Imaginarium

Dr. Parnassus: "Nothing's permanent, not even death."

By Brian Truitt | USAWeekend.com

"Maybe the most memorable thing about Heath was that he seemed to be such an ancient soul. He seemed far older than his years. He was probably 243 years old when he died. I always thought he had aboriginal blood in him.”

~Terry Gilliam

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a morality tale featuring Ledger in the role of a mysterious stranger, discovered hanging under a bridge by a passing theater company. His character is not really dead, but who exactly is he? When Ledger died nearly two years ago during filming, Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell agreed to take over transforming versions of his character in order to help Gilliam finish the film. They donated their fees to Ledger’s daughter, Matilda. The film also ends with this credit: “A Film from Heath Ledger and Friends.” “We finished the film, and it is what it is because of friends of Heath coming to the rescue out of friendship and love,” Gilliam says.

-cont.