Heath wasn't tortured, says co-star

Bale busts the rumour mill

Christian Bale has hit out at rumours that Heath Ledger's death was a result of his work in the upcoming Batman instalment, The Dark Knight.

Bale, who stars as Batman in the film (a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins), told American TV host Matt Lauer that the allegations "show a complete lack of understanding of acting."

Bale went on to say, "I also found it very rude to try to create some kind of a sound bite for such a tragedy. The man was a complex man, he was a good man. I saw him having nothing but the best time playing The Joker."

Ledger plays The Joker in the film (which will be released in Australia tomorrow) - a character who describes himself as "an agent of chaos."

After his accidental death on January 22 this year, many pundits speculated that his performance as The Joker caused the actor emotional distress. The rumours gained momentum when Ledger's ex-fiancee Michelle Williams admitted he had suffered insomnia while filming the movie.

But as Bale said this morning, "He immersed himself completely in his role, as do I. At the end of the day, he was having a wonderful time making this movie."