Of course, at the time, it made for good clickbait. But stripped of its sentimentality, their careers do bear a striking structural resemblance.
Ledger’s iconic rendition of Can’t Take My Eyes Off You in 1999’s teen romance 10 Things I Hate About You catapulted him to stardom and opened doors in Hollywood. Yes, there were some not-so-serious movies afterwards (the cult classic A Knight’s Tale, for example), but he progressively moved towards more complex roles that demonstrated his considerable range. And as a man with a passion for camerawork – illustrated in the 2017 documentary I Am Heath Ledger – he strategically sought out auteur directors to facilitate that journey.
Ledger could have relaxed and shot a string of easy-watching rom-coms, raking in millions. But instead, he chose to work with acclaimed directors like Marc Forster (Monster’s Ball), Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain), Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam (The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus), and Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight). Yes, the latter had a healthy paycheck (and does anyone really say no to Christopher Nolan?), but it was an incredibly meaty role that required significant emotional work. Even in his mainstream blockbuster picks, Ledger prioritised substance over superficial success.
Elordi’s big break also came in the form of teen romance in The Kissing Booth franchise, and immediately pivoted to a darker role in HBO’s Euphoria rather than playing it safe with lucrative rom-coms and unimaginative typecasting. It was only once he had some industry credibility and mainstream appeal under his belt that he strategically sought out an auteur-led portfolio, aligning himself with directors like Sofia Coppola (Priscilla), Emerald Fennell (Saltburn), and Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein) – the latter earning an Oscar nomination.
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