Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger

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Biography

Heath Ledger (4th April 1979 - 22nd January 2008) was an Australian, Academy Award-nominated actor. Shortly before his death (cause currently unknown), he had completed filming the most recent batman Movie, The Dark Knight, in which he played the role of The Joker.

Childhood: Ledger was born in Perth, Australia, to Sally Ledger Bell, a French teacher, and Kim Ledger, a racing car driver and mining engineer. Heath and his sister, Kate were named after the two main characters in Wuthering Heights.

Acting Career: At sixteen, Ledger left school to pursue an acting career. He featured in the TV series 'Sweat' (1996), in which he played a gay cyclist.

His film debut was in the 1997 Australian movie Blackrock, which was immediately followed by a part on 'Home And Away' one of the country's most successful television shows. In 1999, Ledger starred in the teen comedy movie 10 Things I Hate About Youand also had the lead role in the critically acclaimed Australian movie Two Hands.

From 2000 to 2005, Ledger featured in The Patriot, Monster's Ball, A Knight's Tale, The Four Feathers, Ned Kelly, The Order and The Brother's Grimm.

2003 saw him named as one of Australian GQ's Men of the Year for acting.

2005: His performance in Brokeback Mountain gained him awards from both the New York Film Critics' Circle and the San Francisco Film Critics' Circle. In the film, he plays Ennis Del Mar, a Wyoming ranch hand who has an affair with a rodeo rider, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. His performance also received a Golden Globe award for Best Actor In A Drama and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. At 26, he was one of the youngest actors to have been nominated for this award.

Also in 2005, he starred in Casanova, playing the lead role opposite Sienna Miller. In 2006, Ledger was asked to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and then in 2007, he was one of six actors chosen to portray different versions of Bob Dylan in the highly acclaimed motion picture, I'm Not There.

Ledger then played the iconic comic book villain The Joker in The Dark Knight, the sequel to the 2005 film Batman Begins, opposite Christian Bale. As The Dark Knight was in the post-production stage at the time of Ledger's death, the film itself will be unchanged, although the viral marketing campaign that centred on Ledger's character may now be changed

Directing career: Heath Ledger had aspirations to become a film director. He had already made some music videos. Three of these were for singer Ben Harper, with whom he had set up a record label and two for the Australian hip-hop artist N'fa

As a step towards making a film about deceased English songwriter, Nick drake, he created a short film set to Drake's song 'Black Eyed Dog'

He was also working on an adaptation of The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis, with writer/producer Allan Scott. This would have been his first feature as a director.

Death: Heath Ledger was found dead in his New York apartment on January 22nd 2008. His housekeeper arrived at around 12:30pm to carry out household chores and found him face down on the bed and reported to hear him snoring. His masseuse then arrived and tried to wake the unresponsive Ledger. When she could not rouse him, she used his cellphone to call Ms. Olsen in California to seek her guidance, knowing Ms. Olsen to be a friend of Mr. Ledger's.

Ms. Wolozin again shook Mr. Ledger, called Ms. Olsen again and said she would call the emergency services. Ms. Wolozin called 911 at 3:26 p.m. and reported that Mr. Ledger was not breathing. Ms. Wolozin's efforts to revive Ledger were unsuccessful. Emergency medical workers arrived at 3:33 p.m.. They moved his body to the floor and then used a defibrillator and CPR, but to no avail.

Mr. Ledger was pronounced dead at 3:36 p.m.

The police had found prescription medication in the bathroom and that there were not any obvious signs of suicide. Nor did they suspect foul play. An initial autopsy carried out on January 23 proved inconclusive at determining the cause of death. The medical examiner stated that it would take about 10 days to complete the investigation.

Michelle Williams, Ledger's ex-partner, made a statement on 1st February 2008, expressing her heartbreak and described how she saw his spirit living on through their daughter, Matilda. She concluded her statement with the words "She (Matilda) will be brought up with the best memories of him."



Biography by Contactmusic.com

Actress Michelle Williams Has Got Married In A Secret Ceremony


Michelle Williams Heath Ledger

Notoriously private actress Michelle Williams has revealed she has married indie musican Phil Elverum in a secret ceremony. While the wedding was seen by just a handful of family and friends, the former partner of the late Heath Ledger told Vanity Fair of her new husband and revealed she had "never given up on love".

Michelle WilliamsMichelle Williams has got married 

As the cover girl of this issue's Vanity Fair, the Brokeback Mountain actress spoke about the difficulties surrounding Heath Ledger’s death ten years ago with whom she shared daughter Matilda, 12.

Continue reading: Actress Michelle Williams Has Got Married In A Secret Ceremony

Friends And Family Remember Heath Ledger 10 Years Later


Heath Ledger

This week marked the 10th anniversary of the untimely death of Academy Award winning actor Heath Ledger but, as tragic as it is, it's also rather a special time with many of his friends and family showing that he is still very much in their hearts and minds on a daily basis.

Heath Ledger pictured at a red carpet eventHeath Ledger pictured at a red carpet event

Heath died at the age of 28 from an accidental overdose in 2008, leaving behind a wife and a daughter. Now, ten years on, his older sister Kate speaks about how he still continues to be a big part of her and her children's lives.

Continue reading: Friends And Family Remember Heath Ledger 10 Years Later

Heath Ledger's Family Campaigns For Tighter Regulation On Prescription Drugs


Heath Ledger

The family of the late movie star Heath Ledger has called for tighter regulations surrounding the availability and distribution of prescription drugs.

Kim Ledger, the star’s father, argued that the United States should play a leading role in what he described as a “world problem”. His son, the star of films such as The Dark Knight and Brokeback Mountain, died at the age of 28 nine years ago having taken an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.

Heath LedgerHeath Ledger pictured in 2007

Continue reading: Heath Ledger's Family Campaigns For Tighter Regulation On Prescription Drugs

Heath Ledger's Sister Denies Claims Her Brother Was Depressed Playing The Joker


Heath Ledger Christian Bale

Heath Ledger’s sister has come out to deny claims her brother was depressed while playing the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s Batman: The Dark Knight - a role he had finished working on only a few months before he tragically died.

Batman: The Dark KnightHeath Ledger's role as the Joker gave rise to controversy surrounding his death

The Australian actor died of an accidental overdose on prescription drugs on 22 January, 2008 aged 28 but his older sister, Kate, has refuted claims the actor suffered difficulties sleeping and other mental health issues while playing the DC comic book character role.

Continue reading: Heath Ledger's Sister Denies Claims Her Brother Was Depressed Playing The Joker

From Rocky Horror To Brokeback Mountain: 10 LGBT Movies To See Before You Die


Richard O'Brien Tim Curry John Cameron Mitchell Terence Stamp Heath Ledger

Hollywood is an important factor in helping the world to understand and accept the varied identities and relationships within the LGBT community. Whether they do it with comedy or shocking drama, it makes an impact on the world and helps diversify cinema on large scale.

Here are just ten of our favourite LGBT movies:

Tim Curry starred in 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'Tim Curry starred in 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'

Continue reading: From Rocky Horror To Brokeback Mountain: 10 LGBT Movies To See Before You Die

Lindsay Lohan Accuses Jared Leto Of Ripping Off Brandon Lee And Urges Fans Not To See 'Suicide Squad'


Lindsay Lohan Brandon Lee Jared Leto Jack Nicholson Heath Ledger Mischa Barton

Lindsay Lohan took aim at Jared Leto on Instagram earlier this week, by posting then deleting a collage of the actors who have played The Joker alongside Brandon Lee, and accusing the Suicide Squad star of basing his whole career on The Crow.

Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan thinks Jared Leto based his whole career on Brandon Lee’sThe Crow.

The collage featured Leto as The Joker in Suicide Squad, Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight and Jack Nicholson in 1989’s Batman, as well as the late Brandon Lee in The Crow. According to Perez Hilton, the actress captioned the post: “Who wore it better? Who based his whole music and film career on the film, The Crow?”

Continue reading: Lindsay Lohan Accuses Jared Leto Of Ripping Off Brandon Lee And Urges Fans Not To See 'Suicide Squad'

Hilarious Throwback Video Of Heath Ledger And Comedian Magda Szubanski From 2006 Goes Viral


Heath Ledger Magda Szubanski

A video featuring the late Heath Ledger and ‘Kath and Kim’ actress Magda Szubanski from 2006 went viral this week, after being featured in a Throwback Thursday post. The funny clip shows Szubanski in character as ‘Kath and Kim’s’ Sharon, freaking out upon seeing the actor on the red carpet and then getting a kiss on the lips from the hunk.

Heath LedgerAn awards show video of Heath Ledger from 2006 has gone viral.

As Ledger was about to be interviewed on the red carpet, Szubanski comes up behind him and screams, making the actor jump. But Ledger handles it like a pro and gives the over-excited Sharon a kiss on the lips and even strokes her face, causing her to drop to the floor.

Continue reading: Hilarious Throwback Video Of Heath Ledger And Comedian Magda Szubanski From 2006 Goes Viral

Jake Gyllenhaal Opens Up About His Pain At Losing Heath Ledger


Jake Gyllenhaal Heath Ledger

When Heath Ledger died from an accidental overdose in 2008 the world mourned the loss of a shining star. But there were few that mourned the loss more than Ledger's Brokeback Mountain co-star, Jake Gyllenhaal who has recently opened up about how the death of his friend really affected him.

Jake GyllenhaalJake Gyllenhaal misses his co-star Heath Ledger

Speaking to NPR’s Terry Gross, Gyllenhaal spoke of how sad he felt that the world would never get to see the “beauty of his [Ledger’s] expression.”

Continue reading: Jake Gyllenhaal Opens Up About His Pain At Losing Heath Ledger

Lindsay Lohan's Ex List Was Actually A Step In Her Recovery


Oprah Winfrey Ashton Kutcher Zac Efron Heath Ledger

Lindsay Lohan really did write down her now infamous list of lovers, which has been providing gossip fodder for a couple of weeks now. But she didn’t do it for the reasons you think. It turns out that Lohan jotted down the thirty or so names, while she was in rehab, as part of her therapy. So said Lohan herself, speaking out about the list on Watch What Happens Live. When questioned by Andy Cohen during the show’s Plead the Fifth segment, Lohan played coy at first.

Lindsay Lohan
It sounds like the list is a reminder of times now past for Lohan.

"I cannot confirm or deny it," she said.

Continue reading: Lindsay Lohan's Ex List Was Actually A Step In Her Recovery

Will Dane DeHaan's Green Goblin Outdo Heath Ledger's Joker?


Dane DeHaan Heath Ledger

Who could possibly believe that the new images released of The Amazing Spider-Man 2’s most nefarious villain, The Green Goblin, is in fact baby faced actor Dane DeHaan?  We’d initially assumed that the film would see Peter Parker, alias Spider-Man, played by Andrew Garfield, come up against Electro, played by Jamie Foxx, so we were all surprised to see a flash of the Green Goblin in the trailer. It seems as though Spider-Man will have a few bad guys to contend with in the latest movie!

dane dehaan spiderman 2 Dane DeHaan may be cute in real life, but he's horrifying as the Green Goblin

The Green Goblin, who ultimately becomes Peter Parker’s number one enemy, is played by 28 year old DeHaan, and woah, does he look creepy in the new promo shots. DeHaan’s Green Goblin stares menacingly into the camera, his rotten teeth visible through his snarling, chapped grin. His skin looks as though he has a serious case of an incurable swamp lurgy, while he appears to have some kind of apparatus attached to his face and twisted around his neck. His frazzled red hair is a far cry from DeHaan’s mousy blond locks, in fact, if we didn’t know it was the actor, we’d really have no idea.

Continue reading: Will Dane DeHaan's Green Goblin Outdo Heath Ledger's Joker?

Teresa Palmer and Heath Ledger - Thursday 19th February 2009 at Academy Of Motion Pictures And Sciences Los Angeles, California

Teresa Palmer and Heath Ledger

Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain and Heath Ledger Tuesday 12th February 2008

Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain and Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger Friday 25th January 2008 The casket of actor Heath Ledger is taken out of The Frank Campbell Funeral Home on Madison Avenue New York City, USA

Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger, Batman, Batman Begins, Brokeback Mountain and Michelle Williams Thursday 24th January 2008

Heath Ledger Tuesday 13th November 2007 Premiere of 'I'm Not There' at the Clearview Chelsea West Cinema New York City, USA

Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger Quick Links

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Heath Ledger

Date of birth

4th April, 1979

Date of death

22nd January, 2008

Occupation

Actor

Sex

Male

Height

1.85


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Heath Ledger Movies

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Trailer

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Trailer

Watch the trailer for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Doctor Parnassus is a doctor unlike...

The Dark Knight Movie Review

The Dark Knight Movie Review

Have you ever noticed how one measly letter separates "laughter" from "slaughter?"I almost missed this...

I'm Not There Movie Review

I'm Not There Movie Review

We first meet the real Bob Dylan, lit by a spotlight and blowing into a...

I'm Not There Trailer

I'm Not There Trailer

I'm Not ThereTrailerI'm Not There is an unconventional journey into the life and times of...

The Four Feathers Movie Review

The Four Feathers Movie Review

In grade school, history lessons were painfully boring, but at least we learned the facts....

Lords of Dogtown Movie Review

Lords of Dogtown Movie Review

"Lords of Dogtown" is a fictionalized accountof the birth of modern skateboarding that doesn't have...

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A Knight's Tale Movie Review

A Knight's Tale Movie Review

By now you've heard about the concept of "A Knight's Tale" and had the time...

Ned Kelly Movie Review

Ned Kelly Movie Review

Plied with fiction and short on depth, the new biopic of legendary Australian outlaw Ned...

10 Things I Hate About You Movie Review

10 Things I Hate About You Movie Review

There's just no excuse for making a Shakespeare knock-off with "Savedby the Bell" quality dialogue....

The Order Movie Review

The Order Movie Review

The Catholic church has been a source of inspiration for a whole slew of scary...

The Four Feathers Movie Review

The Four Feathers Movie Review

All sweeping desert vistas and melodramatic 19th Century British imperial clichés (updated with politically correct...

The Patriot Movie Review

The Patriot Movie Review

For a relentlessly unoriginal, pandering and predictable, two-and-a-half hour Revolutionary War epic that white-washes slavery,...

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