosphere.

"Lennon," a female voice was calling her name from a few feet away. Turning to face the voice, Lennon's breath hitched in her throat when Michelle began to walk closer to her.

The goosebumps began to rise to her skin and the hairs on her arm were stood up straight.

"Yeah?"

Michelle was clad in blue jeans and a thick flannel jacket, her newly brown hair was hidden under a fur lined beanie.

She stood a few feet from Lennon with her arms crossed, "Diana needs to see you, she said it's really important."

Once the words had left her mouth, Michelle turned on her heel and walked back to line of trailers, disappearing into one. A bead of sweat had fallen down Lennon's forehead and she quickly wiped it away once Michelle had left.

    In an attempt at subduing her anxiety surround the Michelle situation, Lennon counted her breathing while walking over to the Producers trailer. Diana was sat close with James as they hunched over a phone that had a woman's voice speaking loudly through the line.

"Oh, good, you made it in time," James waved Lennon over so she could take the empty seat across from them.

"She's here?"

Giving the producers a confused look, Lennon leaned into the speaker, "um, I'm here..."

"Great! Lennon this is Emma Thomas. I'm a producer at Syncopy, Mr. Christopher Nolan and myself's production company. I've a few questions to ask you, if you don't mind of course?"

Lennon stared at James and Diana with her eyebrows furrowed, but they both waved their hands at the phone in an attempt to get her to continue talking to the so-called producer.

"Uh, sure, how can I help you?"

"We're making a new Batman film," Emma was sat beside her husband on set in London, "we want you to be our leading lady."

Eyes widening, Lennon stared at Diana who was silently screaming, "excuse me?"

"We've got a part, for a character named Rachel Dawes, the love interest of Bruce Wayne. It's a new take on the Batman comics, nothing to do with Tim Burton's films. But, we want you to be our Rachel."

"Um, wow," the air in the room had suddenly began to feel thick and heavy and beads of sweat began to form on Lennon's forehead again. "I haven't acted in a bit, are you sure you—"

"Ms. Sarsgaard, I insist," a thick British accent had cut into the phone conversation, "we loved you in Donnie Darko, you would be absolutely perfect in this role. You're the only woman we want."

From the corner of her eye Lennon noticed Diana was mouthing something, but she couldn't understand. Shaking her head at the producer Lennon rose her hands in frustration.

"It's him, it's C-H-R-I-S." Diana was speaking through gritted teeth trying to be as quiet as possible so the husband and wife duo wouldn't overhear.

"Wow, I don't know what to say— When would you need me? I guess that's a good place to start."

Both Chris and Emma uncomfortably laughed into the phone as they stared at one another, "we would need you in London by November 25th."

Scrunching her eyebrows together Lennon looked over at the planner that Diana had lying out, "but that's Friday?"

"Yes." Chris awkwardly laughed again, "we would need you by Friday— this Friday."

•••

ohhhhhh shit
batman begins is involved
muahahahaha

ok also obviously i don't know how the fuck casting works but for this let's say lennon is the meryl streep of acting and everyone wants her lol