Late actor Heath Ledger was honored at the Golden Globes by his “dear friend” Christopher Nolan when he accepted an award for Best Director for Motion Picture.
On Sunday, the Golden Globes returned to our screens. The 81st annual event marks the start of the busy awards show season for Tinsel Town. Hollywood stars from all over the globe travel to California to celebrate the talent across cinema and television. When movie director Christopher Nolan stepped onto the stage to give his speech for Oppenheimer, he used the platform on the Golden Globes to pay tribute to Heath Ledger.
Christopher Nolan honors Heath Ledger at the Golden Globes
In an emotional moment during his acceptance speech, he reflected on the last time he was on that stage accepting a trophy. However, it wasn’t for his own work. Nolan had accepted Heath Ledger’s posthumous award win in the Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture category following his death. The movie star had won the accolade for his part as the Joker in The Dark Knight – directed by Nolan.
The celebrity passed away in 2008 from an accidental overdose, autopsy reports noted.
At the time, the director had paid tribute to Ledger in his speech, although now admits 15 years later it was difficult for him to do.
During his time on stage this year, he noted there was one star who managed to help him when he was struggling to convey his thoughts during the speech.
Nolan says: “And in the middle of speaking, I glanced up and Robert Downey Jr. caught my eye and gave me a look of love and support.”
The star then pointed to him in the crowd. He added: “[It’s] the same look he’s giving me now, the same love and support he’s shown so many people in our community after so many years.”
Despite getting the win for Best Director, he couldn’t help but feel it wasn’t all for him.
“As directors, we bring people together, and we try to get them to give their best,” said the director. He then proceeded to highlight important names who were involved with the blockbuster.
‘Mixture of sadness, but incredible pride’
In 2009, Demi Moore named Heath Ledger in the potential winners for Golden Globes category for Best Supporting Actor. When his name is read out amid the nominees, the crowd can be heard cheering and applauding the late star.
Sadly, he couldn’t come up to the stage to accept the gong as he had passed away. His peers were up on their feet in a standing ovation.
Nolan accepted it on his behalf and gave a moving speech.
He said: “All of us who worked with Heath on ‘The Dark Night’ accept this with an awful mixture of sadness, but incredible pride.”
The Dark Knight director then spoke on Ledger’s death, reflecting on how “a hole ripped in the history of cinema”.
He concluded: “He will be eternally missed, but he will never be forgotten.”
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