The reason Heath Ledger boycotted the 2007 Oscars
In 2005, queer cinema hit a turning point with the release of Ang Lee’s 2005 romantic western Brokeback Mountain. One of the first mainstream films to platform an LGBTQ+ story, the movie was met with both critical acclaim and controversy from conservative viewers. It garnered esteemed accolades, including four Academy Awards and praise from audiences and critics alike, but it was also subject to a wave of homophobic abuse and ridicule.
Despite the ignorance of some viewers, stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger remained committed to and proud of the story they were telling. In fact, the latter’s dedication and respect towards the film even led him to boycott the 2007 Oscars. Despite picking up an impressive number of nominations for Brokeback Mountain the year before, including a ‘Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role’ nomination for Ledger, the future Oscar-winner refused to attend in 2007.
He declined the invitation because the Academy were planning an opening that included jokes about Brokeback Mountain. Each year, the Academy Awards begin with an opening monologue from the host, which usually makes reference to the films from the year and banters with the actors who starred in them. Ledger wasn’t up for Brokeback Mountain to become the butt of these jokes.
Ledger’s co-star and love interest Gyllenhaal explained his discomfort in an interview with Another Man Magazine. He recalled: “I mean, I remember they wanted to do an opening for the Academy Awards that year that was sort of joking about it. And Heath refused.” Though Gyllenhaal was open to appearing at the awards, Ledger took a more serious stance on the idea.
Recalling their differing attitudes, Gyllenhaal continued, “I was sort of at the time, ‘Oh, okay… whatever.’ I’m always like: it’s all in good fun. And Heath said, ‘It’s not a joke to me – I don’t want to make any jokes about it.’”
It was a bold stance for Ledger to take, rejecting his invitation to the most prestigious awards in film, but it also demonstrated his care for and commitment to the story Lee was trying to tell. Homophobic jokes were already rife in interviews with the cast and crew, and he refused to allow the Oscars to exacerbate this.
Gyllenhaal also reflected on his experience of filming Brokeback Mountain, stating, “The life experiences of them are so deep that no matter how powerful the movie is to many other people, or what it means to them, it means something completely different to me.”
Two exemplary leads for such an important film, the celebrated actors continually respected how much the powerful meaning of the movie resonated with so many LGBTQ+ individuals. Ledger, in particular, didn’t want to undercut the importance of this by joking about it on live television. It’s a decision which demonstrated both his dedication to his craft and his care for others. His dedication was well-founded, as Brokeback Mountain opened the floodgates for queer cinema.
