Wes Bentley makes a beautiful statement

[mvansand76]

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20174775,00.html

The reclusive actor Wes Bentley made a rare public statement Tuesday to remember his friend Heath Ledger as a "man who spread so much spark to so many people."

Capitalizing letters for emphasis, the American Beauty star described Ledger, who was found dead last week, as "a Vibrant Man, a Brave Actor, a Passionate Father and a Friend Forever."

"Heath was an essential piece of my Life," wrote Bentley, 29, who costarred with Ledger in 2002's Four Feathers. "At one point we were as close as two people could get without being blood. That closeness came from sharing a similar, life-altering experience in life at a young age where very few could relate and those who could often were pre-occupied with competition. It would have been isolating, not to mention boring, without him."

Added Bentley, who didn't make another film until five years after Four Feathers, "I don't know if I could have come back without him."

In fact it was because of Bentley turning down a part that Ledger got one of his breakthrough roles: that of the suicidal prison guard's son in Monster's Ball.

"(Wes) was signed up to play that part and he pulled out in the last minute because he really doesn't like to work that much," Ledger said in 2005. "I think they were threatening to sue him. So he asked me to do this for him to get him out of trouble. It was a great opportunity for me and I took it. It was a nice gift from Wes.

In his statement, Bentley urged people to "resist our routine chore of dwelling on a celebrities moments at Death, taking what is essentially inconsequential to a man's definition and making it his Legacy."

"While most of us forget we're alive and are dead on our feet, Heath woke up everyday excited about what was out there to enjoy," wrote Bentley. "He lived in a way that spread so much spark to so many people every day he had. Heath not only lived for himself, if he could've he would Lived for all of us as well. That was his way."

The Arkansas-born Bentley, who parents were both Methodist Ministers, concluded his statement with, "My Prayers are with all who loved him, his Family, Michelle, and Matilda."



What a wise man.... 

[Katie77]

great words........great words

I wonder what the "similar, life altering experience" was.......

[Shasta542]

I took that phrase to mean that they were in a position of having stardom at a young age.   Maybe?

[MaineWriter]

I read this in a bio of Bentley:

Born in Jonesboro and raised in Little Rock, this self-called "pretty boy" participated in sports in an effort to counteract the teasing and abuse he faced from his classmates over his countenance.

and for Heath:

At Guildford, where most of the sons of Western Australia's farmers were boarders, Ledger was something of a maverick. Disturbed by the school's military aspects where cadets would be trained in the use of weaponry, he instead opted for sports, playing cricket and Rules football and especially excelling in field hockey, making the school's First XI at a very young age.

I wonder if that is what he was referring to? Turning to sports while in school to escape from other pressures?

[mariez]

Thanks for posting his statement, Mel.  Beautiful, indeed.

And thanks for the info, Leslie.  That's interesting...and it makes sense.  In any event, I'm glad they found each other. 

Marie

[mvansand76]

Thanks for posting his statement, Mel.  Beautiful, indeed.

And thanks for the info, Leslie.  That's interesting...and it makes sense.  In any event, I'm glad they found each other. 

Marie

Hey, good to see you here sweetie! 

[Nikita111]

  at WES

[j.U.d.E.]

This is absolutely wonderful!! I love what Wes said about Heath! How refreshing to see, that there was no competition bewteen them and that they were there for each other and still are..

This has even more meaning to me, because it is because of Wes Bentley that I 'discovered' Heath! I loved the movie 'American Beauty' and especially Wes' performance. An actor I didn't know at the time. A couple of years later I saw 'Monster's Ball' in the cinema and was highly impressed by all actors (not only Heath necessarily), but found it very disturbing too. I had never watched it again, until after I saw BBM in 2006. On some flight in 2004  though, I saw that they were showing the film 'Four Feathers' which I didn't know. But when I saw that Wes Bentley starred in it, I had to watch it! Needless to say, it was a film I liked very much and Heath's performence just blew me away! Upon my return I then regularly checked for Heath's new projects and that's when I read about him starring in the upcoming BBM... The rest is history..

"While most of us forget we're alive and are dead on our feet, Heath woke up everyday excited about what was out there to enjoy," wrote Bentley. "He lived in a way that spread so much spark to so many people every day he had. Heath not only lived for himself, if he could've he would Lived for all of us as well. That was his way."

That is a very sweet thing to say! It makes me think of a quote I 'carry around' - "If you walk through life asleep, you'll wake up dead". Wes Bentley seems to be an actor apart from many of his fellow actors. I'd like to believe that he and Heath had a very similar philosophy and view on life and the world.

j.U.d.E.

[Pipedream]

Wes Bentley seems to be a great guy. The fact that his folks was Methodist just made me smile.