Before They Were Stars (2-for-1 Special): Heath Ledger and Vera Farmiga on “Roar”

After starting out his career in his native Australia, Heath Ledger’s first major exposure to North American audiences was starring in a short-lived 1997 Fox series called Roar. The show took place in 4th-century Ireland with Ledger playing an orphaned Celtic prince who attempts to unite his countrymen to fight off the invading Romans. Vera Farmiga played the show’s love interest in one of her earliest roles. The series only lasted 13 episodes and to quote Miss Farmiga, its biggest problem was that it “wanted to be Braveheart, but turned out more Xena: Warrior Princess“.