Name: Heath Ledger
Behaviors Exhibited: Started becoming obsessed with his character "The Joker" in the new Batman movie The Dark Knight. He became unable to snap back to reality, and stayed "in character" as The Joker even off set and freaking people out by it. Denied the need for psychological help for his personal problems and instead dealt with them by staying in character or just ignoring the question or statement. Locked himself in his apartment for a month. Was unable to be himself anymore. Ledger also said that he, "slept an average of two hours a night" while playing "a psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy...". Although Ledger was warned by previous Joker, Jack Nicholson about how emotionally demanding The Joker role really is, Heath went along with the part anyways and became obsessed with it.
Psychoanalytic: Because Heath Ledger was so successful in other movies and everyone knew him as a great actor since he was in his teens, he is trying to create The Joker in himself by channeling the character into his daily life to make it seem real and more believable when it comes time to be in the movie.
Cognitive: Ledger thinks that if he stays in character and becomes somewhat crazy himself, he will make the character seem more believable and "real" and everyone will continue to love him and his acting and think that he is amazing.
Biological: Heath was taking prescription medications including painkillers, anti-anxiety drugs, and sleeping pills. He was suffering from anxiety and wasn't sleeping well.
Humanistic: Because Heath wanted to be an extremely successful, Oscar winning actor, he wanted to be the best Joker there ever was and convince everyone who ever watched The Dark Knight, of his character.
Behavioral: Heath Ledger was rewarded by his director, other cast members, and the general public for his outrageously convincing role so he continued to play into The Joker and eventually became the crazed character himself.
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