Ledger "miserable" on 'Brokeback' set

Producer James Schamus has claimed that Heath Ledger was treated like an "alienated prop" on the set of Brokeback Mountain and had a miserable time.

In an Entertainment Weekly special tribute, Schamus and filmmaker Terry Gilliam recalled how hard the movie was for the late star, who died on January 22 last year from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.

Gilliam said: "He felt alone and isolated. I think it was his sense of not getting the kind of warm support we gave him on Grimm. Whatever it did, it produced an extraordinary performance."

Schamus added that director Ang Lee has a tough on-set mentality. "During casting, rehearsals, and pre-production, Ang (Lee) is like the warm, wise, cuddly daddy bear. The minute he yells 'Action' on the first shot, the actors become alienated props he kind of puts up with... It's tough on actors.

"He doesn't yell at people or humiliate them, but it's a very tough space. Heath had very difficult days. You could really feel the pain he was going through," he said.