Christopher Nolan had a flashback of Heath Ledger on The Dark Knight while filming The Odyssey.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times in an interview published July 7, the Oscar-winning filmmaker said Samantha Morton delivered a performance that left the film’s crew applauding on set — something he had only seen happen once before.
“I was talking with Emma [Thomas],” Nolan said of his wife and producing partner, “and she remembered that the last time that had happened was with Heath Ledger on The Dark Knight.”
The late Australian actor famously portrayed the Joker in the 2008 Batman blockbuster, earning a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor after his death at age 28.
Meanwhile, Morton, 49, has a handful of scenes as the goddess Circe in Nolan’s film adaptation of Homer’s Greek epic. Still, the two-time Academy Award nominee made an impact Nolan believes was vital to the success of the project.
“This was a massive film and she is someone who comes in and changes the dynamic,” Nolan said. “In some weird way, the film lived or died over that character. She was the fulcrum. I’ve always admired Samantha’s work, she brings so much depth of thinking about her role, there are no limitations on her performance.”
Also starring Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, and Charlize Theron, The Odyssey hits theatres worldwide on July 17.
