writhing on the shag pile

Two turns round the Heath

Heath Ledger: How does he feel about playing a gay cowboy? Two perspectives:

Heath Ledger has been defending his role as a gay cowboy.

He's about to play Jake Gyllenhaal's lover in the film 'Brokeback Mountain' which will be directed by Ang Lee.

It centres on a ranch hand and a Texas rodeo cowboy who fall for each other whilst working as shepherds.
Heath admits he's a little uncomfortable with the idea, but got a bit uppity when he was asked at a press conference why he chose to take a gay role:

"What is it about wrangling Jake Gyllenhaal up in the mountains that frightens me? Just that! But it obviously doesn't scare me away because I'm doing it."

"Aren't we at the stage these days when it just doesn't ******* matter? It's a story of love and it's a story between two people. If people can't get over that and just accept it as a story, then that's their problem. I'm big enough and brave enough to do it in the fact that being brave is having to answer questions like that." [From: Ananova]

Seems fair enough... But then he seemed to have changed his mind by the time he pictched up on Leno:

Heath Ledger says it's tough playing a gay cowboy.

Shooting love scenes in the film Brokeback Mountainwith anotherHollywoodheart-throb, Jake Gyllenhaal, apparently will not be the hardest part.

Ledger has been ordered to the gym to bulk up for the role and confessed to a huge American television audience yesterday he is not a gym junkie.

"Oddly enough it's the one job that I've been asked to build up on and kind of work out," Ledger told top-ratingUStalk show host Jay Leno on The Tonight Show.

"You'd think you would kind of build up and work out to play a superhero or something, but it ends up being for a gay cowboy story."

Ledger just returned from a surfing trip with friends in Costa Rica and joked that catching waves, stretching or "yoga in bed" were the only forms of exercise he enjoyed.

"It's been really tough to have to lift weights. It's just terrible," Ledger complained.

The 24-year-old was encouraged by girlfriend Naomi Watts to take the gig as a cowboy who falls in love with a ranch hand in 1960sMontana.

The Aussie actor was in a good mood as Leno baited him about the role.

"Now who are you? Are you really 'butch' Cassidy?" Leno asked.

Ledger also joked the film was a "musical comedy" and he and Gyllenhaal played "sheep herders".

"It's a gorgeous script and God Jake's cute," said a smiling Ledger.
Leno replied: "I'm not even going to ask you about that audition."

Ledger is on the publicity circuit inAmericapromoting Ned Kelly, which despite opening in Australian cinemas last year, only hits US theatres this Friday.

Leno gave the Australian-made film his thumbs up, however he had trouble explaining the plot to his American audience.
"It's a western," Leno said.

"That sounds silly, but it's a western in Australia basically.
"Well, what we would call a western."

During the interview Ledger encouraged Leno to try on a replica of the
famous head armour the bushranger wore.
With only Leno's eyes peering out of the slot in the armour, the talk show host said: "How kinky is this? Well, I'm ready to play the gay cowboy."

Ledger responded: "You've got your protection on there Jay." [source: E! News]