Heath Ledger Played An Irish Prince In A Forgotten Fantasy Series

Just two years before 1999's hit rom-com "10 Things I Hate About You" made him a star, the late Heath Ledger took his first and only starring role in an American television series, a short-lived fantasy series called "Roar" set in Ireland around 400 A.D. This forgotten sword–and-sandals adventure followed Conor (Ledger), an Irish prince determined to unite the Celtic tribes and chase the invading Roman army from his homeland. "Roar" also starred "Bates Motel" alum Vera Farmiga as former slave Catlin, John Saint Ryan as mentor Fergus, and "1923" star Sebastian Roché as the villainous Longinus. 

During a 1997 interview with Access Hollywood, Ledger explained what made his character tick: "Conor's a young prince whose family and girlfriend were slaughtered by a king named King Gar." He added that the tragic hero initially set out in search of revenge; however, a pivotal moment alters his path when he hears "the roar," an elemental force tied to Celtic spirituality. "When Conor hears this roar, it's telling him to forget his own need for selfish revenge and to lead this group of people," Ledger said.

The actor revealed that to prepare for the role, he did a deep dive on Celtic law and druidism, adding that he spent time alone to properly connect with the young prince. "The thing that I found with Conor is he's a hero, but he's not a hero who gets everything right," Ledger said. 

Heath Ledger expressed hope that audiences would relate to the show's themes, finding that same "roar" or "inner strength" that Conor finds. "Hopefully, people will, from this show, sit down and relax their minds and find their own inner strengths to not take the easy route out and to take everything head on," he said. Despite Ledger's dedication and optimism, "Roar" came off as more of a whimper to critics. It holds a poor 45% score on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Entertainment Weekly dismissed the series as an uninspired knockoff of popular fantasy series like "Xena: Warrior Princess," finding its action and storytelling lacking excitement. The Washington Post poked fun at the show's melodramatic tone, pointing to its overly serious posturing and goofy historical silliness.

According to a 2009 blog post from writer-producer Lawrence Meyers (via Internet Archive), while 13 episodes were produced, Fox canceled "Roar" after airing just eight episodes. The remaining five episodes sat on the shelf until they became available on DVD. Meyers also praised Ledger's radiant talent, writing, "Heath had 'it' — that indefinable quality that all great stars share. He just took you in. He had a presence. He felt young but also like an old soul. He was our lead."

For those hoping to revisit this forgotten fantasy series that was quickly canceled, "Roar" is currently unavailable on major streaming services. However, fan-uploaded episodes can often be found on YouTube, or you can track down the out-of-print complete series DVD set on eBay.