There was additionally one other potential contender for the function of Christian: Jake Gyllenhaal. Like Ledger, he was additionally too younger for the function, however their expertise auditioning for Christian gave them one thing to giggle over whereas on set of Brokeback Mountain, in keeping with Gyllenhaal’s 2018 interview with GQ Australia.
“I used to be auditioning for Moulin Rouge! Baz Luhrmann had chosen three actors. It was Ewan, it was Heath, and me. And we auditioned with many various actresses, it was a protracted course of,” he recalled. “However I by no means met Heath, I solely heard about him. We’d be shuffled out and in of rooms. They’d actually put me in a room and lock the door and Heath would are available in after which Heath can be shuffled via the door. I by no means noticed him.”
After they met, they each bonded over their “mutual frustration” of shedding out on the chance to star in Moulin Rouge!, but it surely additionally turned a joke of kinds. As he put it, “Heath known as me and he was like, [affects Ledger impersonation] ‘Hey mate, I obtained some information for you’. I stated, ‘What?’ He stated, ‘Baz simply supplied me his subsequent film. I simply wished you to know, I f–king turned it down!'”