Heath Ledger facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Heath Ledger
Ledger at the 2006 Berlin International Film Festival
Born	Heath Andrew Ledger (1979-04-04)4 April 1979 Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Died	22 January 2008(2008-01-22) (aged 28) New York City, U.S.
Resting place	Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth
Occupation	Actor music video director
Years active	1992–2008
Partner(s)	Michelle Williams (2004–2007)
Children	1
Awards	Full list
Signature

Heath Andrew Ledger (born 4 April 1979 – died 22 January 2008) was a talented actor and music video director from Australia. He became well-known for his roles in many movies and TV shows. Heath moved to the United States in 1998 to grow his acting career.

He starred in about twenty films, including popular ones like 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), The Patriot (2000), and A Knight's Tale (2001). Later, he gained huge praise for his roles in Brokeback Mountain (2005) and as the Joker in The Dark Knight (2008). He also directed music videos and dreamed of directing films.

For his role as Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain, Heath was nominated for several big awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actor. He was one of the youngest actors ever nominated in that category.

Heath Ledger passed away in January 2008. Before his death, he had finished playing the Joker in The Dark Knight. His performance as the Joker was highly praised and earned him many awards after he died, such as the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His last movie, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, was released after his death in 2009.

Early Life and Education

Heath Andrew Ledger was born on 4 April 1979, in Perth, Western Australia. His mother, Sally Ramshaw, was a French teacher, and his father, Kim Ledger, was a racing car driver and engineer. Heath had English, Irish, and Scottish family roots.

He went to Mary's Mount Primary School and then Guildford Grammar School. It was at Guildford Grammar that he first started acting, playing Peter Pan in a school play when he was ten. His parents separated when he was ten and divorced when he was eleven. Heath's older sister, Kate, who was also an actress, encouraged his love for acting. He was also inspired by the dancer Gene Kelly, which helped him with choreography in school performances.

Acting Career

Starting Out in the 1990s

Heath Ledger finished school early at age 16 to become an actor. He traveled from Perth to Sydney with his best friend, Trevor DiCarlo. Heath then took a small part in the TV series Clowning Around (1992) and worked on Sweat (1996), where he played a cyclist.

From 1993 to 1997, Heath also appeared in other TV shows like Ship to Shore (1993), Roar (1997), and Home and Away (1997). His first movie role was in the Australian film Blackrock (1997). In 1999, he starred in the popular teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You and the Australian crime film Two Hands.

Success in the 2000s

In the early 2000s, Heath Ledger took on many different roles. He played Gabriel Martin in The Patriot (2000) alongside Mel Gibson. He also starred in A Knight's Tale (2001), The Four Feathers (2002), and Ned Kelly (2003). In 2001, he won an award as the "Male Star of Tomorrow."

In 2005, Heath received "Best Actor" awards from film critics for his role in Brokeback Mountain. In this movie, he played Ennis Del Mar, a ranch hand who falls in love with a rodeo rider. Critics praised his performance, with one saying he "magically and mysteriously disappears beneath the skin of his lean, sinewy character."

After Brokeback Mountain, Heath co-starred in the Australian film Candy (2006). He was nominated for several "Best Actor" awards for his role as Dan. In 2007, he played Robbie Clark in I'm Not There, a film where six actors played different parts of Bob Dylan's life. Heath won an award with the rest of the cast for this film.

His second-to-last film role was playing the Joker in Christopher Nolan's 2008 movie The Dark Knight. This movie came out almost six months after Heath's death. His performance as the Joker earned him huge praise and many awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

At the time of his death, Heath was filming his last role as Tony in Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. To finish the movie, directors asked Heath's friends and fellow actors Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell to play different versions of his character. This allowed Heath's final performance to be seen in cinemas.

Directorial Work

Ledger (far right) posing with the cast and the director of I'm Not There at the 64th Venice Film Festival in September 2007

Heath Ledger wanted to become a film director. He had already directed some music videos with his company, The Masses. In 2006, he directed a music video for the Australian hip hop artist N'fa. Later that year, Heath started a new record label with singer Ben Harper and directed a music video for Harper's song "Morning Yearning."

At the 2007 Venice Film Festival, Heath talked about wanting to make a documentary film about the British singer-songwriter Nick Drake. Drake had passed away in 1974 at age 26. Heath created a music video for Drake's song "Black Eyed Dog," which was about depression. This video was shown publicly only a couple of times before his death. After he passed away, the video was shared online.

Heath was also working on adapting a novel called The Queen's Gambit into a film, which would have been his first movie as a director. He planned to act in it too. Heath's final directing work, two music videos he shot before his death, came out in 2009. These included an animated video for Modest Mouse's song "King Rat" and a video for Grace Woodroofe's cover of David Bowie's "Quicksand."

Personal Life

Ledger at the 56th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2006

Heath Ledger loved playing chess and took part in tournaments when he was younger. As an adult, he often played chess with others in Washington Square Park in New York City. He was also a big fan of the West Coast Eagles, an Australian rules football team from his hometown of Perth.

Heath was very passionate about photography. He enjoyed taking pictures and then drawing or painting over them with different materials.

Family

In 2004, Heath started a relationship with actress Michelle Williams after they met while filming Brokeback Mountain. Their daughter, Matilda Rose, was born on 28 October 2005, in New York City. Matilda's godparents are Brokeback Mountain co-star Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Williams' friend Busy Philipps. Heath and Michelle lived together in Brooklyn, New York, from 2005 to 2007. In September 2007, they separated.

Death

On 22 January 2008, at around 3 p.m., Heath Ledger was found unconscious in his bed in his apartment in SoHo, New York City. His housekeeper and massage therapist found him. They called for help, and paramedics arrived quickly, but they were unable to revive him. Heath Ledger was pronounced dead at 3:36 p.m. He was 28 years old.

Legacy

Memorial Tributes

Memorial for Ledger, outside 421 Broome Street, SoHo, Manhattan, 23 January 2008

When news of Heath Ledger's death spread, people gathered outside his apartment building, leaving flowers and other tributes. The next day, Heath's parents and sister spoke to the media in Australia, sharing their sadness. The Prime Minister of Australia and many actors also expressed their sorrow.

Actor Daniel Day-Lewis dedicated his Screen Actors Guild Award to Heath, saying he was inspired by his acting. Verne Troyer, who worked with Heath on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, got a tattoo in Heath's memory. On 1 February, Michelle Williams spoke publicly for the first time after Heath's death, saying his spirit lived on in their daughter.

Heath's family brought his body back to Perth, Australia. On 9 February, a memorial service was held, attended by hundreds of guests. Afterward, his body was cremated, and his ashes were buried in a family plot.

The band Eskimo Joe wrote their song "Foreign Land" as a tribute to Heath. In January 2011, a 575-seat theatre in Perth, Heath's hometown, was named the Heath Ledger Theatre in his honor. For the opening, his Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and his Joker costume were displayed.

Acting Style

Ledger on the March 2006 cover of Rolling Stone

Heath Ledger played many different kinds of characters, from romantic heroes to sad figures. He always tried to choose roles that were very different from each other. He once said, "I feel like I am wasting my time if I repeat myself." He also felt that he could never be completely happy with his work, saying, "The day I say, 'It's good' is the day I should start doing something else."

Directors who worked with Heath praised his creativity, seriousness, and natural talent. Christopher Nolan, who directed The Dark Knight, said he was amazed by Heath's working process and charisma. Marc Forster, who directed Monster's Ball, said Heath took his job "very seriously" and was disciplined and intuitive.

Heath believed that acting was about using "the infinite power of belief." He didn't think acting had to be perfect. He said, "I'm always gonna pull myself apart and dissect [the work]. I mean, there's no such thing as perfection in what [actors] do."

Posthumous Films and Awards

Heath Ledger's death affected the release of The Dark Knight (2008) and the production of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Both directors wanted to honor his work in these films. Terry Gilliam paused filming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus but was determined to finish it. As a tribute, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell stepped in to play different versions of Heath's character, Tony. These three actors donated their earnings from the film to Heath's daughter.

Christopher Nolan said that editing The Dark Knight after Heath's death was very emotional. However, he felt lucky to have Heath's performance, which Heath was very proud of, to finish. All of Heath's scenes in The Dark Knight appear exactly as he filmed them. Nolan dedicated the film to Heath's memory.

The Dark Knight was released in July 2008 and broke many box office records. Heath's performance as the Joker received huge praise. Many people, including his co-star Christian Bale, believed Heath deserved an Oscar for his role.

On 11 December 2008, Heath was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for his role as the Joker. He won the award on 11 January 2009, with director Christopher Nolan accepting it for him.

On 22 January 2009, the anniversary of his death, Heath Ledger was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He went on to win the award, becoming only the second person to win a posthumous (after death) Academy Award for acting. Heath's family attended the ceremony on 22 February 2009 and accepted the award on his behalf. The Academy decided that Heath's daughter, Matilda Rose, would own the award when she turns 18. Until then, her mother, Michelle Williams, will hold it for her.

In 2017, a documentary called I Am Heath Ledger was released. It features old footage of Heath and interviews with people who knew him.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music Videos

Accolades

See Also

In Spanish: Heath Ledger para niños

• Youngest nominees for Best Actor in a Leading Role
• List of Australian Academy Award winners and nominees
• List of posthumous Academy Award winners and nominees

Images for kids

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  Heath Ledger's signature